Tag: "Description of a Citizen of Zion"

Do You or I Know the One Good Thing Which God Desires of The Shape of Our All Too Human Hearts? Psalm 78:65-72

As followers of Jesus, we are committed to living by God’s standards, such as integrity—saying what we mean and doing what we say.

Proverbs 21:3 says, “To do what is right and just is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice.”

Integrity means being “honest” and “whole and undivided.” First, we have to be honest with ourselves by asking:

Do I say I will do things that don’t get done?
Do I make excuses for not following through?
Do I substitute words when actions are needed?

Ecclesiastes 5:2 says, “Do not be quick with your mouth…”

The Bible doesn’t teach us not to use words, but to use them wisely and back them up with consistent actions.

Jesus says, in Matthew 25:21, the “master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’”
The master says “well done,” not, “well said.”

If we struggle with integrity, there is hope. Romans 8:1 says. “.. there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”

Start with the first tiny step of an honest self-assessment.

Then choose to follow Jesus to the next step in integrity, and keep following Him day by day.

Psalm 78:65-72 The Message

65-72 Suddenly the Lord was up on his feet
    like someone roused from deep sleep,
    shouting like a drunken warrior.
He hit his enemies hard, sent them running,
    yelping, not daring to look back.
He disqualified Joseph as leader,
    told Ephraim he didn’t have what it takes,
And chose the Tribe of Judah instead,
    Mount Zion, which he loves so much.
He built his sanctuary there, resplendent,
    solid and lasting as the earth itself.
Then he chose David, his servant,
    handpicked him from his work in the sheep pens.
One day he was caring for the ewes and their lambs,
    the next day God had him shepherding Jacob,
    his people Israel, his prize possession.
His good heart made him a good shepherd;
    he guided the people wisely and well.

The Word of God for the Children of God.

Adeste Fideles! Laeti Triumphantes! Venite Adoremus! Dominum.

Gloria! In Excelsis Deo! Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, Amen.

An Integrity Filled Heart

When we are talking about the qualities that are necessary for a Christian heart, integrity is one quality that cannot, and should not, ever be ignored.

The reason is because that’s the exact type of heart which God desires and uses.

72 
So David shepherded them according to the integrity of his heart;
And guided them with his skillful hands. Psalm 78:72 Amplified

It was with such an integrous heart that God commended David.

In Acts 13:22 the Lord’s testimony of David says, “I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My own heart, who will do all My will.”

If David had a heart after God’s heart, and if David’s heart was integrous, therefore it can be concluded that integrity is an integral part of God’s own heart, in other words, integrity is one of God’s qualities we should seek after.

This is seen in something Moses said about God’s character.

“God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?” (Numbers 23:19 NKJV)

And so, a Christian’s heart needs to be an integrous heart because an integrous heart, a heart filled with integrity is part of God’s own heart, we should desire it with the same fervor, tenacity as God Himself possesses it, desires to share it.

Therefore, I think it’s safe to say that integrity is needed now more than ever.

There are several reasons why.

First, we also live in a society where what was once called good and integrous, is now being called hate-filled and evil, and what was once called hateful and evil is now being called good and true and the most desirable to be possessed by all.

What is evil is being taught, advocated for and celebrated in schools at all levels.

What is good and righteous is declared to be extremist, worthy of a prison cell.

What was once considered backwards, abhorrent is fast becoming acceptable conduct, praise worthy conduct, taught to be an acceptable medical practice.

How radically backwards has become so common place and acceptable in our day to day conversations in such a short span of time is truly mind-boggling.

How bad is this in the eyes and heart of God.

Remember, integrity is a part of God’s own heart.

Well, Isaiah prophesied this, “Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who put darkness for light, and light for darkness…” (Isaiah 5:20 NKJV)

But also, our society drowning in lies.

We are living in a world that is living more by the lie than by the truth, and the sad part is that most people shrug shoulders, don’t think it is that big a deal.

But it is a big deal, and the Bible calls it sin.

In fact, it’s such a huge deal to God in how it hurts our relationship with Him and others that He makes it one of His big ten, that is, the Ten Commandments.

This one is the ninth to be exact.

“You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.” (Exodus 20:16 NKJV)

But, before we can continue looking at what is an integrity filled heart, I believe it is vitally important we come to know and understand what integrity means.

Understanding What Integrity Means

Psalm 15 Amplified Bible

Description of a Citizen of Zion.

A Psalm of David.

