And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called the way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein. No lion shall be there, nor shall any ravenous beast go up thereon, it shall not be found there; but the redeemed shall walk there. Isaiah 35:8-9.
All roads lead to Rome as the old proverbs says, but there is only one road that lead to God and to heaven. Jesus is the way, the truth and life. But in Christ Jesus, there are two roads that leads to heaven, one is bad and the other is good. Our Lord Jesus is known for speaking by parables, it is therefore a symbolical narration of the lifesytles of believers in their pilgrim journey to heaven. While many will compromise in gratification and conformity to the world, openly or secretly, wallowing in and enjoying the pleasures of sin, though they are in Christ; few will chose to live in mortification to subjugate the lusts of the flesh, unspotted from the world and its passions, choosing rather to suffer the flesh and suffer shame and any reproach for Christ sake, esteeming his reproach greater riches than the treasures of the world: sacrificing the present sufferings and ungodly pleasures, company or gains for their crowns and rewards in heaven.
The bad road is called the broad way and wide gate, while the good road is called the straight gate and the narrow way. The former road is popular. It is the road of the self willed, self indulgences and indulgent, self reasoning outside the scriptures and many believers and professors of faith in Christ Jesus are following it, thinking and hoping they will get to heaven through it – a wide gate, having great extent from one side to the other side, unrealistic that they are suffering from spiritual psychotic disorder. Their carnal minds were deceived to misapply the word of God in 2 Corinthians chapter 3 verses 17, where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty- super abundant grace and false liberty that bring them back into spiritual bondages (the more we sin, the better it is – let us do evil that good may come, whose damnation is sure. Romans 3:8: 5:20) an errouneous belief (the faith of demons. James 2:19) that is held in the face of evidence to the contrary. They don’t go to the throne of mercy to find grace to serve the consuming fire (God) acceptably with reverence and godly fear, but they falsely rejoices that when sin increases, grace for forgiveness and to continue rolling around in sin increases.
The straight gate and the narrow way is the only good way in Christ Jesus, leading us to God and taken us straight to heaven of glory and of uneding joy. It is a road with lots of signpost, giving us directions and showing us the way. Similarly, anyone who competes as an athlete does not receive the victor’s crown except by competing according to the rules. In tract event, false start means disqualification from the race. Great discipline is required against agitation to bring the body under subjection from making an invalid start and run for the race, but as soon as the starter pistol is released, start and run to win the race by clean slate without blood doping which may rob you of the price if paradventure you won but found out to be a cheater (positive blood test).
Broad way and wide gate heaven’s seekers are spiritual cheaters in the kingdom. They are not striving (Luke 13:24) to enter into heaven through the straight gate by working out their salvation with fear and trembling in faithful obedient to Christ and his word. They are the salt without sweetness.They are the light full of darkness and natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed. They have eyes full of adultery and other lusts, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls: an heart they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children: which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness; they are like the earth which drinks in the rain that comes oft upon it, but instead of producing herbs necessary for the people by whom it is dressed, they are bearing thorns and briers, close to be cursed by the Lord as workers of iniquity, whose their end is to be burned.
The broad way is pernicious. It is the way designed by false teachers and ministers of the gospel to draw the crowd after them with sugar coated flattering gospel messages in the place of sound speech for correction and instructions in righteousness in pure doctrine. The believers travelling this gambling path to heaven are spiritualy sleeping ‘the sleep of death’ and are never awaken to righteusness to stop sinning and to start living in true holiness in conformity to the doctrine of Christ. They ignored the scriptures that Christ learned obedience to the Father by the things he suffered in the flesh: and being made perfect (in holiness thorough obedient) he became the author of eternal salvation unto all that obey him. Hebrews 5:9.
The entrance into the holy city of God is not without gate (s) – there is a passage to enter or go through. Every new comers or arrivals shall go thorough screening process before gaining entrance. If their body is full of light-good, but if the light that is in them is darkness, how great is that darkness – and awful their rejection – how great shall be the perplexity of their dissapointment and how great shall be their eternal loss! Can you see the connection between the highway to heaven called the way of holiness with the birth of the HOLY THING (Luke1:35) came down from heaven and declared to be the son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the ressurection from the dead?
