Word: Clearly, only the naive would believe that today’s government fights a total war against all of it's internal corruptions.

AT ITS height, the Roman Empire was the greatest human administration the world had ever seen. Roman legislation was so effective that it is still the basis of the legal code of many countries.
Despite Rome’s achievements, however, her legions were unable to conquer one insidious enemy: corruption. Finally, corruption hastened Rome’s downfall.

Felix, one of the most corrupt governors of his day brother Pallas was one of the richest men of the ancient world, and his wealth—calculated at $45 million—was accumulated almost entirely by bribery and extortion. His fortune, however, pales into insignificance when compared with the billions of dollars some corrupt 20th-century rulers have hidden away in secret bank accounts.

Since corruption has remained entrenched for so long, must we assume that it is just part of human nature?
Or,
Can something be done to curb corruption?

The obvious first step in curbing corruption is to recognize that corruption is destructive and wrong, since it benefits the unscrupulous to the detriment of others.

Eliminating corruption across the board requires a second, much more difficult step: a change of heart or, rather, a change of many hearts. People everywhere must learn to hate bribery and corruption. Only then will graft disappear. To this end, government should “encourage a general sense of civic virtue and it support toward the inject for a ‘seed of integrity into the workplace.

The fight against corruption is a moral one that cannot be won by legislation alone or by “the sword” of legal penalties.

(Romans 13:4, 5) Seeds of virtue and integrity have to be sown in people’s hearts. This can best be achieved by use of what the apostle Paul described as “the sword of the spirit,” God’s Word, the Bible.—Ephesians 6:17.

The Bible Condemns Corruption.

Why did Paul refuse to condone corruption? Because he wanted to do the will of God, “who treats none with partiality nor accepts a bribe.” (Deuteronomy 10:17) Moreover, Paul doubtless remembered the specific instruction found in the Law of Moses: “You must not be partial or accept a bribe, for the bribe blinds the eyes of wise ones and distorts the words of righteous ones.” (Deuteronomy 16:19) King David likewise understood that Jehovah hates corruption, and he requested that God not count him among the sinners, “whose right hand is full of bribery.”—Psalm 26:10.

Those who sincerely worship God have additional reasons for rejecting corruption.

“By justice a king gives a country stability,” wrote Solomon, “but one who is greedy for bribes tears it down.” (Proverbs 29:4, New International Version) Justice—especially when practiced from the highest official down—brings stability, whereas corruption impoverishes a country. Interestingly, Newsweek pointed out: “In a system where everyone wants a piece of the corruption pie and knows how to get it, economies can simply implode.”

Even when economies do not collapse completely, lovers of justice feel frustrated when corruption flourishes unchecked. (Psalm 73:3, 13) Our Creator, the one who gave us our inherent desire for justice, is also wronged. In the past, Jehovah has intervened to stamp out blatant corruption. For example, he bluntly told the inhabitants of Jerusalem why he would abandon them to their enemies.

Through his prophet Micah, God said: “Hear, please, this, you head ones of the house of Jacob and you commanders of the house of Israel, the ones detesting justice and the ones who make even everything that is straight crooked. Her own head ones judge merely for a bribe, and her own priests instruct just for a price, and her own prophets practice divination simply for money . . . Therefore on account of you men Zion will be plowed up as a mere field, and Jerusalem herself will become mere heaps of ruins.” Corruption had devastated society in Israel, just as it corroded Rome centuries later. True to God’s warning, about a century after Micah wrote those words, Jerusalem was destroyed and abandoned.—Micah 3:9, 11, 12.

No man or nation, however, needs to be corrupt. God encourages the wicked to leave their way of life and change their way of thinking. (Isaiah 55:7) He wants each and every one of us to replace greed with unselfishness and corruption with righteousness. “He that is defrauding the lowly one has reproached his Maker, but the one showing favor to the poor one is glorifying Him,” —Proverbs 14:31.

What can move a person to make such a change?

The same force that moved Paul to renounce the life of a Pharisee to become a stalwart follower of Jesus Christ. “The word of God is alive and exerts power,” he wrote. (Hebrews 4:12) Today, Scriptural truth still promotes honesty, even among those who have been deeply involved in corruption.

Where loyalty rarely exists among those whose living depends on corruption, Passages power even today can still convince those who lead a criminal life that they have no real future, so why not just simply transform and put away falsehood, speak truth each one of you with his neighbor, as members under God belonging to one another. Let the stealer steal no more, but rather let him do hard work, doing with his hands what is good work, that he may have something to distribute to someone in need.”

(Ephesians 4:22-25, 28) The very future of mankind depends on such transformations along with truths realizations that materialistic life-styles with all its expensive trappings are at best just houses of cards waiting to collapse at any moment.

Left unchecked, greed and corruption can ruin generations , just as they contributed to the ruin of the Roman Empire.

True, it may not be easy to live by honest standards today. Nevertheless, in the long run, “a greedy man brings trouble to his family, but he who hates bribes will live.”* (Proverbs 15:27, NIV)

By renouncing corruption now, we show our sincerity when we pray to God: “Let your kingdom come. Let your will take place, as in heaven, also upon earth.”—Matthew 6:10.