“O Lord, who may abide in Thy tent? Who may dwell on Thy holy hill? He who walks with integrity, and works righteousness, and speaks truth in his heart” (Psalm 15:1-2). Jesus Christ is the only person who walked on this earth with perfect faith and integrity. As Christians, no matter how hard we try, we will fail in our faith and integrity. Why? Because Adam disobeyed God and became a sinner. All humans, with the exception of Jesus Christ, inherited Adam’s sin nature. All of us live in a human body that wants to sin. Paul wrote, “For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells” (Romans 7:18). But don’t use your sinful nature as an excuse for not living a lifestyle of personal integrity—it’s important to God.
No sinful human on this earth lives a perfect life of faith and integrity; but we can do better than most of us do. Integrity seems to be a rare commodity in most politics, sports, businesses, and sadly, even in Jesus’ church. Christians are called to have an uncompromising lifestyle that reflects the faith and integrity of Jesus Christ. “The one who says he abides in [Christ] ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked” (1 John 2:6). Enoch was a man of faith and integrity—he walked with God and God took him (Genesis 5:24).
“Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. Noah was a just man, perfect in his generations. Noah walked with God” (Genesis 6:8-9). Noah’s faith and integrity saved him from the Flood, but Noah’s faith and integrity wasn’t perfect—he got drunk on wine. God called Abraham to be the father of the nation of Israel, but he failed in his faith and integrity when he committed adultery with Sarah’s maid and lied about Sarah being his sister. God used Abraham, even though his faith and integrity wasn’t perfect. God used Isaac even though his faith and integrity wasn’t perfect; he lied to Abimelech about his wife. Jacob was a deceiver and God used him for His purposes. But Jacob also suffered many consequences because of his deceptiveness (Genesis 25-50). Being deceptive is a serious sin.
God used Joseph because of his faith in God and integrity. Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers and became Potiphar’s slave (Genesis 37, 39). Joseph rejected Potiphar’s wife’s advances toward him. Joseph said, “How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?” (Genesis 39:9). Because of Potiphar’s wife’s lies, Joseph was put into prison. The Lord was with Joseph even in prison because of his faith in God and integrity. Because of Joseph’s faith in God and integrity the Pharaoh placed him as second in command over all Egypt (Genesis 38, 39-41).
God used Moses to lead the Hebrew people out of their slavery to Egypt, even though Moses was guilty of murder and his faith and integrity wasn’t perfect. God told Moses to speak to the rock, but Moses was angry with the people and struck the rock two times. God didn’t allow Moses to go into the promise land because of his disobedience and lack of faith. God allowed the children of Israel to plunder Egypt in the (Exodus 11:3; 12:36), even though they were constant complainers against the Lord (read Exodus). God blesses us, even though our faith and integrity are not perfect.
David was a man after God’s heart, but he failed in his faith and integrity when he committed adultery with Bathsheba and had her husband Uriah killed (2 Samuel chapters 11-12). The Lord told David: “Behold, I will raise up adversity against you from your own house; and I will take your wives before your eyes and give them to your neighbor, and he shall lie with your wives in the sight of this sun. For you did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel, before the sun” (2 Samuel 12:11-12). God sometimes disciplines us because of our disobedience, and lack of faith and integrity (Hebrews 12:3-11).
Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah were chosen to serve in the king’s palace. Daniel demonstrated faith and integrity when he purposed in his heart not to defile himself with the King’s delicacies. Respectfully, Daniel sought permission for them not to eat of the king’s food that God had forbidden, and God blessed them. And God brought Daniel into the favor and goodwill of the chief of the eunuchs. As for these four young men, God gave them knowledge and skill in all literature and wisdom; and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams. And the king found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers who were in all his realm (Daniel 1:1-21). These four men served God with faithfulness and integrity.
Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah were ordered to bow down to Nebuchadnezzar’s idol or be thrown into the burning fiery furnace. They said, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up” (Daniel 3:16-18). They were thrown into the fire and not even the hair of their head was singed nor were their garments affected, and the smell of fire was not on them (Daniel 3:19-27). Daniel refused to stop praying to God even though he knew he would be put into the lion’s den (Daniel 6). God blessed these four men’s faith and integrity.
The apostles were told not to speak nor teach in the name of Jesus, and Peter and John said, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard” (Acts 4:19-20). The apostles were men of faith and integrity. “The righteous man walks in his integrity; his children are blessed after him” (Proverbs 20:7). Integrity brings God’s blessings on our life.
