Holy and Happy Movement

Old Testament: When God told Israel to be holy in Leviticus Chapter 11 and 19, God was instructing them to be distinct from the other nations by giving them specific regulations to govern their lives. Israel was God's chosen nation and God set them apart from all other people/groups. They where God's special people, and they were given standards that God wanted them to live by so the world would k

now they belonged to God. New Testament: When Peter repeats the Lord's words in 1 Peter 1:16, he talks specifically to believers. As believers, we need to be "set apart" from the world unto the Lord. We need to be living by God's standards, not the world's. God isn't calling us to be perfect, but to be distinct from the world. 1 Peter 2:9 describes believers as "a holy nation." We are separated from the world and we must live out that reality in our day-to-day lives. So now, What does it mean to be happy while living holy? Yes -- God wants us to be happy. (See Eccl. 2:24; 3:12-13,22;1 Pet. 3:10;) Happy is a synonym for "blessed". God wants us to enjoy life here on earth, and be blessed/happy. He wants us to live joyfully, to see good days, and enjoy the fruits of our labor. We can be happy (as defined by God), and we can be holy (as defined by God.) WE CAN BE HOLY AND HAPPY AT THE SAME TIME!