Happy VS Holy?

Someone made an interesting comment to me the other day, and it got me thinking. The gist of their comment was " God loves us, wants us to be happy and God is ok with whatever makes us happy. Whether it's premarital sex, Drugs, stealing. God wants us to be happy, because thats what we're designed for". That struck me in an odd way. It shows the state of modern culture. I would be willing the bet there are many people out there that would agree with that statement.

I find this statement fundamentally flawed, Yet a part of me wants to believe it, because it appeals to the desires of the flesh. "Oh, God wants my happiness. So, Gods ok with me goin out and partyin tonight". Wouldn't that make life just so much easier/ more fun? To seek only my own satisfaction out of all things. But, that truth of the matter is thats not what life is about. God is concerned with our happiness, yes. BUT, He's more concerned with our holiness. We're called to fight against the sinful nature. I used to be a slave to it, but not any longer. I have a new heart. A Heart no longer ruled by the desires of the flesh, such as partying, premarital sex, drugs and all that stuff. Because those things only bring emptiness! Yes, they may seem fun for the time being, but they're fleeting. Isn't that how it always is with Sin? A momentary high, but the high is never what it was the first time round.

We're in a constant battle with our sin. There are whole chapter in romans talking about how sin still plays a huge life even in the role of the Christian. Its a constant struggle to die to the sinful self and live in the holiness we find only through Him who justifies us.


So you also should consider yourselves to be dead to the power of sin and alive to God through Christ Jesus.
 ¹² Do not let sin control the way you live;^[a] do not give in to sinful desires. ¹³ Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God. ¹⁴ Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of God’s grace.
 ¹⁵ Well then, since God’s grace has set us free from the law, does that mean we can go on sinning? Of course not! ¹⁶ Don’t you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey? You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living. ¹⁷ Thank God! Once you were slaves of sin, but now you wholeheartedly obey this teaching we have given you. ¹⁸ Now you are free from your slavery to sin, and you have become slaves to righteous living.


This Chapter continues on to talk about how Sin (IE Premarital sex, Drugs, Partying) only brings death! The path to death is broad and looks very fun! But it leads to DEATH! Death is never good!

By writing these things though, I'm not talking about a false piety. You know, the "I can't do that cuz I'm a goody 2 shoes". I'm talking about the real heart change that the Spirit induces in us. It makes it so, yeah, those "fun" things look appealing, but we have the power to say no. We have the power to say I'm living for a higher purpose. I'm living for a God that has loved me since before time began! I think thats worth living for.

So, Basically, Sin = momentary fun, death. Allowing God to change your heart and outlook on life = Purpose, life and satisfaction.