don't mind, you can turn to Isaiah
chapter 35. Isaiah 35. I'm going to read from verses
8, 9, and 10 of Isaiah 35. Verse 8, and an highway shall
be there, and a away, 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 any
ravenous beast shall go up their pawn. It shall not be found there,
but the redeemed shall walk there. And the ransom of the Lord shall
return and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon
their heads. They shall obtain joy and gladness
and sorrow and sighing, sorrow and sighing shall flee away. The title of this sermon is The
Way of Holiness, Paul. Now, don't be alarmed. I'm not gonna talk about holiness
the way some people talk about holiness. Because in some places, holiness
has become a bad word. And generally, it's because of
the people who have the word holiness in their denomination
above the church. I'm not gonna name them, although
I'll give you their initials. It's called Pentecostal holiness. Seriously, folks, they have given
the name of holiness a bad connotation. They have given the name of the
Holy Ghost a bad connotation. But that's not the way the Bible
speaks. Because let me just say one thing
right now before I even start. The way of holiness is not the
way of man. Not the way of man. And like
I said the last time I was here, I'm gonna do my best not to preach
about what you need to do for Christ. I wanna preach about
what Christ has done for you. But he starts it off as an highway
shall be there and a way. Now, this is two different words.
An highway, the highway is one word. The way and a way, both
of those are the same word. So there's three terms here,
but they're only three times the word is talked about. But
there's two different terms, two different Hebrew words. And
it makes sense when I'm going to try to explain it here, if
I can do it right. Because these are two words describing
the same way. The word highway means this. It means a thoroughfare. As,
and this one got me, as turnpike. That's the way Strong put it.
It's turnpike. You understand? This is a highway. that's not for everybody. What
it used to be in the old days, a turnpike, was they actually
had a gate over it, and the toll had to be paid before you got
on that highway. And it may have been in the even
older days, they had them, you ever seen the spikes with a pole
in the center of it, and they'd move it off of the road, that
sort of thing. That's what the first word, and highway. It is
a thoroughfare, but it's turnpiked. It's turnpiked. You can't get
on unless the toll has been paid. Now that ought to just get your
mind going just a little bit there. I didn't say you had to
pay the toll, but the toll's got to be paid. Yeah. This turnpike road had a barrier,
maybe even a gate, because this is a highway with a blockage.
at least at times. What does that mean? It means
this. Not everyone could get on this
highway. And that's just the way it is,
folks. I mean, that's the thing. What they call it now, if you
talk to the highway people, they call it a restricted access highway. That's what they call it. Remember
that fella down, used to live down below your Mom and Dad there
had that trailer off of 460. He kept trying to put his driveway
up on 460, and they kept blocking it. Why? Because it was a restricted
access highway. He was supposed to have to go
around and come down the main road and not put his driveway
on there. Anyhow, this is a road that not everyone could get on.
Now, A-Way, where it says, excuse me, It shall be, and highway
shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called the way of
holiness. Now that word is the same word,
and what that means is a road. And it means a road that is to
be trodden. It's to be walked on. It is to
be traveled. A way is just a road. So we have
an highway with restricted access that is meant to be traveled.
Isn't that something good? There's a highway not everyone
can get on and some will get on. And notice the progression. Isaiah
goes from an highway to a way to the way. There's only one way of holiness,
the way of holiness. Then a description is given.
This highway, the way, is named here. So what's so special about
it? Isaiah called it the way of holiness,
of holiness. Now here's something I want to
tell you that the world doesn't know and the religious world
seems to overlook. And most religious societies,
as Earl used to call them, won't say it. Holiness, absolute righteousness,
total perfection is required by the Lord. No ifs, ands, or
buts about it. I'm just gonna read it here.
Leviticus 20 and verse seven says, sanctify yourselves therefore
and be ye holy. For I am the Lord your God. God
says be holy. Isaiah's telling us about the
way of holiness here. Now I understand both of those
are Old Testament and that's true. Both of them are Old Testament. Isaiah's in the Old Testament,
Leviticus is in the Old Testament. And you know what? It's still
true. Because here's what it says in
Hebrews, which is New Testament. Hebrews 12 and 14 says this,
follow peace with all men and holiness. But then what's he
saying? Without which, without which
holiness, no man shall see the Lord. What can you say about that?
You might wanna find out what the way of holiness is. You might
wanna find out what the way of holiness, and that's what it's
called, the way of holiness. This is not the way of man, it
is the way of the Lord. It is of the Lord, it is his
way. And he tells us a little bit
about it by telling us who doesn't walk on it. Isn't that interesting? This is the way of holiness.
