Sermon # 93        Series:  Isaiah

 

 

Title:  The Way

 

Text:  Isaiah 35:8-10

 

Scripture Reading:  Psalm 67

 

Subject:  The Way of Salvation

 

Date:   Sunday Morning – November 17, 1991

 

Introduction:

 

Job cried, “Oh that I knew where I might find him!  That I might come even to his seat!”  (Job 23:3).  Thomas said, “How can we know the way?”  (John 14:5).  Are you interested in the way?  Do you desire to know the way to God, the way to heaven, the way of salvation?  That is my subject today.  I want to talk to you about The Way.

 

Isaiah, describing the coming of Christ and salvation by him, declares, “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 these: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein.  No lion shall be there, nor any ravenous beast shall go up therein:  And the ransomed 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 shall flee away.”

 

Proposition:  Blessed be God, there is a way to God, there is a way to heaven!

           

It is with great joy that I come here today to declare to you from Holy Scripture that there is a way from the City of Destruction to the Celestial City.  There is a way by which you and I, separated from God by a great gulf of sin, may come to God himself and live forever.

 

Divisions:  May God the Holy Spirit grant his anointing as I endeavor to describe,

 

  1. The Way
  2. The Happiness of those who walk in the Way
  3. And the Responsibilities that are ours concerning the way.

 

I.  First, I want to show you The Way itself, as it is described in our text and in the whole Volume of Holy Scripture.

 

This is by far the most important part of my message.  So I am going to spend most of my time this morning talking about The Way.  May God give me your attention.

 

A.     The Way is Christ Himself  (Isa. 62:10-11; John 14:6)  “This is the Way!”  “An Ensign”

 

      Father but by me.”  Be sure you understand this at the start.  To go wrong here is to go to hell!  Salvation is by faith in Christ (Eph. 2:8-9).  There is no other way.  “Believing in Jesus, we enter upon the way; receiving his Spirit into our hearts we stand in the way; following our Redeemer’s footsteps we walk in the way; and holding fast to his leadership we reach the end of the way.  When we find Jesus, we find the way of truth, the way of life, the way of peace, the way of holiness… The only way of salvation is by the blood and righteousness of Jesus Christ, and all the discoveries of modern thought upon this matter are sheer delusions.”- (C.H. Spurgeon).

     

1.   There is no other way!  Many reads lead to destruction.  Only one road leads to salvation.  “There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.”  (Pro. 16:25).  Any who direct you to any way other than Christ, or any way in addition to Christ, or any way in addition to Christ, directs you in the way to death and eternal destruction in hell.

 

a.       Christ is the Way, not legal works!

b.       Christ is the Way, not religious rituals!

c.       Christ is the Way, moral reformation!

d.       Christ is the Way, not the “Romans Road!”

 

2.   The Way Never Changes!   I know we are living in modern times.  But Christ is the same, yesterday, today, and forever (Heb. 13:8).  God does not change.  Grace does not change.  The Way of salvation does not change.”  Thus saith the Lord, Stand ye in the Ways, and see and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls.”  (Jer. 6:16).

 

      Those who pretend that God changes with the times are idle dreamers.  They know nothing of the grace of God.   Christ alone is the Way!

 

a.       We cannot be washed from sin, but by his blood.

b.       We cannot be made holy, but by his righteousness.

c.       We cannot have access to God, but by his intercession.

 

B.         The Way to God is the Way of Grace.

 

If Christ is the Way, we must be in him, or we cannot be saved.  And the only way sinners can get in Christ is to be put in Christ by the work of God’s free and sovereign grace.  “Of him are ye in Christ Jesus.”  (I Cor. 1:30).  You do not get in Christ by your freewill, by your decision, or by your works.  If ever you find yourself in Christ, you will rejoice to confess, “By the grace of God, I am what I am”  (I Cor 15:10).  I am preaching grace…

 

 

C.         The Way described in our text is A Costly Way.

 

Isaiah said, “An highway shall be there.”  It might be read, “a cause way shall be there,” a raised highway that spans the deep ravines of the wilderness, the shifting sands of the desert, and tunnels through the mountains.  The building of highways is a costly work, requiring detailed engineering.  But the greatest feat of engineering in the universe is God’s purpose of grace, which made a way from sin to holiness, from death to life, form condemnation to salvation, from degradation to perfection!  Who could make a highway over the mountains of our iniquities, the depths of our depravity, and the dark ravines of our sins, who could make a highway across this desert, called humanity, reaching to heaven itself, but God Almighty?

