The Power of Integrity
Psalm 25:21 (NIV)
21 May integrity and uprightness protect me,
because my hope, Lord, is in you.
I am mostly a conservative driver. I usually get in the right hand lane, turn on my cruise control and then try to mind my own business. I know in my mind I judge others as they speed past me. On occasion, I have laughed and made sarcastic remarks when I see someone who flew by me pulled over down the road. I know my attitude may be wrong, but why post a speed limit if it just gets ignored?
There have been many times when someone will get right on my bumper making me uncomfortable. Rather than speed up as they would like for me to, I just stare them down in the rear view mirror until they go around.
I have engaged with many friends and co-workers who have tried to convert me or at least get me to consider their arguments.
“Allen, you know THEY will give you five miles over the speed limit. No, wait, I am sure it is ten miles over the speed limit. THEY will give you ten. It might be fifteen. I have an uncle’s, neighbor’s son who is a highway patrolman and he said, “THEY will give you 15.” There you have it. THEY don’t care. In fact, THEY say you are most likely to cause an accident by driving the speed limit like you do.”
Maybe, but it says the speed limit on the sign. And by the way, I am not basing my decisions on what “THEY” say. I base it on the sign.
“Come on, what’s the harm? Everybody does it.”
Maybe, but it says the speed limit on the sign. And by the way, I am not basing my decision on what everybody else does. I base it on the sign.
Are there days I would like to throw all caution to the wind and let it rip? Of course, but I don’t. Are there times I look up and I am going a little over the speed limit? Again, of course, and then as safely as I can, ease my car back down to the speed limit.
Why make such a big deal over it? Because in my heart, it is not about driving. I am not trying to get everyone to see it my way. No one has to answer to me. I have to answer to me. I want to live by my convictions.
I was driving on a local highway at the posted 70 MPH. I was watching as most folks flew by me, casually drove by me, or even inched by me. It appeared to me that the 5 MPH, 10 Mph and 15 MPH rule was in affect. Up ahead, I noticed as brake lights started glowing everywhere. Within a few seconds, everyone was suddenly dropping back and driving according to my convictions. What brought about the change of heart? Was there suddenly a message in the clouds? “Allen is correct. Follow him?” No. There was a highway patrol car sitting in the median of the highway.
If I was certain “THEY” would give me 5 or 10 MPH over the posted speed limit, would I need to slow down? I don’t think so. I think it was a “I might not know what I think I know” moment. Maybe “THEY” really do expect me to drive according to the sign.
Once again this teaching is not about driving. It is about transferring the same thought patterns to the written Word of God.
2 Peter 1:1–4 (CSB)
GREETING
Simeon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ:
To those who have received a faith equal to ours through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ.
2 May grace and peace be multiplied to you through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.
GROWTH IN THE FAITH
3 His divine power has given us everything required for life and godliness through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 4 By these he has given us very great and precious promises, so that through them you may share in the divine nature, escaping the corruption that is in the world because of evil desire.
This scripture is fascinating to me. I am not going to expand on the scripture at this time, but allow me to summarize.
1. We have been given a faith equal to the faith of Peter. Think about that for a minute. That would be the water walking, dead raising, private meetings with Jesus himself, Peter. We have been given faith equal to THAT Peter.
2. Grace and peace are multiplied to us through the intimate knowledge of God and Jesus our Lord.
3. His divine power has given us EVERYTHING REQUIRED FOR LIFE AND GODLINESS. EVERYTHING.
4. He has given us very great and precious promises, so we can share in the divine nature.
How could we possibly lose? He has given us everything.
Now jump down to verse 8.
2 Peter 1:8–15 (CSB)
8 For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being useless or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 The person who lacks these things is blind and shortsighted and has forgotten the cleansing from his past sins. 10 Therefore, brothers and sisters, make every effort to confirm your calling and election, because if you do these things you will never stumble. 11 For in this way, entry into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be richly provided for you.
12 Therefore I will always remind you about these things, even though you know them and are established in the truth you now have. 13 I think it is right, as long as I am in this bodily tent, to wake you up with a reminder, 14 since I know that I will soon lay aside my tent, as our Lord Jesus Christ has indeed made clear to me. 15 And I will also make every effort so that you are able to recall these things at any time after my departure.
