Sundays in the Psalms (26)

Walking with Integrity

Psalm 26

We live in a day when integrity is in short supply.

Politicians promise one thing and deliver another.

Business leaders cut corners to make a profit.

Even within the church, there are times when people profess Christ but live in ways that contradict His Word.

integrity is often compromised for convenience.

We live in a world where Truth is sacrificed for popularity,

purity for pleasure,

and faithfulness for temporary gain.

Yet, Psalm 26 is a refreshing picture of a man who dares to walk differently.

This psalm stands as a bold declaration from David that integrity is not only possible but essential for the believer who desires to walk closely with God.

This psalm is the first in a set (Psalms 26–28) where David approaches the house of the Lord to marvel at His glory.

But he doesn’t come casually—he comes as a man who has deliberately chosen to walk in integrity.

Integrity means wholeness, consistency, and uprightness.

It is living in such a way that who we are in private matches who we are in public.

It is walking in truth before both God and man.

David shows us that if we are going to walk with integrity in this immoral and unstable world, we must commit to five things.

I. Be Direct with God (vv. 1–3)

David begins boldly: “Judge me, O LORD; for I have walked in mine integrity.”

David is not boasting in perfection, but in sincerity of heart.

That’s a bold statement

most of us would not even dare ask God to do that because we know what the outcome would be.

He invites God to test him thoroughly—like gold tested by fire—to prove his motives and reveal any hidden faults.

Why does David ask God to search him and try him?

Because, he says I have trusted also in the Lord, therefore I shall not slide.

He recognizes that even with confidence in his walk, self-deception is possible; therefore, he pleads for God’s searching examination.

Walking with integrity begins with honesty before God. You cannot walk in integrity while hiding sin.

Like David, we must pray: “Search me, O God, and know my heart.”

➡ Application: If you want to walk in wisdom, you must be transparent with God—allow Him to search your motives, expose your weaknesses, and strengthen your faith. Integrity begins where excuses end.

But you cant stop there you must hate what God hates

II. Have a Disdain for Sin

David’s integrity is further revealed in what he rejects:

“I have not sat with vain persons… I have hated the congregation of evil doers.”

He refuses to take counsel with the wicked, to identify with their ways, or to participate in their rebellion.

This echoes Psalm 1: “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly.”

He says, will not sit with the wicked

He saying, “Lord, I’ve chosen to separate myself from their ways. I don’t want their counsel. I don’t want their path. I know where it ends—in death (Proverbs 14:12 “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, But the end thereof are the ways of death.” ).”

Now, David is not saying he never spoke to sinners—he did.

But he’s saying: “I won’t join them. I won’t act like them. I won’t live like them.”

Walking with integrity means more than avoiding sin—it means hating it.

God hates sin (Prov. 6:16–19), and so must we.

To walk with integrity is to separate ourselves from corruption, not because we are better, but because we belong to a holy God.

➡ Application: Ask yourself, “Do I hate the things God hates? Or have I grown comfortable with sin?”

True integrity is not neutral toward evil—it is repulsed by it.

But we can be honest with God and hate what He hates but if we are not committed to the things He loves we will never walk with integerity

III. Be Devoted to Righteousness

David doesn’t just turn from sin—he turns to righteousness:

“I will wash mine hands in innocency… LORD, I have loved the habitation of thy house.”

Integrity is not just about separation from sin, but also devotion to righteousness.

David loves purity, worship, and the presence of God’s people.

Notice his joy:

He delights in cleansing, in singing God’s praise, in telling others about His works, and in dwelling in His house.

This is not duty—it is desire. He loves what God loves.

If you are going to walk in integerity we should have:

love for purity (“I will wash my hands in innocency”).

A love for worship (“I compass thine altar”).

A love for testimony (“I publish with the voice of thanksgiving”).

A love for God’s presence and people (“I love the habitation of thy house”).

I would not trust someone that says they love God, but sits out of church everytime a toenail hurts.

There is more then one person in here tonight, that would have some pretty good reasons for staying home but they are here.

Think about that the next time you feel like staying home.

➡ Application: Integrity cannot be maintained by avoidance alone. You must actively pursue righteousness.

Do you love worship, holiness, and the fellowship of believers?

Integrity is measured by what you cling to as much as by what you resist.

IV. Be Dedicated to Faithfulness

David declares: “But as for me, I will walk in mine integrity.”

This is not arrogance—it is determination.

This is a personal decision

He is drawing a line in the sand.

While others may compromise, David says, “Not me. I will remain faithful to God.”

Walking with integrity requires resolve.

It’s not something you stumble into; it’s a daily decision.

➡ Application: Integrity demands commitment. You cannot drift into it; you must decide daily: “As for me, I will walk with God.”

V. Be Dependent on God

Finally, David acknowledges that integrity is not self-sustained:

“Redeem me, and be merciful unto me.”

He knows that apart from God’s mercy, he could be swept away with the wicked.

Integrity rests not in our strength but in God’s grace and redemption.

He ends with praise: “My foot standeth in an even place: in the congregations will I bless the LORD.”

Integrity produces stability—his footing is secure.

Integrity produces testimony—his praise is public.

➡ Application: Integrity is impossible without God’s sustaining grace. You cannot hold yourself up; you must lean on the Lord daily.

Conclusion

David’s psalm teaches us that walking with integrity requires:

Being direct with God.

Having a disdain for sin.

Being devoted to righteousness.

Being dedicated to faithfulness.

Being dependent on God.

This world desperately needs men and women of integrity—believers who are the same in private as they are in public, who hate what God hates and love what God loves, who remain faithful in a faithless generation, and who depend not on their own strength but on the mercy of God.

Integrity is not perfection—it is sincerity. It is wholeness of heart before the Lord.

So let us, like David, declare: “As for me, I will walk in mine integrity.”

And when we do, our lives will not only bring glory to God, but also stand as a light in a dark and corrupt world.