2 Corinthians 7:1 Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.

True Christians don’t live holy lives in order to become children of God, they live holy lives because they are children of God. That distinction escapes many people, including many church members. Most human religion is an effort to get God, or the gods, to like us. The Bible says that God already loves us enough to die for us! Nothing we can or could ever do could change how much God loves us. The only question is how we are going to respond to that love. Paul rightly tells us that the appropriate response is to get rid of everything we know that is not pleasing to God, to rejoice in the riches of glory that He has provided for us. The better we grasp all that God has done for us, the more holy we will want to be. Many people have a distorted idea of what holiness looks like. It’s generally the same people who think we have to earn God’s love. They think holiness requires long faces and sour dispositions, with hardly a glimmer of joy and laughter, when nothing could be further from the truth. If they are familiar with the Bible (which most aren’t), they fasten on James 4:9 to the exclusion even of the rest of James 4:7-10, not to mention the many, many passages throughout the Bible on joy. It is very true that repentance is serious business, but repentance brings forgiveness, and being forgiven is joyous indeed, and tremendously liberating. After all, God’s Spirit is the Holy Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty (2 Corinthians 3:17).

This is a message I must not neglect. Thankfully, I was raised in a family that both loved the Lord and loved to laugh, so this isn’t so hard for me to grasp, but most people haven’t had such a head start. I need to be patient and gentle with people, but be persistent in speaking the truth in love. I am not to neglect solemnity when it is called for, but I must never mistake solemnity for holiness or intimacy with God. At the same time, I must be careful that my humor is not wounding. Laughter at the expense of another is not expressing God’s love. I need to be quick to laugh at myself and recognize the absurdity in situations, which is the basis for much humor, but I am to avoid ridicule and belittling. Those pollute the spirit, as Paul talked about in this verse. I need to communicate to believers the truth that God will enable them to live holy lives if they will allow Him to, and that being holy is fun!

Father, thank You for the degree to which this church seems to grasp this truth. We still have plenty of room for growth, even in this area, but most of those attending really seem to enjoy it. However, there are those who don’t attend regularly, and part of that is that they are believing the lie that life in Christ isn’t fun. I ask Your grace and mercy on them. Speak Your truth to them, through me or however You choose to do so, so that they may be set free from the lie to walk in the joy and liberty of Your Spirit, for their blessing and Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!