| |
“I will pay attention to the way of integrity. When will You come to me? I will live with a heart of integrity in my house.”
Psalms 101:2 HCSB
Christians are often singled out as hypocrites. We love phrases like “the last shall be first” and “kill the flesh” but we struggle daily to live out these principles. On top of this, it’s nearly impossible to determine who is actually living a consistent Christian life with integrity. A simple definition of integrity is doing the right thing when no one else is watching. With all of the megachurch scandals and excessive abuse of authority, integrity can be hard to come by in the church these days – especially within leadership.
Unfortunately, once our eyes have seen hypocrisy in another believer, it tends to tarnish our view of their Christian life. I have been down this path many times and I’m sure others have looked at me in that same way. It’s a terrible feeling. The details are irrelevant, but I’ve had my fair share of bosses and colleagues who played with fire and eventually got burnt. Though they may have fooled me with their double life, they could not fool God.
Scripture is full of passages that closely associate those without integrity to a wicked or evil person.
“The one who lives with integrity lives securely, but whoever perverts his ways will be found out.”
Proverbs 10:9 HCSB
Living with integrity is not something we should just do because God said it. It doesn’t come by following rules or regulations. Integrity is built over time through freedom and joy. Through Christ, we have the power to reject sinful choices. We are free from sin. The feeling of doing what we ought to do out of obedient joy cannot be matched. It’s a feeling that cannot be bought or artificially produced. When we know our life is the same at work, church and at home – and it is aligned with Scripture – we see a whole new life in front of us.
One of my friends says often, “If you don’t confess it, then it hasn’t become real yet.” There are only two ways that things get real. Either you confess and repent or your secret life is discovered. There are no alternatives. As the passage above states, whoever perverts God’s ways will be found out.