Integrity, it’s not a word used much in today’s society; still, integrity is of the utmost importance to God. In the Hebrew language of the Old Testament, integrity carries the idea of completeness in moral innocence. Here is mankind’s deepest problem, even though it’s denied most of the time. Typically, we think of ourselves as better, more righteous, more worthy of God’s approval than what we really are (Rom 3:10-18).
There’s a sense of self-righteousness within the human heart that says; “I don’t need God.” An attitude that determines that because life has not gone the way I considered correct or best, there cannot be a God. In spite of this, it’s that independent attitude that says; “I’ll sort God out if and when I see Him.” This defiant attitude which is belligerent toward God is identified in the Bible as sin which places the sinner under the wrath of God’s justice (Eph 2:1-3).
Integrity interests God
Therefore, integrity which is of interest to God starts by agreeing with Him as to our natural heart condition. The first acknowledgement is admitting that we have “sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). It confesses “with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believes in your heart that God raised him from the dead…” (Romans 10:9). Then it aligns itself with God, who “has spoken to us by his Son” (Hebrews 1:2).
A healthy heart toward God recognises that “God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him” (John 3:17). In this step of faith there is an exchange of animosity against the Lord for trusting belief in Him. John speaks of this as receiving and believing in Jesus, it’s the work of God in the human heart that generates spiritual rebirth into God’s family (John 1:12-13). Spiritual integrity must start here!
Now, this new life in Christ has responsibilities. In this regard, the Lord connected two critical realities for King Solomon; “…walk with integrity of heart and uprightness, doing according to all that I have commanded you, and keeping my statutes and my rules” (1 Kings 9:4). The bottom line is this; belief has to synchronize with behaviour. Why, because “faith apart from works is useless?” (James 2:20). We know and evaluate what we truly believe by what we do. The things we believe and put into practice will be the things we tend to persevere in, for good or for bad.
God’s always on the lookout
The Lord looks to see a correlation between your claimed faith, and your behaviour. He looks for this integrity connection which is evidence of “redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace” (Ephesians 1:7). This God generated reality is what enables you to “walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God” (Colossians 1:10).
The mark of spiritual integrity is this; faith produces the desire to live for God’s pleasure and His glory. You see, the Church is all about God, and very little about us. It was God who “in love… predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved” (Ephesians 1:4-6). We, the Church, exist for God’s glory through Jesus Christ! Today my friends, I encourage you to consider your integrity through God’s eyes.