Volume 15 Issue 5
Isaiah 35:8 – 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.
Recently while reviewing some of my father’s Bibles and margin notes, I took notice of his simple teaching on this verse about the highway of holiness: “Get on it and stay on it.” When one thinks about it, this is perfect advice.
The world, the church, and people’s private lives all move in some stream of consciousness; or, as some might say, ‘a psychic stream’ of thought. The movers and shakers among us are very aware of mass thinking, group think, public opinion, political consensus and how these can become a sweeping flood of consciousness, a tsunami of influence and power.
In fact, many dream of creating such a public consciousness, especially one that has the power to pull the American society away from its Christian moorings. One example would be the relentless re-education campaign conducted by the homosexual community to make the homosexual life-style acceptable in the arena of public opinion. The ‘coming out’ challenge launched a few years ago has been hugely successful. Movies, TV programming, commercials, books, political pressure, music, imagery, video games, and the church have all been used to create a new perspective or a new consciousness. America is now floating on a river of a societal consensus that endorses the homosexual agenda being taught in many of our public schools and is moving the question of homosexual marriage onto the ballots in most states. It is believed that the early resistance will wane and eventually society will compromise with the idea of ‘gay marriage.’ You don’t believe this has happened? Note the fact that a public same-sex romantic kiss hardly raises an eyebrow today; a few years ago it would and did create a furor.
The gays have succeeded in blurring the lines about sexual identity and sexual orientation. It is reported that young people often engage in homosexual romance as a matter of casual experimentation, thinking there are no consequences to such behavior.
I must make the point quickly that we need not be so naive as to think that all things will continue without challenge. New doctrines, new revelations, driven relentlessly by self-appointed apostles and prophets who ignore the Bible can, if given enough time and room, create a new stream of thinking.
Songs detached from truth, worship that is sensual, physical preaching that seeks to deconstruct simple faith in the Word while subtly building a new-consciousness tilted toward the power of man, the intellect of man, the persona of man as the solution of the world’s ills; these can build up steam, win converts, re-direct focus, draw men away from the truth, and can, if allowed to go unchallenged, create a new stream of consciousness. For example, preaching that holds up prosperity over salvation through repentance as the central theme of Christianity is catching on. Churches are becoming feel-good centers. And the pressure to go along is building. Tides of anti-Christ practices are developing. False doctrine, we must keep in mind, can sweep across a church quickly. Some readers are old enough to remember the latter-rain movement that trapped thousands of good Pentecostal folks into its sensual and ego-driven web of deceit.
The highway of holiness: get on it and stay on it. That must be our focus. Stay on it. Live on it. Seek no new thing. Jesus and the joy of the Holy Ghost upon our lives: that is our life. Our way, the highway. Our hope. We are settled here, we live here. Never get off, don’t wander, see it through, follow it, trust Him. Men seek to excite the unsuspecting, drawing them away `by any means.’ (2 Corinthians11:3) However, may we remember that the “highway” is the way of Christ alone. One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism. The true church will refuse to be children about the things we face in this end time.
Eph 4:14 – That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive.