From this bible text we discovered three things- the power, holiness, glory and victory over sin and death. The power of God and victory over the world, flesh and sin is in the life of holiness – even the sanctification of the body, soul and spirit. The divine power and nature of God we’re partakers at regeneration ought to increase, if we seek holiness without which no man shall see God to be yielding our members as instruments of righteousness unto holiness in total freedom and power over sin which shall not have dominion over us as light shinning in darkness. Sin brings reproach and shame but rightoeusness tend to glory and immortality-eternal life. Holiness is the blessedness of the purity of heart, the eternal reward to see and dwell forever with the trice holy God. Matthew 5:8. Romans 1:4.
The straight gate and the narrow way in Christ to heaven is the way of progressive (and the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ) sanctifcation by the sacrifice of whom we are sanctified once and for all through the offering of Christ our passover slain to make and present us holy and unblamable – as the truth is in Jesus, that you should put off the former conversation (way of life) the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; and that you be renewed in the spirit of our mind: and to put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. This is what Christ has done and continues to do in us through the washing of water by the word to redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.1 Thessalonians 5:23. Titus 2:14.
We are called unto holiness without which no man shalll see God. Every sin is from the deceitful heart of man and the affection must be guided by the word of God, lest we go the way of our heart. Purity of heart is the productivity of holiness of life- the positive outcome of complete deliverance in the absent of whatever defiles from the heart, (and he said, that which cometh out of the man, that defiles the man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: all these evil things come from within, and defile the man. Mark 7: 20-23) but if we train to guard the heart as commanded- keep your heart with all diligent, for out of it are the issues of life, we can have a pure heart and clean hands to ascend into the hills of God and to stand boldly before him in his holy place . Salvation from sin is our call unto holiness as he who has called us is holy. Whatever defiles in the heart must be purged out by prayer, while we watch over the heart by controlling what we are looking or watching, hearing and doing. 1 Peter 1:14-23. Proverbs 4:23.
The Spirit of God is the Spirit of holiness. 1 Thessalonians 4:7-8. He is also known as the Spirit that sanctify (Hebrews 10:29) given unto us in regeneration to help us to walk and live constantly in the Spirit for sanctification through obedience to the word of God (now you are clean through the word I have spoken to you) as we stop making provision for the flesh or allows it in any way to hinder the presence and operation of the Holy Spirit in us.1 Peter 1:2.
The tremendous success of spiritual surgical heart operation carried out by our great Physician (God) for a new and soft heart in the place of the stony and hardened heart we once had before we come to Christ is shown and known in the productivity of the fruit of repentance through the newness of life and holy conversations from the inside out or from the inward man. Christ plainly put it in this way that if the inside of the plate or the cup is clean; certainly the outside of it will be cleansed as well. Matthew 23:25-26.
‘The way of the Lord is strength to the upright: but destruction shall be to the workers of iniquity’. None shall not see him as he is, neither shall any become like him in the final glorification and transformation, if they do not purify themselves (now) even as he is pure. The Lord will show himself pure to the pure in heart and conducts. None will be allowed to ascend into the hill of God nor stand in his holy place to meet with him that is immeasurably holy, when the crooked road before them is not made straight, and the rough places made plain and the deserts straight to prepare a highway for God to meet with them at the expiration of man’s numbered days on earth. Psalms 18:25-26. Proverbs 10:29. 1 John 3:2-3.
The highway of holiness is the toughest and spiritually contentious road. It is also the most blessed, prosperous, assured and secured road where the thieves and robbers, wasters and swallowers cannot stand to waste and swallow, and thieves cannot prosper to steal and rob the users in the highway of holiness. The righteous with clean hands are made stronger daily in the highway of holiness. The innumerable troops of heaven are always present to assure the security of the travellers with zero tolerance for the defilers and emptier to defile or empty the travellers of any possession. ‘If thou are pure and upright, surely now he would awake for thee, and make the habitation of thy righteousness prosperous. Though your beginning was small, yet thy latter end should greatly increase’. Job 8:6-7. Job 17:9.
Forget about the power of the snare of the fowler and the noisome pestilence, they are inconsequential on the King’s highway of holiness. The terror of the night is silenced and the arrows that that fly by day are expected and destined to miss their respective target in favour of those that ply the highway of holiness, because there is no affinity that connects them to the prince of this world. The travellers on the highway of holiness are full of light and glory, therefore shall the pestilence that walks in darkness and the destruction that waste at noonday be held back from them. The roaring lion and ravenous beasts shall not be found to obstruct or to tear any of the travellers into pieces on the King’s highway because the works of righteousness shall be peace: and the effect of it, quietness and assurance forever. Isaiah 32:17-18.
