Wealth can give us wrong attitudes about material things. It's in the Bible, Luke 12:15 NIV "Then [Jesus] said to them, "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions."
Be content - greed is a snare. The love of money leads to evil. It's in the Bible, I Timothy 6:8-10, NJKV. And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows."
Greed is self-destructive. It's in the Bible, Proverbs 1:18-19, NKJV. "But they lie in wait for their own blood, they lurk secretly for their own lives. So are the ways of everyone who is greedy for gain; it takes away the life of its owners."
Those who are focused on money and are greedy for gain should not be spiritual leaders. It's in the Bible, 1 Timothy 3:2-3, 8, NKJV. "A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, temperate, sober-minded, of good behavior, hospitable, able to teach; not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money,but gentle, not quarrelsome, not covetous...Likewise deacons must be reverent, not double-tongued, not given to much wine, not greedy for money,"
True gain is being content. It's in the Bible, 1 Timothy 6:6, NKJV. "Now godliness with contentment is great gain."
Don't lose your salvation for something as worthless as money. You can't take your wealth with you. It's in the Bible, 1 Timothy 6:7, NKJV. "For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certainwe can carry nothing out."
Don't take bribes. Proverbs 15:27 "He who is greedy for gain troubles his own house, but he who hates bribes will live."
Those who are rich by ill-gotten gains will meet their due justice. It's in the Bible, James 5:1-6, NIV, " Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming upon you.
Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes. Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days. Look! The wages you failed to pay the workmen who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty. You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter.You have condemned and murdered innocent men, who were not opposing you."
Either your love for money will destroy your love for God, or your love for God will cast out your love for money. It's in the Bible, Matthew 6:24, NIV. "No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money."
Don't invest in the world that is temporary - invest in something with eternal dividends. It's in the Bible, 1 John 2:15-17, NKJV. "Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world—the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does—comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever."
The importance of integrity in our daily lives.
People around us often judge the truthfulness of America by its affect in our lives. If they see us as hypocrites, they may not go any further in their investigation.
Every day America rubs shoulders with nations while all others are watching. Each make their value judgement's based upon our representative incumbents attitude, actions and finally reputation generally steers having made the right choice.
Other words: integrity supports the opportunities for evangelism and ministry to surface and when not demonstrated those opportunities dry up and no Art of the Deal can ever save them.
Our lives are highly dependent upon the collection of choices made in the past¾both good choices and bad choices.
Perhaps this poem may help to refresh memories: Sow a thought, reap an act. Sow an act, reap a habit. Sow a habit, reap a character. Sow a character, reap a destiny.
The word integrity comes from the same Latin root as integer and implies a wholeness of person. Just as we would talk about a whole number, so also we can talk about a whole person who is undivided. A person of integrity is living rightly, not divided, nor being a different person in different circumstances. A person of integrity is the same person in private that he or she is in public.
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus talked about those who were “pure in heart” (Matt. 5:8), implying an undividedness in following God’s commands. Integrity, therefore, not only implies an undividedness, but a moral purity as well.
The Bible is full of references to integrity, character, and moral purity. Consider just a few Old Testament references to integrity. In 1 Kings 9:4, God instructs Solomon to walk with “integrity of heart and uprightness” as his father did. David says in 1 Chronicles 29:17, “I know, my God, that you test the heart and are pleased with integrity.” And in Psalm 78:70-72 we read that “David shepherded them with integrity of heart, with skillful hands.”
The book of Proverbs provides an abundance of verses on integrity. Proverbs 10:9 says that, “He who walks in integrity walks securely, But he who perverts his ways will be found out.” A person of integrity will have a good reputation and not have to fear that he or she will be exposed or found out. Integrity provides a safe path through life.
Proverbs 11:3 says, “The integrity of the upright will guide them, But the falseness of the treacherous will destroy them.” Proverbs is a book of wisdom. The wise man or woman will live a life of integrity, which is a part of wisdom. Those who follow corruption or falsehood will be destroyed by the decisions and actions of their lives.
Proverbs 20:7 says, “A righteous man who walks in his integrity; How blessed are his sons after him.” Integrity leaves a legacy. A righteous man or woman walks in integrity and provides a path for his or her children to follow.