The highlighting is mine. I want you to notice, five times in eight verses Peter mentions “these things” or “qualities”. Read through the eight verses again. Notice the declarations connected to “these things.” I think it is pretty important to look back at what “these things” are.
We will look at one today.
2 Peter 1:5 (ESV)
5 For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, ….
“Virtue” is defined as “the quality of moral excellence—‘outstanding goodness, virtue1”
I like the way the New Living Translation puts it.
2 Peter 1:5 (NLT)
5 In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge,
I am not the morality police. I believe a big part of morality is personal integrity. Who am I when no one is watching? As verse eight says above. I should be tightening down the screws a little tighter on a regular basis. I should not be seeing how much I can get away with. In the same way, I want to obey the traffic sign just because it is the right thing for me to do, I want to obey God’s Word. I want to obey His Word, even if no one is around. I want to obey His Word even if I don’t see an obvious benefit. I want to obey His Word no matter what everyone else is doing.
During our prayer time before church this week, I heard a powerful woman of God pray, “Father forgive us for powering down from the giants you have called us to be.” Wow. I want to add my, “Me too, God.” Forgive me for powering down from the giant you have called me to be. Forgive me.
Watching another service on TV, I heard a powerful man of God remind us, “What you compromise to keep, you will eventually lose.” Does it feel like we are settling for less than verses one through four tell us we have. Maybe a compromise of our integrity is the problem.
Allow me to ramble for a moment. When I see the speed posted on the side of the road, it was posted for my good by someone who knows way more about the reason than I do. When I take it on myself to override the easy to read “absolute”, I begin to train my soul to compromise in a time of pressure. It might not seem like much, but little by little I begin to fine tune the rules. It says this, but it really means this. Or, maybe it says that, but everyone I know does that instead. It’s almost the same. It only means that if someone else is around.
God’s Word is filled with God’s expectation of me. Does He really mean it when He says, “Allen, love your enemies, and pray FOR those who despitefully use you?” (Matthew 5:44) He doesn’t really mean that does He?
How about,
Psalm 34:1 (ESV)
1 I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth.
Now wait, most times is okay, isn’t it, Lord? You can’t mean all times. Sometimes you just have to blow off some steam. Right?
This is not a one lesson fits all, or a one lesson fixes all, but if I am not walking in the power the Word says I should be walking in, maybe the problem is me. Allen, you have a bit of work to do.
Take a look with me at Luke 6:46–49 (ESV).
46 “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you? 47 Everyone who comes to me and hears my words and does them, I will show you what he is like: 48 he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when a flood arose, the stream broke against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built. 49 But the one who hears and does not do them is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the stream broke against it, immediately it fell, and the ruin of that house was great.”
In both cases the flood came. We do not have a promise that things will be easy. We don’t have a promise that attacks won’t come. We have a promise that if we do the things He says to do, the house will not be shaken.
I preached at my church last month using the driving and speed limit example. The next week, Karen and I headed to Pennsylvania on vacation. At one point, Karen was resting her eyes while I drove. The thought occurred to me, I wonder how many other traffic signs I choose not to follow. As the miles began to pile up, I noticed a few.
“Keep right except to pass.” Not bad Allen. You drive in the right lane anyway. Well, except for that one part of the turnpike where everybody drives in the center section. You know, the part were the right lane is rough, and really, what does it matter if no one is around? Oops.
How about the “through traffic keep left”. Left? I don’t take the left lane. That’s just how I am. What if I put my speed limit obeying self in the left lane and one of the “THEY give you 15 miles over the speed limit” fellows comes up behind me? Nope, that one doesn’t work for me.
“Watch for fallen rocks.” Okay, but that just doesn’t make sense.
Over and over, I demonstrated to myself, even at my self-righteous best, I fall far short. In my Christian walk, where it really does matter, I am going to need some Holy Ghost help and some no compromise determination. How about you? As you read the Word this week, examine yourself in light of the Word. Take it personal. What does God really expect of you and me?
Until the next time.
God Bless,
Allen
1 Johannes P. Louw and Eugene Albert Nida, Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament: Based on Semantic Domains (New York: United Bible Societies, 1996), 743.