The King's Highway of Holiness Text: Proverbs 16:17
Introduction: Paving the Way
The book of Proverbs is intensely practical. It is God's inspired instruction manual for living skillfully in His world. It does not give us ethereal platitudes or sentimental fluff; it gives us cobblestones and curb cuts for the real world. It teaches us how to walk, how to work, how to talk, and how to think in a way that pleases God and brings blessing. And in our text today, we are given a picture of the Christian life as a well-maintained road, a highway.
We live in an age that despises highways. Our culture prefers the unpaved, unmarked, and unmanaged wilderness. Every man is encouraged to blaze his own trail, to follow his heart, to define his own truth. The modern spirit wants to be a trailblazer, but the problem with trailblazing is that you spend most of your time tangled in the brambles, covered in ticks, and hopelessly lost. The world calls this freedom. The Bible calls this foolishness.
God, in His wisdom, does not leave us to hack our way through the jungle of our own sinful impulses. He has provided a highway. It is not a suggestion; it is a provision. It is a road built by sovereign grace, paved with divine wisdom, and guarded by divine power. This proverb gives us a concise and potent summary of sanctification. It shows us the nature of the road, the direction of travel, and the diligence required of the traveler.
This is not a call to a grim, joyless legalism. Far from it. This is a call to the liberty of the open road. There is no freedom in being lost in the woods. True freedom is found on the highway that leads to life. This verse is about the practical, day-to-day business of being a Christian. It is about the active, diligent, and necessary work of holiness.
The Text
The highway of the upright is to turn away from evil;
He who guards his way keeps his soul.
(Proverbs 16:17 LSB)
The Main Road (v. 17a)
The first clause sets the scene for us:
"The highway of the upright is to turn away from evil..." (Proverbs 16:17a)
First, notice who travels this road: "the upright." This is not a road for everyone. It is not the broad way that leads to destruction, which is crowded with travelers. This is the King's highway, and it is for the King's people. The "upright" are those who have been made right with God through faith in Jesus Christ. Justification is the on-ramp to this highway. You do not get on this road by trying really hard to be a good person. You are placed on this road by the grace of God when you are declared righteous in His sight for the sake of His Son. Your uprightness is a gift, an alien righteousness credited to your account.
But this gifted righteousness is not a static legal fiction. It has consequences. It sets you on a path. The Christian life is a pilgrimage, a journey. And what is the nature of this highway? It is defined by what it turns away from. "The highway of the upright is to turn away from evil." The word for highway here suggests a raised road, a causeway. It is built up, distinct from the surrounding lowlands and swamps. The Christian life is meant to be distinct. It is a separated life.
The fundamental direction of this road is repentance. To "turn away from evil" is the very definition of repentance. It is not simply feeling bad about your sin. It is a decisive, deliberate, and continuous turning. It is a change of mind that results in a change of direction. You were walking toward evil, immersed in it, and now, by the grace of God, you have turned your back on it and are walking in the opposite direction. Sanctification is, at its core, this ongoing act of turning. You turn from idols to serve the living God. You turn from falsehood to embrace the truth. You turn from selfishness to love your neighbor.
This is not a one-time event at conversion, but the constant business of the Christian traveler. Every day presents opportunities to either stay on the highway or to take a foolish exit into the swamp of some pet sin. The road is paved with a million small decisions to turn away from evil. It is turning away from the lustful thought, turning away from the bitter word, turning away from the lazy impulse, turning away from the dishonest shortcut. This is the practical grit of holiness.
The Watchful Traveler (v. 17b)
The second clause shifts the metaphor slightly from the road itself to the one traveling on it.
"He who guards his way keeps his soul." (Proverbs 16:17b)
Here we see the necessity of personal diligence. Grace is not passive. The highway is a gift, but you still have to do the walking. And you have to walk carefully. "He who guards his way." The word for "guards" is the word for keeping watch, like a sentinel on a city wall. It implies vigilance, attentiveness, and a recognition of danger. The Christian life is not a stroll through a protected garden; it is a walk through enemy territory.
You are to guard your way. This means you must be self-aware. You must know your own weaknesses, your particular vulnerabilities. Where are the potholes on your stretch of the road? What temptations are most likely to lure you off the highway? To guard your way is to be strategic about your holiness. It means guarding your eyes from what you should not see. It means guarding your ears from gossip and filth. It means guarding your mouth from foolish and corrupting talk. It means guarding your time, your money, and your relationships. This is not paranoia; it is biblical realism.
And what is at stake? Everything. "He who guards his way keeps his soul." The word "keeps" here is the same root as "guards." The one who watches over his path is the one who preserves his life. The word for soul, nephesh, means life, the whole person. This is not talking about earning your salvation through vigilance. This is talking about the organic connection between the path you walk and the destination you reach. Those who are truly saved will, by the power of the Spirit within them, persevere in guarding their way. This diligence is the evidence of life, not the cause of it.
To put it bluntly, if you are careless with your way, you are careless with your soul. If you treat sin lightly, if you flirt with temptation, if you refuse to guard your path, you are playing with eternal fire. The doctrine of eternal security is not a license for lazy travel. It is the fuel that empowers us for vigilant travel. Because we know our destination is secure in Christ, we are freed and motivated to guard our way, knowing that the God who secured our end will also provide the means to get there. But He provides those means through our active, watchful obedience.
Conclusion: The Destination
This proverb gives us a clear and simple roadmap for the Christian life. It is a highway, not a maze. It is for the upright, those declared righteous in Christ. The direction of travel is always away from evil and toward God. The posture of the traveler is one of vigilant, prayerful watchfulness.
This is the essence of sanctification. It is a cooperative effort. God builds the highway, provides the light, and gives you the strength to walk. But you must do the walking. You must guard your steps. You must keep your eyes on the road. As Paul says, you must "work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure" (Philippians 2:12-13).
The Christian life is a process of becoming what you already are in Christ. You are upright, so walk on the highway of the upright. You are a child of light, so turn away from the darkness of evil. Your soul has been kept for you by Christ, so now you must keep your soul in His strength. The highway is clear. The destination is glorious. Therefore, let us walk with care, with diligence, and with great joy, knowing that this highway leads us straight home.