The unclean shall not pass over it. What's that mean? It means
they're not going to walk on it. It's not that they're not
going to go over it, pass over it. No, they're not going to
be allowed on it. The unclean are not going to pass over it. Now, this is not talking about
the same uncleanness that the law is talking Understand, because
the part of the uncleanness in the law shows spiritual problems. This is not saying a woman with
an issue of blood could not be on this way of holiness. Understand,
this is not saying that a leper couldn't be on this way of holiness,
but it's saying the unclean couldn't be on it. The bodily rules of uncleanness
for the congregation of Israel were pictures of true spiritual
concerns. But Christ told us it's not what
we put in our bodies that defiles us, it's what comes out. It's
what comes out. For what comes out of our mouths,
which comes from the uncleanness within, out of the abundance
of the heart, the mouth speaketh. And that'll make you unclean.
Actually, it just shows you're unclean. Those dead in trespasses and
in sins will not walk here in the way of holiness. And cannot
walk here. But I do have to be clear, one
of the reasons why I think Isaiah wrote it this way, an highway,
a way, and the way, is there is more than one way. Now, there's
only one the way of holiness. But Christ told us of another
way. It's in Matthew 7 and verse 13. There it is, yeah. Matthew 7, verse
13, it says, enter ye in at the straight gate, for wide is the
gate and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction. And many
there be which go in there at. Because straight is the gate
and narrow is the way which leadeth unto life. And few there be that
find it. There is a broad way and there
is the way of holiness. the narrow way. And on that broad
way, many are on it. I almost picked that song, Walter,
that we sang. Broad is the way that leads to
death, and thousands walk together there. But wisdom shows, Jesus
Christ is wisdom, wisdom shows a narrow path with here and there
a traveler. There's no nice way to say this.
Not that I can think of. Those on the Broadway are unclean. They might be intelligent. They
might be nice, sweet, and sincere religious people. Also, they
might be intelligent. Rotten, mean, and wolves in sheep's
clothing. It doesn't matter. Those on the
Broadway are unclean. They're not cleansed yet. They
are those who will not submit themselves to the way of holiness. I thought about this. Paul wrote this. Brethren, my
heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is they might
be saved. For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God,
but not according to knowledge. For they being ignorant of God's
righteousness are going about to establish their own righteousness
and have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. Now that's bad. But what I want
to do, and I don't know, I mean, here's what I want to do. For
they being ignorant of God's holiness, and are going about to establish
their own holiness, have not submitted themselves unto the
holiness of God. I believe that's equally true. This is what it is on the broad
road and the difference of the way of holiness. The broad way
is the religious way where they're trying to establish their own
righteousness, they're trying to declare their own justification,
and they're trying to attain or keep their own holiness. And that's not the way of holiness.
That's not the way of holiness. They will not submit themselves
to God. And it's not for the unclean.
The way of holiness is not for the unclean. But it shall be
for those, the wayfaring men, the wayfaring
men, the sojourners, the pilgrims, men and women who know this earth
is not their home. Those that are in the world,
as Christ said, but not of the world. Believers, disciples, those who
follow the good shepherd. Because believers are transitory. Walter, this is not what we're
looking for right here. You understand? We're looking
for more. What does it say in Hebrews? They are looking for
a city whose builder and maker is God. That's what I want. That's what I want. Now, I'm
here. I am in this world. But by God's grace, I'm not of
this world, not anymore. Sojourners. I like that word,
sojourners. That means you're on a traveling.
And what are we traveling? If you're in Christ, you're traveling
the way of holiness. If you're in Christ, you're traveling,
what? The narrow way. But you're traveling. It's a
road to be trod on. Believers are not to stand still,
except for when God tells them to. What did he say? Moses said,
stand still and see the salvation of the Lord. They did, but what
happened after? They went. They traveled across
the Red Sea, and they traveled out into the wilderness, because
believers are not to stand still. This is a way, a road, the way
of holiness. The wayfaring men, I read this, and I looked at it,
and I looked at it. It says, the wayfaring men, though
fools, shall not err therein. Men and women are on the way
of holiness. But here's the thing, folks.
We're still men and women. Believers though we may be, fools
we still are. Though fools, though they be
foolish, You know why it's there? Because
we are. We are. We are foolish, we are
stupid, and sometimes just plain mean, and definitely impatient. Way too impatient. We can't keep our mouths shut.
We'll murmur and complain. but says they shall not err therein.
