The Holy Highway
There is an environment created in the outpouring of the Spirit in which holiness becomes the normal expression of a people bathed in His presence. Isaiah speaks of this as the highway of holiness. A highway is a road designed to expedite travel because obstacles have been removed. It usually involves easy access and has fellow travelers. A highway of holiness allows for a momentum to be created for the people of God to live in purity, effortlessly. It is so significant that even foolish things get covered. This is not to minimize sin or foolishness. It is just to help us to realize that when many live righteously, it creates a momentum where even the weak succeed.
A highway shall be there, and a road, and it shall be called the Highway of Holiness. The unclean shall not pass over it, But it shall be for others. Whoever walks the road, although a fool, Shall not go astray. Isaiah 35:8
This Highway of Holiness will not be known for compromise. There won't be people who outwardly pretend to be holy and inwardly are corrupt. "Whoever walks the road, although a fool, shall not go astray."
This means that God is creating such a highway in this time of outpouring that it is going to be hard to wander off the road. This concept is difficult for many to embrace, as we are accustomed to the opposite. We have been quick to speak about the "great falling away" but not the great harvest and city transformation that is also a part of end-time prophecy. A day is coming when there will exist a righteous peer pressure, not based on punishment or the fear of man but from His manifested presence: His glory. We all remember being taught that holiness was a list of things we could and could not do and the "could not do" list was longer than the "could do" list. Mostly what was on the can-do list was go to church, tithe, give offerings, witness, read your Bible, and pray. Then we'd throw in a potluck now and then, live a good life, and wait for Jesus to come back. But Jesus didn't go through all that He went through so we could be busy with religious activities. As meaningful as those activities can be, they are "unto" something. He placed the Spirit of the resurrected Christ within us that we would conquer something. He is expecting fruit of the impossible from those He has empowered with the same Spirit He was empowered with, all because He is good. Without the outpouring of the Spirit, the Church becomes more concerned with being contaminated by evil than we do of "contaminating" the world with righteousness. While we should never take sin lightly, neither should we be ignorant of the power of holiness. Things are different in the New Testament in that the whole covenant is given to meet the obvious need presented in the Old Testament. For example, the Gospel of Matthew was written primarily for the Jews. In this account of Jesus' life, Jesus touching the leper was the first miracle that Matthew mentioned as it seemed to help recalibrate the reader's value system to be consistent with the value system of Jesus, Himself. When He touched the leper, the leper became clean. Jesus did what was forbidden to do, bringing about what the Law was unable to do. This testimony confronted an incomplete mindset that was not adequate for His present work of grace on the earth. The power of holiness becomes even clearer when we read that a believing spouse sanctifies the entire unbelieving household. That is the power of holiness. This Kingdom mindset requires a shift in how we view and value life itself, and the effect of the life of Christ in us. Faith in Kingdom realities manifests Kingdom realities. The power of holiness becomes clearer in the story of Daniel. God took Daniel and allowed him to be numbered with witches and warlocks before King Nebuchadnezzar. He lived righteously and brought about a New Testament effect of holiness and loyalty on an entire kingdom until that ungodly leader was converted. Holiness is more powerful than sin; it's the purity of Christ in you. It is true that power is not more important than character. But it is equally true that character is not more important than power. Whenever we make that mistake, the gifts of the Spirit become rewards and are no longer gifts. This emphasis has actually damaged our effectiveness in the gifts of the Spirit. In fact, this approach has caused as much damage in the area of supernatural gifting as flawed character has damaged our witness to the world. Both are essential. Character and power are the two legs we stand on, equal in importance. John the Baptist saw the dove come upon Jesus and remain. There is no record of anyone else seeing the dove. Yet everyone saw the result of the dove's presence: both in purity and power, displayed to reveal the heart of God for this orphaned planet. As the Holy Spirit revealed the Father's will to Jesus, so He reveals the Father's heart to us. And His Presence and power reveal the Father through us. Revealing His will is revealing Him. Jesus became the ultimate revelation of the will of God on earth. But it's not just through what He accomplished. It is through His relentless and consistent hosting of the Dove. Giving place to the Presence of God as our greatest joy and treasure is not a trick we use to get miracles. But the Father cannot be adequately represented without miracles. They are essential in revealing His nature. We make the distinction between the natural and the supernatural. Those are the two realms we live in. But God only has one: the natural. It's all natural for Him.
