Prepare a highway, clear it of stones

The Lord said through Isaiah:

“But those who trust in me will live in the land and will worship me in my Temple. The Lord says: Let my people return to me. Remove every obstacle from their path! Build the road and make it ready! I am the high and holy God, who lives forever. I live in a high and holy place, but I also live with people who are humble and repentant, so I can restore their competence and hope” (Isaiah 57:13 (part 2)-15).

“People of Jerusalem, go out of the city and build a road for your returning people! Prepare a highway; clear it of stones! Put up a signal so that the nations can know” (Isaiah 62:10).

When we talk about the way leading to Lord, first of all we should have in mind that it is smooth (straight). The following places from the Saint Scripture say: “But for those who are righteous, the way is not steep and rough. You are a God who does what is right, and you smooth out the path ahead of them” (Isaiah 26:7). “He led them straight to safety” (Psalm 107:7). “I will teach you the good and the right way” (1 Samuel 12:23/ part2). “I will teach you wisdom’s ways and lead you in straight paths” (Proverbs 4:11). “ But a man of understanding walks straight “  (Proverbs 15:21/part2) and etc.

Some think that many ways lead to the Lord and it doesn’t matter which religion (religious organization) he/she belongs to, he goes to Lord.

But the Saint Scripture says that there is only one path and raises an idea about His nation that walks along this path.

The Lord had warned Joshua that he would not turn from commandments to the right or to the left (Joshua 1:7). About this it’s written in Solomon’s proverbs: “ Let your eyes look directly ahead and let your gaze be fixed straight in front of you. Watch the path of your feet and all your ways will be established. Do not turn to the right nor to the left; Turn your foot from evil.  (Proverbs 4:25-27).

Any deviation leads to evil, to fallacy, as it’s written: “ Forsaking the right way, they have gone astray” (2 Peter 2:15/Part 1).

Left deviation is – understatement of God’s requirements, right deviation – it’s their overstatement. So we shouldn’t forsake God’s path, not going to the left or to the right.

But it’s not enough. Going along the Lord’s way, we, according to, Isaiah 57:14, must constantly climb up. E.G. White writes about it: “ There is only one way taking away from destruction and leading steadily to the top: the way of constant aspiration of our faith through darkness to the light, achieving God’s throne.

This way is quite broad that would take the biggest sinner that would repent of his delusions. And at the same time it’s narrow, so saint and so high that the sin can’t reside on it (Letter, 15  August, 1890).

Where do you have to climb up? In our knowledge and in our practical moral life. While it’s needed that climb in moral life, wouldn’t get behind the climb of knowledge.

What can prevent us from climbing the God’s way up?

1) Self-satisfaction, spiritual arrogance. It’s a condition when a person thinks that he has reached perfection and as a result he doesn’t need to climb higher.

Such kind of person was Pharisee:  “I thank you, God, that I am not a sinner like everyone else” (Luke 18:11), he said. Pharisee was like taking a bath in the light of his own glory. The same is angel of Laodicea who thinks that he is wealthy; he got rich and doesn’t have a single need.

This condition is very dangerous because where a spiritual growth comes to an end, there starts a death.

“Never think that you have learned enough, and that you may now relax your efforts. The cultivated mind is the measure of the man. Your education should continue during your lifetime; every day you should be learning, and putting to practical use the knowledge gained” (Messages to young people, 193 p.).

“If it was possible for us to attain to a full understanding of God and His word, there would be for us no further discovery of truth, no greater knowledge, no further development. God would cease to be supreme, and man would cease to advance. Thank God, it is not so. Since God is infinite, and in Him are all the treasures of wisdom, we may to all eternity be ever searching, ever learning, yet never exhaust the riches of His wisdom, His goodness, or His power ” (Education, p.172).

“…However far we may advance in the knowledge of God’s wisdom and power, there is always an infinity beyond” (Signs of the Times, 15April, 1886, Character of the law of God).

“God has bidden you to go further to perfection. Christianity is the religion of progress” (“Selected messages Vol. I”, p. 28).

2) Becoming saint – it’s the achievement of all life. So, nobody shouldn’t think about himself as having perfect knowledge and practical life.

Besides to self-satisfaction and spiritual arrogance, obstacle in the rise could be our routine, when we lack time to study Saint Scripture and examine ourselves.

So we shouldn’t stop on God’s way. However we shouldn’t run in front of God’s nation (in the ideological point of view), and we shouldn’t lag behind the God’s nation.

In front are running these, who start proclaiming such things that God didn’t allow proclaiming that is not related to nowadays (e.g. some were proclaiming about the closure of the door of grace and etc.). It’s said about these: “ I did not send these prophets, but even so they went” (Jeremiah 23:21).

We shouldn’t lag behind the movement of God’s nation, because all who were lagging behind the Israel were killed. Lord says to Israel: “ Never forget what the Amalekites did to you as you came from Egypt. They attacked you when you were exhausted and weary, and they struck down those who were straggling behind (Deuteronomy 25:17-18).

According to prophet Isaiah we shouldn’t just raise the path (way), we have to smooth out it removing all obstacles and stones.

In all the ages fake Christianity was cluttering the path (way), leading to Lord, with different human teachings and commandments that are obstacles for people to reach the Lord.

The Christ was taking obstacles out that were created by Pharisees and Sadducees on the way leading to God.

At the moment God’s nation is cleaning this way out of stones and obstacles created by false teachings of Catholic, Protestant and the other stepped back Christian churches.  They are cleaning it because that all people would manage clearly to see (in the last work with the world) this straight way of God’s Commandments leading to God.

Let the Lord help us do not turn to the right neither to the left, but go forward along the God’s way, always to go up (to raise) because that our Lord is  “High and exalted One who lives forever… dwell on a high place” (Isaiah 57:15).

Let us always remember that the remnant of the last times will be humble and lowly nation (Zephaniah 3:12) and the Lord lives with those who has “contrite and lowly spirit” ( Isaiah. 57:15).

Let we also repent before God  and feel the need of His help for our constant progress, going hight to Him.

By Vladimir Shelkov

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