Integrity: Reflecting Faith Through Truth and Consistency

You know, you don't have to read very much of the Bible to figure out pretty quickly, that God cares deeply about his reputation. And all throughout scripture, the phrase, 'for my glory' is used over and over and over. But God doesn't just care about his reputation, he also cares deeply about your reputation. Did you know that? Because you are his child. [00:39:41]

We have to realize that the way we respond to all that's happening around us, the pandemic, the politics, the fires, the floods, all the unease in society, all of the way we respond to what's happening around us, racial inequality that has eternal implications. Because people's eternal destinies are in the balance. [00:26:05]

Now, you may be thinking, "Rick, okay, should I be concerned at all about my reputation?" "I mean, I'm a Christian, I'm saved by grace, should I be concerned about my reputation as a Christian?" The answer is definitely yes. You should be. Second Corinthians chapter eight tells us. Chapter eight, verse 21, the message paraphrased, Paul says this, "you know, we are being as careful in our reputation with the public." [00:07:16]

God wants us to have a faith that is known for integrity. Integrity sums up all the Christ like qualities that God wants you to exhibit in your life. He wants all of the qualities love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, goodness, faithfulness, meekness, self control, all the fruit of spirit. He wants all these qualities to be integrated into a whole in your life. [00:10:15]

Integrity means more than anything else, you want your life to be truthful, not deceitful, not wishy washy. But you treat everybody the exact same way. That's integrity. You don't treat the Queen of England one way and the bum on the street another way and your grandkids another way. No, no it says, what you see is what you get. [00:11:20]

James is encouraging us to live with integrity. When he wrote this, in James, chapter five, verse 12. Let me read it to you. Just one verse we're looking at, James 5:12. He says this. He says, "above all my brothers and sisters don't swear, by heaven, or by earth, or by anything else." Okay, "don't swear by heaven, earth or anything else, just let your yes be yes, and let your no be no." [00:14:50]

Well, by definition, lying, is an intention to mislead by either falsifying, or by concealing. You can lie by falsify, or you can lie by concealing. And that means you deliberately hold back part of the truth. You share half the truth. Half the truth can be a whole lie. But God says, if you want to have integrity, you don't play games like that. [00:20:49]

Truth without love is always seen as an attack. If you don't love somebody, and you tell them the truth, don't even tell them. Because you're, the Bible says without love I'm nothing. I'm a sounding brass and tinkling cymbal, it doesn't work. Any truth shared without love is seen as an attack. It is resisted. And if you say something offensively, guess what? [00:28:05]

To develop a reputation for integrity, you speak the truth plainly, you let your yes be yes and your no be no. And you don't go swearing on a stack of Bibles and having to call other people and you just let your own character be the witness. You speak the truth plainly. You share the truth completely. You use the truth tactfully and lovingly. [00:31:45]

Ephesians 4:15 says this, "let our lives lovingly express the truth." Okay, this is living the truth. Let our lives lovingly express the truth at all things. Speaking truly, dealing truly, living truly. If we would do that, as Christians, if people like what they saw, they would listen to what we say. You see, when you live without integrity, you're only hurting yourself. [00:32:18]

Psalm 78:72 says this. "David shepherded the people with integrity of heart, and with skillful hands, he led them." "He shepherded the people with integrity of heart, and with skillful hands, he led them." This verse tells us the two reasons David was an effective leader. Character and competence, character and competence. He shepherded them, okay, with a pure heart, integrity of heart. [00:34:41]

I wanna challenge you to get this outline, get that verse Psalm 101 and make it your covenant of integrity. All right. Let's bow for prayer. Father, I wanna thank you for your word that it's piercing of our hearts and it discerns all of our motives and our mixed motivations. And, Lord we don't wanna be a bad reputation for your family. [00:39:24]