Reconciliation Ministries

How To Develop Integrity

Greetings dear friends, Greatly beloved of the Lord!

As a Christian you have A NEW STANDING WITH GOD
Today you are Accepted in Him-Ephesians 1:6
Today you are Loved by Him- Revelations 1:5
Today you are Forgiven through Him- Colossians 1:14
Today you are His child- 1 John 3:1-3

But with the Privilege of Being His child, comes responsibility... to "purify..." ourselves "...even as He is pure..."- 1 John 3:3.
We are to "Lay aside... sin" - Hebrews 12: 1
We are to "Cleanse ourselves from All defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of the Lord."- 2 Corinthians 7:1.

As a Christian you have A NEW LIFE
God Gives us A New Standing before Him As His Own. - Romans 5:1
God Gives us a New Power to live for Him- Philippians 2:12-13
God Gives us Responsibility as His - 1 Peter 1:15- 17


As a Christian you have A NEW RESPONSIBILITY to God and For God He says "Be holy yourselves in ALL YOUR BEHAVIOR." Holiness speaks of two things. 1. "To be Set apart." "Different" Just as you may purchase some clothing from a store for yourself. It is "set apart" for you. So too, we have been purchased from the slave market of sin and set apart for God, and we are to be "different" because of Whose we are! - 1 Corinthians 6:19-20.

Holiness also speaks of "Purity." As Gods People we too are set apart ... for Him... to be Different in this world- 2 Corinthians 5:20.

And one way we are to be different is in our dealing with people and the assignments we have before us. In a world of faithlessness, we as God’s Ambassadors are to be different in that we pursue and practice being Faithful, Reliable, Trustworthy....

HOW IMPORTANT IS FAITHFULNESS TO GOD?
Faithfulness to opportunity is what the Believer will be Judged on-1 Corinthians 3:13
Faithfulness is what he will be looking for in His Return
Faithfulness is what gives Him Great Pleasure- Hebrews 11:6


It is the Criteria for Ministry-1 Corinthians 4:2.
It is the Criteria for raising up SPIRITUAL leaders-2 Timothy 2:2.

The Lord Jesus says...
Luke 16:10-12 - "He who is FAITHFUL in a very LITTLE thing is faithful also in much; and he who is unrighteous in a very LITTLE thing is unrighteous also in much. If therefore you have not been FAITHFUL in the use of unrighteous riches who will entrust the true riches to you. And if you have not been FAITHFUL in the use of that which is another's, who will give you that which is your own."

Faithfulness is a VERY IMPORTANT quality to God and is one that we must be developing in our lives and making appropriate adjustments where we are deficient in that area, for our Lord's sake and Testimony's sake.

CONDUCT REVEALS CHARACTER
I have been thinking on Faithfulness today. Faithfulness to opportunity is what the believer will be judged on. Not a judgment of condemnation for sin, for our Lord Jesus has already borne the guilt, shame, and penalty and consequences of our sin on the cross, but a Judgment of Evaluation is what we will be judged on.

1 Corinthians 3:8- "... but each man will receive his own REWARD according to his own labor." GOD'S DESIRE AND DELIGHT IS TO REWARD YOU. And these will be based on Faithful Labor to the opportunities you and I have been afforded.


CHILDREN'S LESSON
This morning, I listened in as my wife was sharing with our children during their Bible time on Faithfulness and developing this attitude and action of Godly character into their lives.

She was sharing with them, how at times we look to people who have made great sacrifice and tend to see them as "committed..." because of the great sacrifice many have made. But also in God's eyes it is the one who is faithful to fulfill their obligations that equally brings great pleasure to His heart. She is right! To often people are "waiting" for the big thing God wants them to do. They are looking for a "vision" and then they [if they like it] will abandon themselves to it. One problem! Faithfulness does not have to do with the size of the job but in doing the job you have before you as unto the Lord. Fulfilling and being faithful now where you are. So many of us can "dream" our lives away and miss the opportunity to serve Him and those around us faithfully NOW! WHETHER IT IS WASHING DISHES, BEHIND A DESK, ON A FACTORY FLOOR ETC.


FALSE CONCEPT OF MINISTRY
Some times as believers we tend to view certain activities as "spiritual", that is to say "this is REALLY important", when in fact all that we do is important to God and can be offered up to Him as an act of Worship - Matthew
4:10- and an expression of our Love for Him- John 14:21. The idea that going on a mission trip, or serving in the church is more "spiritual" than a Mom faithfully keeping her home or a child doing their chores with a good attitude, OR THE PERSON WHO IS FAITHFUL YET UNRECOGNIZED IN THEIR JOB is false! The Scriptures do not differentiate between "secular," and "spiritual." Indeed it says "whatever you do, DO ALL do all to the Glory of God"- 1 Corinthians 10:31.