15 O Lord, who may lodge [as a guest] in Your tent?
Who may dwell [continually] on Your holy hill?
2 
He who walks with integrity and strength of character, and works righteousness,
And speaks and holds truth in his heart.
3 
He does not slander with his tongue,
Nor does evil to his neighbor,
Nor takes up a reproach against his friend;
4 
In his eyes an evil person is despised,
But he honors those who fear the Lord [and obediently worship Him with awe-inspired reverence and submissive wonder].
He keeps his word even to his own disadvantage and does not change it [for his own benefit];
5 
He does not put out his money at interest [to a fellow Israelite],
And does not take a bribe against the innocent.
He who does these things will never be shaken.

Having integrity is adhering to truth and a code of values, and for Christians, it means adhering to the Way and the Truth and the Life found only God’s Word.

Synonyms would include: being honest, a person of high moral character, a person of virtue, who lives their lives in accordance with the morals, ethics and values set forth by God Himself in the Bible, values they say they believe in.

Therefore, integrity is about being honest, fair, and having a strong sense of what is right and wrong.

It’s adhering to the moral and ethical principles set forth in God’s Word, which speaks directly to a person’s private, public character, being, who they truly are.

But it also has a second definition, and that is a person who is undivided and thus unwavering in their belief and trust in God.

Integrity is not so much about what we do as it is about who we are.

It means we privately, publicly live according to what we say and believe in.

It’s about who we are on the inside more than what we portray on the outside.

It’s doing right even when no one else is looking, and who we are, how we each act and behave in the dark more than what we do in the light.

Integrity, therefore, is best defined by how it’s fleshed out in our lives.

• It’s about keeping our word even when it hurts.

• It’s about being honest in all our dealings.

• It’s practicing morality in both our bodies and in our minds.

• It’s about admitting mistakes and doing what’s necessary to make them right.

This is why integrity of heart is something God is searching for in His people.

King David said that it’s only with an integrous heart that we can dwell in God’s presence.

So, if we want to dwell in the presence of God, then we have to have integrity, and thus walk and talk and live our lives by it.

“Lord, who may abide in Your tabernacle? Who may dwell in Your holy hill? He who walks uprightly, and works righteousness, and speaks the truth in his heart.” (Psalm 15:1-2 NKJV)

In fact, God is pleased when we do walk with integrity in our hearts.

Proverbs 11:18-20 Amplified Bible

18 
The wicked man earns deceptive wages,
But he who sows righteousness and lives his life with integrity will have a true reward [that is both permanent and satisfying].
19 
He who is steadfast in righteousness attains life,
But he who pursues evil attains his own death.
20 
The perverse in heart are repulsive and shamefully vile to the Lord,
But those who are blameless and above reproach in their walk are His delight!

In Proverbs 11:20 the Lord says that while He detests people with crooked and twisted hearts, He does mightily and muchly delights in those with integrity.

Integrity of Job

Job 27:3-6 Amplified Bible

3 
As long as my life is within me,
And the breath of God is [still] in my nostrils,
4 
My lips will not speak unjustly,
Nor will my tongue utter deceit.
5 
“Far be it from me that I should admit you are right [in your accusations against me];
Until I die, I will not remove my integrity from me.
6 
“I hold fast my uprightness and my right standing with God and I will not let them go;
My heart does not reproach me for any of my days.

Job was such a man with a heart filled with integrity

Job said, “As long as my breath is in me … my lips will not speak wickedness, nor my tongue utter deceit … Till I die I will not put away my integrity from me. My righteousness I hold fast, and will not let it go; my heart shall not reproach me as long as I live.” (Job 27:3-6 NKJV)

In fact, not only is God pleased with such an integrous heart, but He also brags on it. We actually see God brag on Job when Satan came before God’s throne.

The Lord said,

“Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil?” (Job 1:8 NKJV)

God, therefore, looks for integrity and an integrous heart is what He desires for His leaders.

It was a heart of integrity that distinguished the leadership of King David.

“And David shepherded them with integrity of heart; with skillful hands he led them.” (Psalm 78:72 NIV)

While an integrous heart is manifested in our lives, in other words, people can see it, people can readily and instinctively recognize it, it’s really an inside job.

Integrity is an Inside Job

Matthew 23:25-26 Amplified Bible

25 “Woe to you, [self-righteous] scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the plate, but inside they are full of extortion and robbery and self-indulgence (unrestrained greed). 26 You [spiritually] blind Pharisee, first clean the inside of the cup and of the plate [examine and change your inner self to conform to God’s precepts], so that the outside [your public life and deeds] may be clean also.