 

None but the Lord of love would have desired it.  None but the God of wisdom could have designed it.  None but the God of omnipotent power could have done it.  And this highway cost the great God the very Jewel of heaven, his own darling Son.  Yes, God emptied himself of the treasury of his own heart; for he spared not his own Son, but freely delivered him up to die that we might live.  What a highway this highway of grace is!

 

  1. It was designed in eternity.
  2. It’s foundations were laid in divine predestination.
  3. It was built the obedience of Christ as the sinner’s Substitute.

 

This road has lasted now for thousands of years.  Untold millions have walked across it.  Yet, it is still in good traveling condition.  It never needs repair.  And it shall never be closed, until the last chosen, wayfaring pilgrim has reached his mansion in the skies.

 

This is an open highway, built by the appointment of the King of heaven.  And all who travel this road are under the protection of the King.

 

 

D.  The way of grace is a High and Holy Way.

 

Our text calls it a highway, for it is a way that is above the low, gravelling paths of the world.  Those who walk this road have been raised together with Christ (Col. 3;1-3).

 

And it is called “The way of holiness.”  It is founded upon holy truth, holy justice, and holy grace.  God never lowers his holiness, not even in the salvation of his elect.  No sinner can be saved apart from justice being executed fully.  Eternal holiness will not allow God to wink at sin.  And he has not done so.   Justice was fully vindicated and satisfied by the Lord Jesus Christ in his death.   “The way of holiness” is the way that is paved with the blood and righteousness of our Substitute.  We walk to God and walk with God upon the ground of holiness vindicated and justice satisfied, in the new and living way, through the blood of Christ!

 

Our faith is a “holy faith” (Jude 20).  We are called with a “holy calling” (II Tim. 1:9).  And God’s saints are a “holy nation (I Pet. 2:9), “A peculiar people, zealous of good works” (Tit. 2:14).

 

1.  Those who walk upon the highway of grace walk in “The Way of holiness.”

 

Grace is not contrary to holiness.  Grace produces holiness.  If the way we follow be not a holy way and a separated way, it is not God’s way.  If we follow not the way of distinction from the world, we are not following Christ.  He that is not holy in the way will not come to that holy end where the thrice holy God reveals himself in his glory.”- (C.H. Spurgeon).

 

2.  Yes, “The Way of holiness” is the strait and narrow way.

 

I know the whole world applauds those who are liberal and broad minded.  I know that I am out of step with society.  I know that I am accused of being bigoted and narrow minded.  But I also know that Christ said, “Strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.”  “Wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which open thereat.”  (Matt. 7:14, 13).

 

Always prefer strictness to laxity in doctrine and in behavior.  God’s way is always the best way.  And God’s way is always right.   It is never left.  If you would go to heave, “turn right and go straight on!”  Turn right around at the cross of Christ and walk in the right way.

 

 “To the redeemed the whole work of holiness is delightful.  It is the very element they delight to move in.  So far from wishing to be left at liberty to commit any sin, they would gladly have every thought of their heart brought into captivity to the obedience of Christ! (II Cor. 10:5).  They consider holiness as the very end of their new creation (Eph. 2:10), yea, the very end also for which they were elected (Eph. 1:4), and to which they were predestinated from all eternity (Rom. 8:29).  And if they could have the desire of their hearts, they would be holy, as God himself is holy (I Pet. 1:15-16) and pure, as God himself is pure (I John 3:3).” (Charles Simeon).

 

What is holiness?  What is it to walk in holiness?  To walk in holiness is…

 

  1. To live by faith in Christ.
  2. To seek the will of God in all things.
  3. To mold my life by the word of God
  4. To follow the example of Christ.
  5. To be uninfluenced by the riches of the world, the pleasures of the world, the approval of the word, and the disapproval of the world.

 

To walk in “The Way of holiness” is to do what is right according to the revelation of God.  If you and I truly seek God’s will and God’s way, rather than our own will and our own way, we will walk in “The Way of holiness.”

 

E.  Look at our text again and you will see that the way here described is A Way Reserved for a Specific, Select People.

 

Our text says, “The unclean shall not pass over it, but it shall be for those.”  Who are those?  “The Wayfaring men,” “The redeemed.”  “The ransomed of the Lord.”  All that God does he does for a specific, select people.  The works of God are never haphazard.  The highway of grace is reserved for those upon whom the miracle of grace has been performed, those whose souls have been touched by the healing hand of the omnipotent, saving Christ (vv. 5-6).