All of these verses imply a sense of duty and a recognition that we must have a level of discernment of God’s will in our lives. That would certainly require that people of integrity be students of the Word, and then diligently seek to apply God’s Word to their lives. The book of James admonishes us to be “doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves” (James 1:22).
As we examine integrity, we must look at its opposite: corruption.
We claim to be a nation that demands integrity, but do we really?
We say we want politicians to be honest, but really don’t expect them to be; perhaps because often we aren’t as honest as we should be. We say that we are a nation of laws, but often we break some of those same laws–like speed limits and jaywalking– and try to justify our actions.
A powerful illustration can be found in the book, The Day America Told the Truth, by James Patterson and Peter Kim. Using a survey technique that guaranteed the privacy and anonymity of the respondents, they were able to document what Americans really believe and do. The results were startling.
First, they found there was no moral authority in America. “Americans are making up their own moral codes. Only 13 percent of us believe in all the Ten Commandments. Forty percent of us believe in five of the Ten Commandments. We choose which laws of God we believe in. There is absolutely no moral consensus in this country as there was in the 1950s, when all our institutions commanded more respect.”
Second, they found Americans are not honest. “Lying has become an integral part of American culture, a trait of the American character. We lie and don’t even think about it. We lie for no reason.” The authors estimate that 91 percent of us lie regularly.
Third, marriage and family are no longer sacred institutions. “While we still marry, we have lost faith in the institution of marriage. A third of married men and women confessed to us that they’ve had at least one affair. Thirty percent aren’t really sure that they still love their spouse.”
Fourth, they found that the “Protestant [work] ethic is long gone from today’s American workplace. Workers around America frankly admit that they spend more than 20 percent (7 hours a week) of their time at work totally goofing off. That amounts to a four-day work week across the nation.”
The authors conclude by suggesting that we have a new set of commandments for America:
We may say that we are a nation that wants integrity, but apparently a majority of us lack it in our own personal lives.
Honesty would now like to turn our focus toward four key traits found in a person of integrity.
One of those traits is honesty.
From the book The Day America Told the Truth. The authors found that nearly everyone in America lies and does so on a fairly regular basis. Truth telling apparently is no longer a virtue people try to adopt for their lives. We may say we want people to tell the truth, but we don’t do it ourselves.
That is the problem with corruption; it is corrosive. We believe we can be dishonest just a little bit. We say we want people to be honest, but then we cheat on our taxes. We say we want people to obey the laws, but then we go “just a little” over the limit. We want to be honest just enough to ease our conscience.
Another characteristic of a person of integrity is trustworthiness. A person of integrity is unimpeachable. He or she stands by principles no matter what the consequences. A person of integrity realizes there are moral absolutes even in a world of relative values.
A person of integrity knows that it isn’t all grey. There are principles worth standing by and promoting. There are values that should govern our lives. We have a responsibility to follow God’s law rather than the crowd. When the book of Proverbs talks of the “integrity of the upright” it implies that we adhere to God’s will and God’s laws. We have a duty to obey God’s absolute commands in our lives and become men and women of integrity.
When the apostle Paul lists the qualifications for an elder in the church, he says “he must have a good reputation with those outside the church, so that he may not fall into reproach and the snare of the devil” (1 Tim. 3:7). This is not only a desirable quality for church elders, it is a quality we should all aspire to. Christians should be “above reproach” in their public testimony before the watching world.
It’s been said that we may be the only Bible some people ever read. In other words, people around us often judge the truthfulness of Christianity by its affect in our lives. If they see us as hypocrites, they may not go any further in their investigation of the gospel.
Every day we rub shoulders with people who are watching us.
Your life will demonstrate to them whether Christianity is true or false. They make value judgement's about you by your attitudes and actions. Have we made the right choice?
Fortunately, God's Remnant still exists that can pass the test.
Do you pass the test when unbelievers look at you and your life and wonder if the gospel is true? It’s a convicting question.
When we live lives of integrity, opportunities for evangelism and ministry surface. When we don’t, those opportunities dry up.
Christ encourages us to develop a life of integrity. In some respects, it’s a life-long process. But we have to begin somewhere. Our lives are the collection of choices we have made in the past¾both good choices and bad choices. We must collectively Focus on the verses and biblical principles of Integrity If we want to known as a people of integrity, it won’t happen overnight and if we don’t make a deliberate plan to be a people of integrity, it will never happen at all.
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