Redeemed Through The Highway

Scripture Reading: Isaiah 35

Everyone is in need of redemption. Our natural state is sinful: “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23) Christ’s redemption has freed us from our sinful nature, being “justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus” (Romans 3:24) Redeem means “to buy out”. It was used in reference to the purchase a slave’s freedom. We were slaves to sin, Jesus has purchased our freedom, and we are no longer in bondage to sin. Tonight’s scripture reading is a prophecy from Isaiah dealing with our redemption and a reflection of the passage from Egypt.

The Highway:

Vs. 8 “And a highway will be there; it will be called the Way of Holiness. The unclean will not journey on it; it will be for those who walk in that Way; wicked fools will not go about on it.” Isaiah is using the Israelites trip from bondage as an example and prophetic look of God’s grace and promise to protect His children.

“And a highway will be there” Derived from the return of the Jews from captivity. The idea is, that there would be easy and uninterrupted passage to the promised land. The blessings of the Messiah's reign would be open and free to all. Isaiah 40:3-4 “A voice of one calling: "In the desert prepare the way for the LORD; make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God. Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain.”

“it will be called the Way of Holiness” No impure person should travel this Way of Holiness. Isaiah is saying, all that have favor of God, or enter his kingdom, should be holy.

“The unclean shall not journey on it” There shall be no idolater there, no one shall be admitted who is not a worshipper of Christ. We see righteousness through Jesus Christ Isaiah 49:11 “I will turn all my mountains into roads, and my highways will be raised up.” Isaiah 62:10 “Pass through, pass through the gates! Prepare the way for the people. Build up, build up the highway! Remove the stones. Raise a banner for the nations.”

“it will be for those who walk in that Way” For the ransomed of Christ. We will not go alone or unprotected, as with the Israelites, it is a holy way. God was with them as He is with us. He kept them safe, He attended and defend them, the same as He protects us.

“wicked fools will not go about on it.” … Heaven will be for the saints of God and not for the wicked God will lead and guide us, just as He led the Israelites out of Egypt.

Our Redemption:

The benefits of redemption are:

1.) Eternal life: Revelation 5:9-10 “And they sang a new song: "You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth.”

2.) Forgiveness of sins: Ephesians 1:7 “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace”

3.) Righteousness: Romans 5:17 “For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God's abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.”

4.) Freedom from the law’s curse: Galatians 3:13 “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.”

5.) Adoption into God’s family: Galatians 4:5 “to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons.”

6.) Deliverance from sin’s bondage: Titus 2:14 “who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.”

7.) Peace with God: Colossians 1:18-20 “And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.”

8.) The indwelling of the Holy Spirit: 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.”

The Israelites trusted God to guide them down the Highway to the promised land. The road was not an easy one but God never left them. In life we will have our up’s and down’s. Our Highway is Jesus Christ. Through Him we are redeemed. Because we are redeemed we are forgiven, holy, justified adopted and reconciled. We were slaves to sin. Jesus has purchased our freedom. We are no longer in bondage to sin. Redeemed through the Highway, Christ Jesus. The same as the Israelites received “everlasting joy, crowns, gladness, no more sorrow and sighing” we too shall receive these rewards in heaven.