A woman who is busy in church activities while being rebellious or neglecting her husband or children, though it may seem "spiritual" is in violation of Titus 2:4-5 and indeed God says that through such behavior "the WORD OF GOD...[IS]... Dishonored." Faithfulness to God is the issue. One sad fact that becomes more evident to me in these days is that there are some dear people who have been deceived and deceive others through their arrogance [which in fact is really ignorance of Scripture] by teaching it is possible to be faithful to God apart from being faithful to His Revealed Word. That is where heresy and false teaching have their breathing ground. Separating and sanctioning conduct and character based on "the Lord told me" and "I feel..." rather than the Word of God which is imperishable, Pure, True and forever settled in Heaven and on which we are to "build the foundation" of our lives on, Jesus says in Matthew 7:24-27.

INTEGRITY THE ISSUE
FAITHFULNESS is an issue of integrity. I know some dear wonderful brothers in ministry, whom I have a great affection for whom I would not trust the care of my family to! Why not, you may ask? Because in my dealings with them over the years they cannot be counted on. When they say they will do something they often don't do it. Their word and their practice are not one and the same. You cannot take them at their word. This is a character issue.

For them they are heavily involved in ministry and indeed at times we can deceive ourselves into saying and thinking that we are doing something "big and important" and in reality our "busyness'" is an excuse for a lack of integrity, when in reality it is just a revealing of a persons true character... a lack of faithfulness. Too often people are left behind the "whirlwind "of busyness, confused, hurt, due to the lack of integrity of others who somehow see "ministry" as an excuse for ungodliness rather than the promotion of Godliness!


5 AREAS OF OPPORTUNITY TO DEVELOP FAITHFULNESS

1. FAITHFUL TO YOUR WORD
When you tell people you are going to do something, call someone... etc. can they count on you to do so? DO YOU MAKE EXCUSES WHEN YOU WANT TO BACK OUT OF A COMMITMENT YOU HAVE MADE?

God is interested in our words. He is concerned about us developing character and reflecting Him in the way we live- Matthew 5:16

Jesus says in Matthew 5:37 "But let your statement be, 'Yes, Yes' or 'No, no; And ANYTHING beyond these is of EVIL." The Lord Jesus calls it ... EVIL, when we are not faithful to our word. What do you and I call it? Do we make excuses?

True, there are times we cannot keep our word due to some unforeseen circumstance, but as much as is within us, people need to be able to count on us when we give them our word. For failure to keep our word does more damage to our testimony than we realize.

3. FAITHFUL IN YOUR WITNESS
A. - To the LOST
"Conduct yourselves with wisdom towards outsiders [those outside the Kingdom of God], making the most of the OPPORTUNITY."- Colossians 4:5

B. - To the BELIEVERS
"...in Speech, CONDUCT, love faith and purity, SHOW YOURSELF AN EXAMPLE to Those who BELIEVE." Your word and work witness to those around you to what your character is. It reveals more about you and I than all the great professions of faith and allegiance we make of "loving the Lord." Our CONTINUOUS Actions reveal the depth of our Devotion to the Lord Jesus, the point of our spiritual maturity or lack and is the acid test whether you and I are faithful, trustworthy or not.... And if not how can we expect to influence those towards God when we ourselves do not reflect the character of God by being Faithful to our word and in our work as much as is in us?

Often as Christians we are the biggest stumbling block to those around us who do not know Him and even to others who do know Him. Paul said to the sinning saints at Corinth..."Become sober-minded as you ought, and stop sinning; for some have no knowledge of God. I speak this to YOUR SHAME."


4. FAITHFUL IN WORSHIPPING GOD
The issue all boils down to Worship. Worship speaks of Attributing worth-ship to that which we supremely value in our estimation. If we value the Lord then it is to be evident in our acts of obedience to what He says.

We serve the one we worship ultimately.


A LESSON TO BE REMEMBERED
I remember years ago being involved in some sports camps as a means to outreach for the Gospel with children. The man who led it at the time was a former professional athlete. Each morning we would have devotions before a camp started for the coaches-all of us from various sports who were either former or actively professional athletes. As I was in charge of the soccer coaches, my advice each year was "don't be late for devotions!"... Some I am sure were expecting me to speak about coaching techniques but they would learn a greater lesson than soccer!

At times people would come five ten minutes late... no big deal right? Well, to the man in charge it was a big deal ... for him it was saying that when you did this [apart from a legitimate reason for being late] you were saying to other people their time was not as important as yours, so they should wait until you arrived. Indeed he was right, It is to place one self before the welfare of others which is not in alliance with the Lord's view of how we are to treat and view others-Phil 2:3-5. I can tell you for me that was a lesson I have tried to implement into my life and one way is by arriving early for an appointment. It is amazing the amount of time we arrive late for appointments and never offer an apology or explanation. Why is this? Because of selfishness! We are so taken up with ourselves it tends to lead us to think, that the other person is there for us rather than our Lord’s attitude who said "I did not come to be serve but to serve..." Godly Service is always placing others first- Romans 15:2,4. The world’s idea of service ... is place yourself first!