What's he talking about? Believers still have a heart
and a mind out of which still comes evil thoughts. On the way of holiness, the believer
still has his flesh. But here it is. Though fools,
they shall not err therein. And this is what I get out of
it, folks. Believe it's right You cannot break the way of holiness
Does that make sense? You're gonna air you're gonna
stumble you're gonna fail and you're gonna fall and the way
of holiness is still going on You're gonna trip, but he says
I will hold you in my hand Though you fall And you will fall. You are never, ever going to
be utterly cast down. You're gonna still be on the
way of holiness. You shall not err therein. There's no fault
in the way. The fault is in us. The fault
is in me. The fault is in you. And there's
plenty of fault to go around. Even while in the way. But you
understand, and I'm gonna get to it here, you didn't put yourself
in the way, and you don't keep yourself in the way. The way keeps you. It says, no
lion shall be there, nor any ravenous beast shall go up thereon.
It shall not be found there, but the redeemed shall walk there. There's no predator on the way
of holiness. I'm not saying there's not predators,
there are. But they're on a different way. They're on that broad way. You may interact with them, unfortunately. But they're not on the way of
holiness. We are worn against wolves in sheep's clothing. And
you know why? Because there are wolves in sheep's
clothing. There are those who say they
are Christians. They are believers. And yet their
whole way of living is to devour you. What is it Paul wrote? They would make merchandise of
your soul. And he tells us, stay away from
them. Stay away from them. You know,
if they speak not according to the law and the testimony, if
they speak not according to the gospel of Jesus Christ, it's
because there's no light in them. The light of Christ is not in
them. Stay away, avoid them. But then he says, but the redeemed
shall walk there. I'll tell you something, the
way of holiness is not empty. It says few there be that find
it, but few find it. There are those who have been
placed on the way of holiness in the way of holiness. And who
are they? They're the redeemed. Now you
wanna go back to where I talked about that turnpike and said
the toll had to be paid before you could get on. The toll has
been paid for the redeemed. The toll has been paid by his
precious blood. Oh my, yes. The redeemed are
gonna walk there. And here's the thing. How many
of the redeemed are gonna walk there? Ooh, that's easy. All of them. All of them. You understand? It doesn't tell
you that the faithful redeemed are gonna walk there. It doesn't
say the working redeemed. No, it says the redeemed. Who
did Christ redeem? That's a question that a lot
of people think, well, that's easy. He shed his blood. He gave his life for everyone.
It's not what the book says. He says the good shepherd gives
his life for the sheep. So the sheep are gonna walk in
the way of holiness. The toll's already been paid.
The redeemed shall walk there. There's no qualifier given, just
the redeemed. If you can say the word just
with just the redeemed. That's how Jesus Christ redeemed
his people. Eternal and plenteous. eternal redemption, and plenteous
redemption. The redeemed shall walk there.
There is no doubt about it. And I'm going to tell you something.
You may be on the way of holiness, but you may not feel like it. You may think you might have
lost the way, but the way has never lost anyone. The redeemed
walk there. Yes, we are foolish. Yes, we
Stray, we stumble, we fall. But according to Isaiah here,
he says, you shall not err in the way. The way is the way,
and the way is the way of holiness. And the ransomed of the Lord
shall return and come to Zion with songs of everlasting joy
upon their heads, and they shall obtain joy and gladness, and
sorrow and sighing shall flee away. Here's the other part that's
on there. On the way of holiness. Two terms, the redeemed and the
ransomed. Oh, I like that, I like that.
The ransomed of the Lord shall return. The ransomed shall come
to Zion and not quietly. With songs and everlasting joy
upon their heads. Those on the way of holiness
are gonna talk about it. Put it this way, those on the
way of holiness are gonna talk about him. Because there he is, the way
of holiness, and the way of holiness is a person. It's a person. You understand, we have metaphor,
we have illustration, we have examples, but folks, the reality
is the reality. They're going to have songs of
joy and gladness. Why? Because those on the way
of holiness, those who know Christ, know better days are ahead. And
if you really want to put it this way, a better life is ahead. Walter, we were talking about
it just before services aired. You understand when we get to
the point of talking about future events, See, there's one future
event I'm waiting for. We shall not all sleep, but we're
all gonna be changed. In a moment, in the twinkling
of an eye. And then it says, the dead in Christ shall rise
first, and then we which are alive and remain shall also go
up, ascend. And so, here's this, so shall
we ever be with the Lord. Now you understand this? I don't wanna be flippant, but
understand Mason, I'm not worried once I get there. Once I get
there, what happens afterward is even more grace. Because when
you say, so shall you ever be with the Lord, Talk about joy unspeakable and
full of glory. I'm not worried about what comes
after, Mason. I'm not worried about what comes
after. This is what I want because this is who I want. Sorrow and sighing and crying
shall flee away and Jesus Christ shall wipe away all tears. But here it is. Now, I mean, it's... Jesus Christ said, well, let's do this first. John
14, verse one to six, just for a second. I won't keep you much
longer. John 14, let not your heart be
troubled. You believe in God, believe also
in me. In my Father's house are many
mansions. If it were not so, I'd have told
you. I would have told you. I go to
prepare a place for you, and if I go and prepare a place for
you, I will come again and receive you unto myself. That where I am, there ye may
be also. Isn't that glorious? You understand? He's gone. He's gone. He's prepared
to place. But he's coming again. But this
is the thing. I will come again and receive
you. Now what? Unto myself. Unto myself. Christ is going to receive us
unto himself. that where I am there ye may
be also. He's the way of holiness. He's
fixing to tell us. And whether I go, ye know, and
the way ye know. Thomas saith unto him, Lord,
we know not whether thou goest, and how can we know the way?
