August 9

Read: Isaiah 35:8-10

It shall be called The way of holiness (Isaiah 35:8).

Holiness Is A Way (Continued)

Yesterday in our exploration of the way of holiness we saw that some Christians lead dwarfed lives. Their spiritual development stops almost as soon as they are born. “That these things ought not to be, scarcely needs to be said. It is possible that the causes of spiritual atrophy are many. But surely one of the most deadly is the failure to keep in mind at all times that holiness is a way. It is a pilgrimage from here to eternity. There is no place to stop and camp — at least not permanently.

“All normal life is marked by growth. Whenever growth totally stops, death begins. The body and the mind that cease to develop commence to die. And this is true of the spiritual nature. To ‘grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ’ is not a matter of choice but of necessity.

“But traveling the way of holiness does not just happen. It isn’t the aimless wandering of a tramp. It takes effort and purpose to make a journey and to arrive at a desired destination. We must resist the idea that where we are is where we should stay for the rest of our lives. True, it is easier to drift than to travel. It is comforting to camp among familiar scenes, to linger over victories already won. But the call of God’s far horizons is upon us, and we must not stay” (W. T. Purkiser).

O for a heart that is whiter than snow! Then in His grace and His knowledge to grow; Growing like Him who my pattern shall be, Till in His beauty my King I shall see.

— Hymns Of The Living Faith