5. -FAITHFUL TO HIS WORD
We live in a day when the Word of God is relegated from that of God to that which is optional. We tend to get our views of Gods will from our own personal Preferences and that of the world’s opinion and from our own "independent" "word" from the Lord. Gods Word is neither trusted nor valued among many professing believers. It is relegated to being irrelevant and is treated with irreverence as is evidenced by the lack of it being used from our Pulpits, where politics is more the concern of the day than the Proclaiming of Gods Word....
We need to be faithful to:
Read it - 1 Timothy 4:13.
Study it - 2 Timothy 2:15.
Meditate on it - Joshua 1:8.
Think on it- Philippians 4:8.
Practice it - James 1:22-25.
Preach it - 2 Timothy 4:2. [Note: He does not tell us to preach visions, our interpretations, the politics of the day ... but the Word of God!}
Teach it - 1 Timothy 4:13.
Be Controlled by it- Colossians 1:9, Colossians 3:15.
Run our churches by it- Matthew 18:15- 20.
For it reveals who God is
What sin is - Romans 3:20; Who Jesus Christ is- Luke 24:27; How we are to Live our lives in a way that honors and Pleases Him- Colossians 1:9, 2 Peter 2:3-4.

It is the Means to Hope- Romans 15:4-5... It is what the Holy Spirit uses.

THE SUFFICIENCY OF SCRIPTURE
It is Sufficient for the knowledge of Salvation 2 Tim 3:15;
It is Sufficient for Sanctification for the believers - 2 Tim 3:17.

It ALONE is Sufficient for Counseling - 1Thessalonians 5:14.
It ALONE can detect and accurately diagnose the condition of an individuals heart- Hebrews 4:12.
It ALONE is what God says we are to build our Lives on- Matthew 7:24-17....

DESPISING GOD’S WORD
David's sin was he "despised the Word of the Lord" we are told. To "despise" is to have a light attitude towards something or someone. He had a light attitude to it. Today very often in our services ... the Word is given less and less time while the music and entertainment is given a more prominent role. Music is Gods Gift and can be wonderful and a primer for worship of heart and preparation of the heart to hear and obey God’s Word. But where you have more emphasis on music and give more time to it than the Word of God, you very often will have a spiritually immature, emotionally based congregation who get their view of God and life by how they "feel" rather than on what the Lord says, and they live an unstable, emotional roller coaster Christian life!

We are to Hold forth the "WORD OF LIFE"- Philippians 2:16 tells us.


ASSIGNMENT FOR YOU
Integrity is about being Faithful to God and others, Have a look at these questions and pray through each one as I have...Ask yourself Am I Faithful to my word? What does God want from me in this area?
- Matthew 5:37
- Colossians 4:6
- Ephesians 4:15

Am I Faithful in my Work?
What does God say to me about this? Colossians 3:23

Does my life Witness to the Lord Jesus in the way I keep my word and through my work habits?

Am I Faithful to Worship God with the way I am living?
Am I faithful in the building of my life on the Word of God?
As the Ultimate Authority in my decision making, disciple making and home life, business decisions and church life?


INTEGRITY SUMMED UP
Someone has defined Integrity this way. Simply put "Integrity is doing what you said you would do. It means Keeping your Promises.

"When you promised to be faithful to your mate, integrity says you'll stay with that person no matter what ... for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health."

"IF YOU PROMISED the Lord that you would give Him the glory, integrity means you keep on doing that whether you're reduced to nothing or exalted to the highest pinnacle on earth
IF YOU PROMISED a friend that you would return a call, integrity means you return it.
IF YOU PROMISED your child that you would spend Saturday together, integrity means you keep that appointment.

A PROMISE is a holy thing, whether made to a chairman of the board-or to a child. WE ARE TO BE FAITHFUL TO OUR WORD.


CHOOSING TO BE FAITHFUL
Faithfulness is a Choice. God commands us to be. God Gives us the Capacity to be. We are the ones who Chose whether we are faithful or not!


A DIFFERENT PERSON
We live in a day when often we seem do "different" than those without Christ when it comes to Faithfulness. It is not enough for us to agree we are not being faithful but for the sake of the Name and the INTEGRITY of the One we profess and proclaim, we must ACTIVELY CHOOSE to change. TODAY Pick an are and begin working on it this week... Is it your word? ... Is it the way you do your work? Is it the way you treat Gods Word?



Dearly Beloved, let us be a people who are different by the way we live our lives and conduct ourselves...in such a way as to Honor Him by being a "different "people a people of Integrity. As Peter writes in 1 Peter 4:11 - "Whoever speaks, let him speak, as it were the utterances of God; whoever serves let him do so by the strength which God supplies; so that in ALL THINGS GOD MAY BE GLORIFIED through Jesus Christ to whom belongs the Glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen."

Let us so speak and behave in such away as our Blessed Lord who loves us, died for us, lives to interceded for us, who is coming again for us, may find us faithful as an expression of love to Him.

Be being faithful in word, work, witness, worship and to His Word...

God bless and encourage you to develop Faithfulness. Please pray for me, my family and ministry AND THE BODY OF CHRIST AS A WHOLE and those whom we come and stand before that we too would grow in our responsibility to be faithful and that our integrity before God would be acceptable. This letter goes out with my thanksgiving to God for you all and for your growth in integrity for His Sake and those you minister to.

Thankful to Him for you... for those of you who have sent recent notes of love and participation in the Gospel with us.

If there is anyway we can pray for you or serve you please let us know,

In His Love,
Aidan

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