Jesus said unto him, I am the way. I am the way. The truth and the life. No man,
what? No man cometh unto the Father
but by me. Jesus Christ is the way of holiness. Who walks in the way of holiness?
The redeemed and the ransomed. That's it. Who redeemed and who
ransomed? Jesus Christ did. Who walks in
the way of holiness? All of those that are in Christ
Jesus because he's the way. I am the way. How simple is that? I am the way. He could have said,
I am the way of holiness, and been exactly right. I am the
truth, and I am the life, and no man can cometh to the Father
but by me. And I'm gonna tell you something
else, put it this way. Everyone that cometh to the Father
by me, I'm gonna receive unto myself. And there you are gonna
be with me. He's gathering together, going
to gather together all of those ransomed and redeemed together
in one, and he's the one. He's the one. No man comes to
God except by me, and everyone who enters the straight gate
and walks the narrow way shall have everlasting joy and gladness
and gladness, everlasting gladness. Now you might want to say, how
do I get on that way of holiness? How do I get on that narrow way? You'll be there when he finds
you. That parable about the lost sheep,
the lost coin, and the lost son, the first two of them, what happens? The lost sheep. The shepherd
goes out and finds the sheep, puts it on his shoulders, and
what? Brings it back. Brings it back. What happened
to the lost coin? The lost coin, the woman swept
and picked up and searched until he found it. What happened to the lost son?
Well, you don't see. It doesn't say anything about
the lost son being found. except for those little words
here where it says, let me see if I can find it. Verse 17 of Luke 15 says this,
and when he came to himself, he said, how many hired servants
of my father's have bread enough to spare, and I perish with hunger,
I will arise and go to my father. and will say unto him, Father,
I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, and am no more
worthy to be called thy son, make me as one of thy hired servants.
Those, what is it, one, two, three, four, five, six words,
and when he came to himself, that's when the Lord found him.
Because you're never gonna come to yourself and know that you're
a sinner until he finds you. And he'll pick you up, put you
on his shoulders, and he will put you through that straight
gate and on the narrow way. Because he is the way. He is
the way. All that the Father gives to
me, what? Shall come to me. Oh, wait a
minute. And him that comes to me, I will
in no wise. Wait a minute. For no failure,
for no fault, for no iniquity, transgression, or sin, I will
in no wise cast out. In no wise. The eternal salvation
of Jesus Christ is given to the redeemed and the ransomed. Believers
have been given life. The life of Jesus Christ. The
life of Christ, and believers walk in him in the way of holiness. Be ye holy, for I am holy. How's that possible? Well, with
men, it's impossible. But with God, in Jesus Christ,
all things are possible. We talk about, Walter, write
this up, righteousness imputed and righteousness imparted. And
I said it the wrong way a few weeks ago, Walter, and I figured
it out as soon as I sat down. He has his righteousness imparted
to his people. His holiness, his justification,
his righteousness, his goodness, his wisdom, to where when the
father looks at the believer on the way of holiness, even
though you have fallen, you have stumbled, you have tripped, he
sees his son. He sees his son. He sees the
way of holiness. And if you're in the way of holiness,
he sees his son's holiness. because he is the way of holiness. Father, thank you, Lord, for
this time and this place. Help us to walk in your way. It is a walk. And help us to rise, to stand
after we fall, and continue on in your way by your will. and to your good pleasure. Be
with Paul and Walter as they come to preach your gospel. Lord,
help us to understand your word. In Christ's name we pray, amen.