 

1.  “The unclean shall not pass over it.”

 

We are all unclean by nature, but God has made us clean “by the washing of regeneration and the renewing of the Holy Ghost” (Tit. 3:5).

 

The word “unclean” might be translated “uncircumcised”.  But those who are called of God and born again by almighty grace are circumcised in their hearts by the Spirit of God. (Col. 2:11; Phil. 3:3).

 

2.  Those who are “the redeemed” of the Lord shall walk upon the highway of grace into the glory of heaven.

 

Note:  This text of Scripture plainly asserts the doctrine of particular and effectual redemption.  According to this text, all the redeemed of the Lord shall be saved.  “The redeemed shall walk there.”

 

This word “redeemed,” as it is used in the Scriptures implies three things.  All who have been redeemed by Christ have been…

 

 

3.  “The wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein.”

 

Those who walk upon the highway of grace are all pilgrims, wayfaring men, passing through this barren, desolate, perishing wilderness.

 

            This world is not my home, I’m just a passing through,

            My Savior pardoned me and now onward I must go,

            Upon the highway of His grace to heaven’s blissful shore.

            My Savior will yet lead me there, though I am weak and poor.

 

F.   The way spoken of in our text is a Safe and Secure way.

 

If you have a marginal reference in your Bible, you will notice that these words should properly be added to our text- “for he shall be with them.”  That is our safety and our security as we make our pilgrimage through this world upon the highway of grace- The Lord God himself is with us! (Isa. 41: 10-14;43:1-7).

 

G.   Once more, The Way to God is Plain and Simple.

 

“The wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein.”  No body will err about the way to God who really seeks him.  The Holy Spirit will guide, infallibly guide those to Christ, who seek to be saved by Christ.  The wiseacres of this world will stumble and perish, refusing to be saved by grace through the merits of the crucified Savior.  But the fools of this world will be found wise at last, being saved by grace through simple faith in Christ (Matt. 11:25-30).  As simple, little children.

           

1.       They hear the Shepard’s voice.

2.       They receive God’s Revelation.

3.       They believe God’s Word.

4.       They obey God’s command- “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.

5.       They follow their Savior’s lead.

6.       A stranger they will not follow.

7.       Following Christ in the way, they will enter into heaven at last.

   

Illus:  Romaine- “Pastor do you not think it would be good to appeal to men more intellectually in your preaching?”  “I know the way to Both!”

 

To the best of my ability I have shown you The Way as it is set forth in our text.

 

  1. The Way is Christ.
  2. The Way of Grace.
  3. The Costly Way.
  4. The High and Holy Way.
  5. The Way Reserved for a Specific People.
  6. The Safe and Secure Way.
  7. The Pain and Simple Way.

 

II.  Briefly, let me show you The Happiness of Those Who Walk In The Way- (vv. 9-19).

 

 “Happy art those, who is like unto thee, O people saved by the Lord!” (Deut. 33:29).  “Happy is that people whose God is the LORD.” (Ps. 144:15).

 

A.  Those who walk in the way of grace are a happy and blessed people throughout all their journey.  (v. 9).

 

 “There shall no evil befall thee” in the way.  Nothing shall ever meet you in the way that can harm you.  Therefore there is nothing you can meet in the way that should frighten you.

 

1.       “No lion shall be there!”

Satan roars, but can never devour

Illus:  Pilgrim on his way through the dark valley.

 

2.       “Nor any ravenous beast shall go up thereon.”

There are some ravenous beasts you will never meet with once you have entered upon the way.

·         No Unpardoned Sin!

·         No Temptation too Great for You!

·         No Death!

·         No Enemy who can overcome you!

·         No Trial that can Destroy you!

 

B.  And those who walk with God in the way of grace shall find everlasting happiness at the end of the way (v. 10), (Rev. 7:9-17).

 

III.  I will send you on your way, in “the way of holiness,” when I have shown you The Responsibilities That Are Ours Concerning The Way.

 

A.  Carefully discriminate between The Way and every false way (I John 4:1).

B.   Scrupulously keep yourself in The Way.

       “Hold on you way” (Job 17:9).

C.   Earnestly tell sinners about The Way.

D.   Come now, enter into The Way.

 

·         Consider your misery.

·         Consider the blessedness of The Way.

·         Consider the end of the Way.