Integrity

What is integrity? Does the word of God speak about integrity? Who is a man or a woman of integrity?

These are questions raised in my mind in these final days.

The scripture portrayed here in Proverbs 10:9 says the person walking in it walks securely, what an awe inspiring assurance.

Meaning of  the word Integrity is  = Integrity means doing the right thing when no one is watching. It means to be honest and virtues before God and men at all times.

This is a Godly character produced in men through the Holy Spirit’s impartation of His divine nature.

The scripture speaks about it in many places of the Old and the New Covenant and by them it gives us one of the highest characteristics of a Godly person. The opposite of integrity is the presence of hypocrisy.

Integrity is also the substance of one of God’s highest virtues.



In searching for the word integrity within the scriptures we come across of men and women who were uncompromising in their dedication to their God and they were immovable from their steadfast positions in their faith.

One of which is Mordeccai the Jew who was queen Esther’s uncle. He was a completely trust worthy man, walking blamelessly before God in complete integrity of heart.

His unwavering love for His God and His people made Him second in the Kingdom of Persia one day. His unblemished faith in God brought Him the greatest honor before men and God. He was a man with an excellent spirit. A man that inspires many like me for centuries. He was real and genuine in his heart and therefore did not care what the enemies of God would say about him. His integrant heart kept him unnoticed until God saw it fit to elevate him before men. There was no guile in Him.

Joseph son of patriarch Jacob was another man that the Bible is telling us that walked blamelessly before God. From an early age The Lord speaks of His genuine heart before God and men. Just like Job he too endured great suffering and kept His integrity before men and God.

These men were chosen by God in His foreknowledge to bring Him glory in their steadfastness of faith. Joseph too like Job was suffering for righteousness sake, yet remained faithful to his master and leader who was the invisible God of the Old Testament. His character was defined by his fear of the Lord. Though the Bible does not tell us that he had any spectacular experiences with the God of His fathers Abraham and Isaac and Jacob, but walked with Him in complete integrity of the heart.

Unlike many of us today he did not have to see God by his physical eyes before he would commit his ways to Him.

Joseph after being sold as a slave to Egypt, began to serve  Potiphar, a high ranking officer there. The Bible says in all of this God was with Joseph. In his service to Potiphar Joseph remained faithful to his master until the very end. In Gen. 39:1—23 we read how Joseph finds favor with his master Potiphar and that he made him overseer of his house and all that he had. God blessed the house of Potiphar  and therefore the scripture tells us that in his house Joseph was in charge of all that Potiphar had, until the day that his wife cast longing eyes on Joseph, because he was a handsome man.

Finally one day she said to him “ Lie with me”. But Joseph refused and said  to her “ Look  my master does not know what is with me in the house and he had committed all that he has to my hand.”  “ There is no one greater in this house, Than I , nor has he kept back anything from me  but you, because you are his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?”

So it was the Bible says, as she spoke to Joseph day by day, that he did not heed her, to lie with her or to be with her.

But it happened about this time when Joseph went into the house to do his work, and none of the men of the house wer inside, that she caught him by his garment, saying “ Lie with me.” But he left his garment in her hand, and fled and ran outside. That she called to men of her house and spoke to them saying “ See he has brought in to us a Hebrew to mock us. He came to me to lie with me, and I cried out with a loud voice. And it happened, when he heard that I lifted my voice and cried out , that he left his garment with me, and fled and went outside. So she kept his garment with her until his master came home.

Ofcource you very well know the rest of this story, how Joseph is innocently thrown into the King’s prison to be elevated to his God given position years later.

Here is what I mean. Integrity well explained by itself in this magnificent true story. A man of honesty and genuine integrity. He understands piety and Godliness. He is by no means fake.

A person of true loyalty. He did what was right before His Heavenly Master. He did not do right when only men were watching, he did right acknowledging the One Who saw him at all times.

His piety and honesty was proven when no one was watching. This was a test of his future greater ministry given to Him by God alone. His daily refusal of the great sexual temptation and his genuine devotion to his earthly master gave the way for him for an incredible world wide ministry.

His position here in Potiphar’s house was a  pre examination of  the future kingdom elevation. This for some reason reminds me of the Lord’s servant leaders position on earth and their test of integrity, before the millennial kingdom privileges are bestowed upon them,(us).

Joseph’s words in connection with his stewardship and how all was committed to him through trust except Potiphar’s wife, can be liken to our ministry privileges here on earth. To us the ministers of the gospel God has committed all to serve Him on this side of heaven with the exception of His bride, which is His future wife. While the bridegroom is delayed the bride can be tempted to tempt the slaves of Christ in making them to lie with her, but it is the pious integrity of the servants that can prove their genuineness.

As Potiphar’s wife daily challenged Joseph’s faithfulness, so could the Church do, but blessed is the minister who would run out of her hands in genuineness of integrity.  Though innocent he suffered the reproach of a filthy accusation being thrown into the prison, yet it was the perfect place of the future elevation. It was the king’s prison.

The ground position for higher mobility.

Ofcource our challenges of  staying in the genuine heart of integrity does not begin nor end with sexual piety, but in all different areas of fidelity. Refusing to receive bribe of all kinds is another great test of integrity.

Money is another area we are all tested severely all the time. In saying no to unlawful gain, or any  kind of  unrighteous money transaction is a true test of piety set before us everyday. Ananias and Saphira are very good examples of poor integrity. When the precious Holy Spirit was watching their words and actions, they decided to lie to the all knowing God, who knows even the intents of our hearts in total depravity of integrity.

When people all around us are watching us intently to see our lives in compliance of our confession we need to remember a greater One is watching from above too.

When Joseph finally was embraced by his own family the fear of God was upon them all. They saw God’s sovereign plan accomplished by a man of integrity who was their own younger brother. Jacob in His embrace of Joseph acknowledged again the integrity of God in leaving a remnant in their midst to bring salvation and redemption to them. In this we too learn that through suffering of the righteous in staying true to their heart felt obedience of God we would see the answers of all His promises to us in His timing.

Unfortunately today many want promotion with no pain, but the righteous of the Lord all will endure hardship and pain in remaining faithful in truth, before they will receive the kingdom rights and privileges kept for us in Christ.

The Bible says no eyes has seen no and ears have heard what God has prepared for those who love Him, and to love Him means to keep His commandments that are not burdensome.