Preserving Integrity: Being A Guardian Of The Grace You Want In Return

In the world we live in integrity is hard to find. The overexposed culture that demands to find dirt, criticize, humiliate others are cultural worldviews and not godly approaches to holiness. Having a sense of courtesy towards one another even if you don’t agree about something are missing within the church. Finding traits of lovingly correcting people, not exposing their nature among others, and being loving when you don’t understand. When you provide Biblical integrity for those who are going through something, it is not our job to find ways to point fingers, gossip or discreidit their character whether deliberate or in ignorance. The church has strayed from becoming more like Jesus by embracing the social behaviors of the Post-Christian worldview. Engaging in cultural perspectives make it difficult for a watching world to desire God’s grace when we act like enemies towards one another. The less we live on the defensive, the better we can love and treat one another.

So what is integrity?

Character, honor, decency, honesty, ethics, goodness. morality.

What is the problem with integrity?

We want to be the sovereign authority of how we model such behavior; while reserving the right to execute judgment on people when our emotions block biblical truth. We want to be the voice in an era of immediate results and resolve regardless of the casualties. Our greatest failure is that we don’t want to love one another, just strategically destroy people and think it has no repercussions, we are commanded in scripture.

John 13:34–35 NASB 2020

34 I am giving you a new commandment, that you love one another; just as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35 By this all people will know that you are My disciples: if you have love for one another.”

Matthew 7:12 NASB 2020

12 “In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you, for this is the Law and the Prophets.

Why do we struggle? Do we love one another for temporal gains or with God’s eternal purpose in mind?

Outline:

Integrity Within The Family

Integrity Among Friends

Integrity Among Foreigners

Integrity Within The Faith

Integrity Within The Family

Learning to cover each other collectively (Adam & Eve) “Even when you’re both wrong or just one of you cover each others’ shame”

Genesis 3:7 “7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves waist coverings.”

Preserving ones modesty

Genesis 9:20–24 “20 Then Noah began farming and planted a vineyard. 21 He drank some of the wine and became drunk, and uncovered himself inside his tent. 22 Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brothers outside. 23 But Shem and Japheth took a garment and laid it on both their shoulders and walked backward and covered the nakedness of their father; and their faces were turned away, so that they did not see their father’s nakedness. 24 When Noah awoke from his wine, he knew what his youngest son had done to him.”

Being the Priest, Prophet and mediator for your family

Job 1:4–5 “4 His sons used to go and hold a feast in the house of each one on his day, and they would send word and invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them. 5 When the days of feasting had completed their cycle, Job would send word to them and consecrate them, getting up early in the morning and offering burnt offerings according to the number of them all; for Job said, “Perhaps my sons have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.” Job did so continually.”

Prayers, Biblical Traditions, Family worship

Family rebuke done privately

Job 2:7–10 “7 Then Satan went out from the presence of the Lord and struck Job with severe boils from the sole of his foot to the top of his head. 8 And Job took a piece of pottery to scrape himself while he was sitting in the ashes. 9 Then his wife said to him, “Do you still hold firm your integrity? Curse God and die!” 10 But he said to her, “You are speaking as one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we actually accept good from God but not accept adversity?” Despite all this, Job did not sin with his lips.”

Don’t abandon them in their condition if possible. (Not all family can handle your presence, not all family can afford your presence if you have to separate, do so gracefully remembering you were or could become disconnected)

Cover them in prayer is their isn’t any fellowship. If fellowship is intact prayer with them, and encourage them with the word of God.

Integrity Among Friends

Correction falling friend under God’s leading

2 Samuel 12:1–7 “1 Then the Lord sent Nathan to David. And he came to him and said, “There were two men in a city, the one wealthy and the other poor. 2 “The wealthy man had a great many flocks and herds. 3 “But the poor man had nothing at all except one little ewe lamb Which he bought and nurtured; And it grew up together with him and his children. It would eat scraps from him and drink from his cup and lie in his lap, And was like a daughter to him. 4 “Now a visitor came to the wealthy man, And he could not bring himself to take any animal from his own flock or his own herd, To prepare for the traveler who had come to him; So he took the poor man’s ewe lamb and prepared it for the man who had come to him.” 5 Then David’s anger burned greatly against the man, and he said to Nathan, “As the Lord lives, the man who has done this certainly deserves to die! 6 So he must make restitution for the lamb four times over, since he did this thing and had no compassion.” 7 Nathan then said to David, “You yourself are the man! This is what the Lord, the God of Israel says: ‘It is I who anointed you as king over Israel, and it is I who rescued you from the hand of Saul.”

Don’t allow your friend to wallow in sin without spiritual accountability

Don’t correct them out of harshness, but Christ-like love.

Proverbs 15:1 “1 A gentle answer turns away wrath, But a harsh word stirs up anger.”

Proverbs 15:4 “4 A soothing tongue is a tree of life, But perversion in it crushes the spirit.”

Don’t abandon them in their fall, support them with the word of God and prayer until repentance and restoration is evident (Keep in mind the assumption they are a believer)

Proverbs 27:10 “10 Do not abandon your friend or your father’s friend, And do not go to your brother’s house on the day of your disaster; Better is a neighbor who is near than a brother far away.”

Integrity Among Foreigners

Godly dignity on display to foreigners creates a testimony that can lead someone to Christ.

We have a reason to live nobly among men, it has an eternal purpose

Hebrews 13:2 “2 Do not neglect hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it.”

Our ethics must reflect a kingdom, and God’s will for mankind and His sovereign perspective

Matthew 25:35 “35 For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in;”

Integrity Within The Faith

Just because we don’t agree doesn’t make us rivals…..we don’t agree and let it be! No gossip, Disrespect, In-house Divisions. One Accord!

1 Corinthians 1:10 “10 Now I urge you, brothers and sisters, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all agree and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be made complete in the same mind and in the same judgment.”

Acts 2:44 “44 And all the believers were together and had all things in common;”

Biblical discipline is done with compassion and has an order/process

Matthew 18:15–17 NASB 2020

15 “Now if your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have gained your brother. 16 But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that on the testimony of two or three witnesses every matter may be confirmed. 17 And if he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, he is to be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.

Corrective brother in love for misrepresenting the body of believers

Galatians 2:11–16 “11 But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. 12 For prior to the coming of some men from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles; but when they came, he began to withdraw and separate himself, fearing those from the circumcision. 13 The rest of the Jews joined him in hypocrisy, with the result that even Barnabas was carried away by their hypocrisy. 14 But when I saw that they were not straightforward about the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas in the presence of all, “If you, being a Jew, live like the Gentiles and not like the Jews, how is it that you compel the Gentiles to live like Jews? 15 “We are Jews by nature and not sinners from the Gentiles; 16 nevertheless, knowing that a person is not justified by works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the Law; since by works of the Law no flesh will be justified.”

Let your ethics among the brethren be based on the word of God alone and not you feelings.

Humility

Philippians 2:3 “3 Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility consider one another as more important than yourselves;”

Servanthood

Romans 12:10 “10 Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor,”

Universal Respect

1 Peter 2:17 “17 Honor all people, love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king.”