Integrity

How would you define integrity?

You hear a lot about it

When you say that someone has integrity do you mean that they have strong character? That they do the right thing? That they have a good reputation because of their honesty and virtue.

How many of you have seen google earth? I put my address in and began to zoom in more and more. At first, you could see the house among hundreds of others in the area. You could see all of middletown and more. Then you zoom in. Closer and closer. Eventually I could see my roof, then the cars in the driveway, then I could see that it must have been summer when the picture was taken because everything was green. And it zoomed in all the way and I saw these two bodies in the backyard. And I realized it was my two daughters laying outside getting a sun tan in the middle of the summer. Now I can zoom all the way back out until I am looking at my house from the perspective of outer space.

I want you to imagine google earth on your life.

Zoom all the way out and you get the public persona.

We all have a public persona. Right now I am speaking in front of you so I have a certain persona. And when I speak, I try to be the same person I am behind the scenes because I have to walk down off the stage and see my family who knows who I am.

So imagine that the person you are right now—in this public place, in front of teachers, for some of you parents, friends, pastor, that this is the most zoomed out version of you.

Zoom in a bit more—friends.

Zoom in a bit more—best friends.

Zoom in a bit more—you are home with your family.

Zoom in a bit more—you by yourself and zoom into your thoughts and the inner recesses of your heart.

To have integrity means that each of those zoom ins are similar, there aren’t big differences between any of them. Only that isn’t what integrity is. It’s much more.

Integrity means integer. Or one-ness. It means a whole number. Not fractured. No fractions.

It means that the zoom ins aren’t similar, but they are one. That there is no difference between any of them. You can’t lack integrity—you either have it or you don’t.

The inner recesses is who you really and truly are. That is your spiritual core. That is why sinning from that spiritual core—is way more serious than sinning from the outer core. When we say all sins are the same—all sins are the same in that all sins got Jesus nailed to the cross, but it is a great error to say that all sins are the same in seriousness. Sins of the spiritual core, sins of the heart are far more serious.

Cheating is a sin of the heart.

Cheating is bringing inner recesses out into open—that is why we try to be so secretive when we do it because it is secretive. It isn’t showing that we lack integrity—that we don’t have enough integrity—it is showing we don’t have ANY integrity.

Not just cheating—but in everything. We are great lawyers when it comes to our own sins, but harsh judges when it comes to others sins. We may not cheat…but in what other ways do we lack integrity?

Our words, thoughts, deeds. In every area of life. A one ness.

Woman caught in adultery. Men of honor. Sinning in secret places.

If you are thinking—you are doing well in this area, that is pride. When we hear the law of God rightly taught our response should be like Paul in , wretched man that I am who will rescue me.

Because we like to make even teaching on integrity palatable—doable. And the fact is that there was only one who had integrity. And that was Jesus. And we have union, or oneness or integrity with him.

Woman caught in adultery. Men of honor. Showed they were sinning in secret places.

Galatians 1:20 ESV

(In what I am writing to you, before God, I do not lie!)

Galatians 2:15–16 ESV

We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners; yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.

Galatians 2:20 ESV

I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

How will you stop cheating? Through trying hard? By studying more? By getting caught? By being afraid of getting caught? By being smart so you don’t have to cheat but can judge those who do cheat? All of those may work, but your lack of integrity will just show up in other places.

1 Peter 3:16 ESV

having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame.

John 14:6 ESV

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

In Christ. Union with Christ is only way. Integrity isn’t found in any of us. Integrity isn’t a character trait but a person. You will have integrity when you are in union with Christ. Those who are union with Christ have a love for God’s word, a love for worship, a love for accountability.

John 14:6 ESV

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.