A believer who has made the choice to walk through it is well protected and secured by the light, glory and virtue of the gallant walk. In addition, the great interests and godly jealousy of the King of saints over his precious holy people will shield them against the agents of defilement and impurity (now also many nations are gathered against thee, that say, let her be defiled, and let our eye look upon Zion. But they know not the thoughts of the Lord, neither understand they his counsel: for he shall gather them as the sheaves into the floor. Arise and thresh, O daughter of Zion: for I will make your horn iron, and I will make thy hoofs brass: and thou shall beat in pieces many people: and I will consecrate their gain unto the Lord, and their substance unto the Lord of the whole earth Micah 4:11-13. Zachariah 1:14) and will release great terror on their adversaries and prohibit from touching them. John 14:30.
The King’s highway of holiness is exceptional for unique people (the redeemed of the Lord) saved by grace and purchased by the precious blood of the eternal covenant to walk as they cleanse themselves from all the filthiness of the flesh and of the spirit, perfecting holiness daily in the fear of God. The unclean shall not pass through it. The highway of holiness is not meant for the unstable and the hypocrites that wrest the scriptures to their own destruction -sinners shall not stand in judgement, neither the wicked in the congregation of the righteous: for the Lord knows the way of the righteous (the highway of holiness) but the way of ungodly shall perish.
It is the highway of second chance, where the broad way travellers can make a u turn with a broken spirit and contrite heart before the Lord for forgiveness, cleansing for restoration and empowerment; where all that has been lost to the devil can be restored and maintained. ‘If thou return to the Almighty, thou shall be built up; thou shall put away iniquity far from thy tabernacles. Then shall thou lay up gold as dust and the gold of Ophir as the stones of the brooks. Yea, the Almighty shall be thy defence, and thou shall have plenty of silver. For then shall thou have thy delight in the Almighty, and shall lift up thy face unto God. Thou shall make thy prayer unto him, and he shall hear thee, and thou shall pay thy vows. Thou shall also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee: and the light shall shine upon thy ways. When men are cast down, then thou shall say, there is lifting up; and he shall save the humble person.He shall deliver the island of the innocent: and it is delivered by the pureness of your hands. Job 22:23-30.
As Christ was made our sanctification, we should set ourselves aside from the pollutions and abominable deeds and practices of the land and of our society that we might be undefiled in the way. Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the Lord. Blessed are they that keep his testimonies and that seek him with the whole heart. They also do no iniquity: they walk in his ways. Psalms 119:1-3. James 4:4.
The King’s highway is plain and pleasant, but it is a necessity and an obligatory established line of travel or access to heaven. Holiness is not open to argument or debate as a subject in the kingdom. This is the purpose of our salvation and calling, the cost of Christ suffering and death for our sins, and the glory and beauty of our election before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and without blame before him in love. Sanctify them by thy word, thy word is truth. What a treasure and goodly heritage we have in the word of God given for our cleansing as we feed and meditate on the bread of life for the sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience (belief of the truth 1 Thessalonians 2:13) and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ, if we do not add or remove from it. Ephesians 1:4. Hebrews 12:14.
The wise shall inherit glory as they continue to go up through the King’s highway of holiness to heaven, but shame shall be the promotion of fools as they make mock or light of sin, travelling down to the pit of hell where they shall reap the fruit of corruptible lifestyles they’ve sown while in the flesh on earth. The fools, though are aware that they have not been redeem with corruptible things such as gold and silver from the vain conversation or ways of life received by tradition from their fathers, but they still fall short to purify their souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit, while they continue to live their new life as if they have not tasted the heavenly gift, and were not partakers of the Holy Ghost, and had not tasted the good word of God, and were never partake from the powers of the world to come. Proverbs 7:27.
Let us be wise to ponder the path of our ways. The wisdom that is from above is first pure. The prudent and the pure in heart have discovered and embraced the King’s highway as the only way to travel, leading and ascending to the city of the great King. They will keep their garments and make them white in the blood of the Lamb. They shall walk uprightly, thereby walking surely as the path of the just, shinning more and more unto the perfect day. They shall be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless to stand in their lot at the end: but the transgressors (because the way of sinner is hard) shall fall and perish in the way. Who is wise, and he shall understand these things? Prudent, and he shall know them? For the ways of the Lord are right, and the just shall walk in them: but transgressors shall fall therein. James 3:17-28. Proverbs 13:15. Hosea 14:9.