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Now the Highway,

Then the Heights

Rev. Dr. Robert E. Donaldson

Published by World Wide Web Witness Inc.

January 2013

ISBN 978-0-9873360-7-1

Extemded March 2013

PREFACE

This earth has very much to offer; but it is challenging. With brilliance is stupidity, with love is hate, with self-control is spurious, furious dare-devil dash, with faithfulness is repudiating, reckless avoidance, with multiplied abundance, are constraints that are ruinous, as man smashes man, imaginations make drunkenness almost look sober, and slaughter look as if much of the earth had been turned into a huge abattoirs, where animals are replaced by members of our own race.

The Christian understands these things, their cause and the consequence; for it is all neatly formulated in the Bible, the inception of what mars man shown, and the reception still available with our Creator, presented like a portrait gallery, and a power station combined.

Chief portrait is the Lord Jesus Christ, God who became man that man might have free restoration to God, involving not only reconciliation, by clearing of the barrage of sin near the door, but repentance to consent to the clearance in one's own case, and regeneration, to re-enable communion with God on a stable and sure basis (cf. II Corinthians 5:17ff.). As to the power station aspect, that has been done in the most publicised work of all time, in terms of length of time given to the announcement, the coming of the Messiah to crush the seducer to sin, and pay for the mess resultant, as well as provide for the redemption involved. This announcement started as early as Genesis 3, in what is called the protoevangelium (3:15). That is easy to remember because it is culminated in John 3:16, just one up from 3:15!

The resurrection of Christ is as important as anything that ever happened, bound in one season and session of marvel, to His sacrificial crucifixion (Galatians 6:14). In that resurrection and the One who supplied it, is the power the Christian finds (Ephesians 1:19); but since we are by no means perfect, we too need, not expulsion, but discipline, child-training, and it is a wonder the patience the Chief Shepherd has. It is very delightful to behold, though He is not lax, which is well! yet He is gentle, which is very well (Isaiah 42:3-4).

As we proceed however, we are promised, and indeed there is premissed for us, what is called a highway, indeed The Highway of Holiness (Isaiah 35). The really promising thing about this is its security. On this there are no fatal smashes. Though the traveller be a fool, he will not go astray (35:8). In other words, you may have a season of incompetence, confusion, confrontation and the like; and foolishness may be all that you feel is left to you, as you take impact after impact (cf. II Corinthians 1 and 4). But as you travel on this highway, that of reconciliation with God in Christ, redemption, dependence by faith, reliance with resolve, then it simply does not matter what the case is. You may be imprisoned, flayed, in "journeyings often" like Paul, but you will not go astray. Even if you lose in a battle of spirit on an occasion, there is the pick-up (Proverbs 24:15, Psalm 18:16, II Cor. 1, II Timothy 4:18, 1:8-12).

There is a highway, so high indeed that at times you view the most magnificent alpine scenery, though at others you walk through the shadow of death. There is a spiritual observation post (Ephesians 2:6), and best of all, for the Christian, there is the Captain of your salvation, bringing many souls to glory (Hebrews 2). In this, you find many failings, triumphs and contours, many attempts to invade, but total power to sustain you; for you see both on the highway, and from it, the paths of this earth, made by man for man as man pleases. It is all beheld however in the light of His glory (John 8:12, 12:36,45).

When this, our present time, glorious test as it is, with grand triumph available and assured in Christ (John 10:9,27-28, John 5:24), is past, and it is by no means without suffering, both to attest and to be purified from time to time (as a ship's hull is scraped clean of cluttering mess that does not belong to it): then the next step comes. It is THE HEIGHTS.

Now we see through a glass dimly (compared with the absolute definition of sheer light), then face to face. Then the designation of design, not for a human body merely, or mind, or spirit, but for the mode of life due to adoption, past test, invested in the secure establishment of heaven, in the fit body for it (II Corinthians 5:1ff.), this comes like Spring. This may seem, as Spring does, almost incredible in Wintry blasts, but then, it is perfectly nature in the season when it comes, just as immortality and deliverance from corruption is part of the provision of God. Yet this is NOT for those who disavow both Him and it, His method and His Gospel, and glory in their confusions. If such as these were included, how insulting to their pride, how gross for their independence, how crushing to their intransigence. No, that would not do; and it is not done.

So there is the Highway of Holiness, and there are the heights. There is the present and there is the outcome to faith in Him as its object, in His gospel as its commencement and in His word as His divulgement. There is the challenge, and there is the provision. There is the present tense, and there the future; and there is no need to be tense about the future, when in the present tense, the intents of the Lord are found in His beloved mercy, for in this He delights (Micah 7:18-19). Why not then delight with Him!

CONTENTS of this VOLUME

Chapter One

Progress in Christ

Chapter Two

THE WORD AND THE WORKS OF GOD

Chapter Three

INFORMATION, DEFORMATION AND DESIRE

Chapter Four

INCARNATION, EFFECTED, CONTESTED, ATTESTED

Chapter Five

WHAT IS REALLY INCOMPREHENSIBLE ABOUT GOD ?

Chapter Six