Man of Integrity

Man of IntegrityIntegrity is something a man can lose and not easily overcome. Random House Dictionary defines integrity as “adherence to moral and ethical principles; soundness of moral character; honesty.” Is that you?

In today’s postmodern society it may seem difficult to define morality. Moral relativism rules the day in the hearts and minds of a majority of people. What is right for you is not necessarily right for me. The problem with moral relativism is it assumes man has the authority to make the rules. The Bible claims otherwise:

    “But God is the Judge: He puts down one, and exalts another.” (Psalm 75:7)

Man can believe he is the judge and ruler of his life, but the Bible tells us that authority belongs to God alone. Man can reject the authority of the Bible, but a criminal can reject the authority of the law, and yet his guilt follows him wherever he goes. Jesus Christ claimed to have all authority, not man:

    “And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, ‘All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.’” (Matthew 28:18)

I can think of only two options of response to Christ’s claim: either reject Him as a liar and lunatic, or bow your knee to Him as Lord. The wise man takes the latter option.

Even unbelievers who saw Jesus walk this earth had to acknowledge His supernatural authority:

    “Then they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, ‘What is this? What new doctrine is this? For with authority He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him.’” (Mark 1:27)

If you cannot accept the authority of Christ over your life, you may as well stop reading this because the idea of integrity that we will discuss further is Biblical in nature. Biblical integrity will bless a father and his children:

    “The righteous man walks in his integrity; his children are blessed after him.” (Proverbs 20:7)

Being a man of Biblical integrity takes the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives because there are so many distractions and temptations to overcome that without God’s strength we are doomed to fail:

    “As for me, You uphold me in my integrity, and set me before Your face forever.” (Psalm 41:12)

One of the greatest blessings a man can receive from Biblical integrity is clarity. There are so many prevailing opinions about life issues that a man needs one source he can always turn to for guidance. That source is the Bible:

    “The integrity of the upright will guide them, but the perversity of the unfaithful will destroy them.” (Proverbs 11:3)

Dear man listen to me; if you try to live by your own standards by rejecting God’s you are doomed to fail. You are not the judge of your righteousness; Jesus Christ is. You may think you are justified doing so because you are pursuing the American dream and trying to provide for your family, but in the end it is a fool’s errand:

    “Better is the poor who walks in his integrity than one who is perverse in his lips, and is a fool.” (Proverbs 19:1)

Let me ask you a question: what is the source of moral and ethical principles that you adhere to, if any? Is it from some man-made philosophy or belief system? Are you depending on your righteousness from a set of rules developed over the years by fallen men? Do you think you can earn your way into heaven by human attempts steeped in religion and rituals?

You may consider yourself or be considered by others to be a man of integrity. However, search the Bible to see if your standards line up with God’s. Christ is our Judge and He will not accept any standard but that which is written down in the Bible.

Choose your standard well my friend.

Your integrity depends on it.

In Christ
Dave
Ps. 37:4

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    Copyright © 2014 David Jeffers

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