INTEGRITY MATTERS

Far be it from me that I should say you are right; till I die I will not put away my INTEGRITY from me – Job 27:5

Integrity is an integral part of the Land of Uprightness. It is rooted in the notions of Completeness and Wholeness. The Latin root – integritas – means “completeness,” “entireness,” “wholeness.” To integrate something is to put pieces together in a unified whole. To have integrity is to be integrated, to be whole, to have it all together in a sense, to be consistent. It suggests a person whose life is whole or wholesome. Wholeness or integrity of heart is a close counterpart to uprightness. When Isaiah encountered the awesome Holiness of God, he found that he was “undone” – disintegrated, unravelled, torn apart – the very opposite of integrity (Isa.6:1-7). He recognized his deep need for personal reconstruction!

Peter had a similar encounter with Jesus: he realized the Lord’s holiness and his own sinfulness (Lk.5:8). The tragic, early-Church account of Ananias and Sapphira underlines how much Integrity matters to God; and how much He hates Hypocrisy. The couple knew they were deceiving the church when they sold some property and agreed to act as if they were giving all when they were only giving part. That they were giving didn’t matter as much as the lack of sincerity behind the act. Money tends to bring out what’s really inside. When it comes to financial matters, you really discover what a man is made of. David wrote about the man “who swears to his own hurt” (Psa.15:4b). He is the man who “shall never be moved” (v. 5b).

This couple’s story sounds shocking because they suffered death for such a seemingly “small” infraction: misrepresenting the proportion they gave of their profits – why death? After all, they did give – which is more than many people do! This story makes it crystal-clear that Integrity matters; that the Church cannot prosper with deception among its members; and that Integrity is one of the greatest needs of the Church today. Deception is a sin against God, which wounds the Body of Christ and makes it dysfunctional. Peter cried to Ananias and Sapphria at the moments of their death: “You have not lied to men but to God” (Acts 5:4b). The Church needs people who not only refrain from blatant lying, but are free from hypocrisy, which is precisely what Jesus accused the Pharisees of – calling them ‘hypocrites’ (Mt.23:13ff).

Integrity – habitual honesty – is essential for Christian growth: “but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the Head – Christ” (Eph.4:15). Speaking and doing the truth in love to one another, is the divine medium for authentic church growth. This great need for Integrity is also directly connected to the longing of the lost world for liberation from deception. Although the world cultivates and promotes falsehood, deep down inside, many people desire to escape the pretence. They’ll be willing and glad to embrace the faith of believers who model honesty and Integrity. Job was such a man; an upright man – whatever he loses, holds fast his integrity. He testified: “Till I die, I will not put away my integrity from me” (Job 27:5). It’s time to be trained in habitual honesty – in the habit of Integrity. May you never offend His Holiness!