Holy and Hilarious

One of my favorite people has a favorite saying. His name is Roger Bear and his saying is “holy and hilarious.” Roger is a campus minister at the Baptist Collegiate Ministry. He encourages people to be holy and hilarious; to live holy lives and to enjoy clean humor. Roger encourages us to examine what people tell us, for Biblical truth, so I’m examining his saying.

Holy means to be saintly, godly, pious, devout, and spiritually pure. A holy being (like God) is entitled to our worship and can inspire fear and awe.

Claim Number  1: God is Holy
·         “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. Isaiah 55:8-11
·         Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under its wings. Day and night they never stop saying: “‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty,’ who was, and is, and is to come.” Revelation 4:8
·         Who among the gods is like you, Lord? Who is like you— majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders? Exodus 15:11
·         And they were calling to one another: “Holy, holy , holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.” At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke. “Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.” Isaiah 6:3-5

Claim Number 2: God wants us to be Holy
·         for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy. 1 Peter 1:16
·         Btw, Peter is referencing Leviticus 11:44-45 and Leviticus 19:2


So God is a holy God and He wants us to be holy. The first half of Roger’s saying is solidly steeped in Biblical Truth.

Hilarious doesn’t turn up in the NIV Biblegateway.com search, but its synonyms do appear. Some key synonyms are happy (20), jolly, joyful (28), joyous, joy (242), laughable, mirthful, cheerful (5), merry (5), laughter (10) and so on. The numbers in parentheses are how many times they show up in the NIV.

Joy is delight, great happiness caused by good, pleasure, glad feelings, among other things.

Claim Number 3: God values joy/laughter/etc. (hilarious)
·         Psalm 2:4 (God laughs at people who are against God and His people)
·         Psalm 18:19 (God delights in us)


Claim Number 4: God wants us to have joy/laughter/etc. (hilarious)
·         Proverbs 17:22 Cheerful is like medicine
·         Psalm 126:2 (God fills us with joy and laughter)
·         Luke 6:21 (satisfaction and laughter)
·         Acts 13:52 (The disciples were filled with the Spirit and with joy)
·         Matthew 5:12 (Rejoice-if you´re persecuted-your reward will be large in heaven)
·         Luke 10:20 (Rejoice-your name is written in heaven)
·         Philippians 3:1, 4:4 (Rejoice in the Lord)
·         1 Thessalonians 5:16 (Rejoice)
·         Nehemiah 8:10 (The joy of the Lord is our strength)

Claim Number 5: God’s creation has joy
·         Psalm 96:12 (Trees of the field-sing. Fields-be jubilant)
·         Psalm 98:8 (Creation will clap and sing)
·         Psalm 65:8, 13 (God evokes songs of joy and shouts of joy)


There you have it. The joy of the Lord is our strength. He calls us to be holy. Therefore, a challenge to be holy, to be hilarious, is a good challenge indeed. Thank you, for issuing the challenge, Roger.