Are you consciously aware that the Constitution of the United States actually guarantees each citizen the right to the pursuit of happiness?
Are you happy? Do you want happiness for your children?
How many times have you told your children or your mate, or other ones over the years that your only concern for them is their happiness?
Do you understand any of the inherent spiritual dangers of happiness? Especially if the happiness in question was achieved prior to achieving holiness.
Happiness achieved ahead of holiness leads directly to false security. In other words, happiness here is the counterfeit. Point out to me a happy Christian who achieved their happiness prior to their quest for holiness and I will show you a Christian who will probably never achieve any degree of holiness.
Why would they want to? Their happiness leaves them satisfied. They neither hunger nor thirst for anything except perhaps more of the same. They feel fulfilled. They have been deceived in-advertently by a seed planted by the Constitution of the U.S. It has been carefully watered and nurtured by the world system.
Matt 6:33 - Jesus said, "Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and these things shall be added unto you."
Ask yourself this question - Do I want to be an overcomer bad enough to give up my quest for happiness in search of holiness, no matter what the price?
We erroneously equate happiness and holiness as being synonymous, or one in the same thing. They are not!
First of all, happiness is generated in the soul man . . . while joy and peace springs forth out of the spirit.
Are you aware that one can experience great joy and peace in the absence of any happiness whatsoever?
Because joy is created in a completely different environment than is happiness.
Are you aware that the kind of trials and temptations that it would take to create holiness in you, (James 1:2-4) would at the same time produce extreme unhappiness?
Has this ever occurred to you?
These things having been said, perhaps the title of this issue should have been Happiness-vs-Holiness.
Do you know what the 'vs' between two words means? It means Versus, that is, against. In law it is used to show contrast between the plaintiff and the defendant. In sports, one team against the other.
And so it is in this instance, happiness-vs-holiness means that the two are actually contrary to one another.
Again I ask. Are you willing to give up your quest for happiness and instead seek the face of God for holiness with the full realization that the outward stimuli required to produce holiness may indeed produce suffering and pain for a season before you are ready for happiness?
You will never achieve the status of an overcomer until you do.