In speaking about the hypocrisy of the religious leaders, Jesus said,

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee, first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them may be clean also.” (Matthew 23:25-26 NKJV)

The term “hypocrite” in the Greek language comes from the theater.

In Greek theater one actor would often play more than one part, so they wore masks to cover their face for the different parts.

Hypocrisy therefore means someone is wearing a mask (or masks) to hide his or her true nature; therefore, hypocrisy is in direct opposition to integrity.

Integrity, therefore, begins on the inside, which is probably why Jesus tells us to cleanse the inside.

Psalm 51:5-8 Amplified Bible

5 
I was brought forth in [a state of] wickedness;
In sin my mother conceived me [and from my beginning I, too, was sinful].
6 
Behold, You desire truth in the innermost being,
And in the hidden part [of my heart] You will make me know wisdom.
7 
Purify me with [a]hyssop, and I will be clean;
Wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
8 
Make me hear joy and gladness and be satisfied;
Let the bones which You have broken rejoice.

When we do, we will then be clean on the outside, or in how we deal with others.

If integrity is an inside job, and seeing how within the human heart, that is, the spiritual side of our hearts, there exists nothing but evil and wickedness bent on deceiving, as the Lord says in Jeremiah 17:9, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked,” how can we possibly clean it?

We can’t wash it out with soap and water, but we can confess and repent.

Psalm 51:1-6 The Message

51 1-3 Generous in love—God, give grace!
    Huge in mercy—wipe out my bad record.
Scrub away my guilt,
    soak out my sins in your laundry.
I know how bad I’ve been;
    my sins are staring me down.

4-6 You’re the One I’ve violated, and you’ve seen
    it all, seen the full extent of my evil.
You have all the facts before you;
    whatever you decide about me is fair.
I’ve been out of step with you for a long time,
    in the wrong since before I was born.
What you’re after is truth from the inside out.
    Enter me, then; conceive a new, true life.

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9 NKJV)

So, a heart of integrity is a heart that is free from hypocrisy and a heart that is honest about it’s true condition before a holy and righteous God.

It’s a heart that does not put on a mask to hide its true identity making people think that it’s someone who is not and something that it’s not, but rather it’s a heart that honestly and openly confesses its faults, shortcomings, and sins, and actively seeks to turn them over to His Father God and far far away from them.

Another aspect of integrity I like to talk about is that what erodes our integrity.

Erosion of Integrity

Genesis 3:8-13 Amplified Bible

8 And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool [afternoon breeze] of the day, so the man and his wife hid and kept themselves hidden from the [a]presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. 9  But the Lord God called to Adam, and said to him, “Where are you?” 10 He said, “I heard the sound of You [walking] in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself.” 11 God said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten [fruit] from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” 12  And the man said, “The woman whom You gave to be with me—she gave me [fruit] from the tree, and I ate it.” 13 Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” And the woman said, “The serpent beguiled and deceived me, and I ate [from the forbidden tree].”

Now the simple answer is sin, but it isn’t the one time sin that does it; rather it is a combination of sins that are not being dealt with, that is, they are not being confessed or repented of, or as some would say, it is all those wee little mistakes we allow without seeking them out, mining them and out making them right.

This then leads us to the second thing about integrity.

Integrity is About the Little Things

Integrity isn’t built nor is it destroyed in one fell swoop, but in little bits and pieces.

In Solomon’s song he says that it’s the little foxes that spoil the vine, and therefore they must be captured (Song of Solomon 2:15).

Rome was never built in a day, and neither was it destroyed in a day.

It was over an extended period, especially in its downfall as it decayed from the inside through moral and ethical perversion.

And it’s this same moral and ethical decay we’re seeing in our own country.

America is no longer the shining beacon to the world, instead it has been decaying little by little, year after year, and the cracks are getting bigger, crumpling the integrous foundation laid by our nations’ founding fathers.

Someone I know bought a nice house in an exclusive neighborhood, but the foundation wasn’t laid correctly, the concrete did not have enough rebar.

And so, the house has cracks not only in its foundation, but also throughout its walls and into the ceiling.

With one really good shake the house could conceivably come down.

Jesus said,

“Everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.” (Matthew 7:26-27 NKJV)

Therefore, integrity doesn’t happen overnight, nor is it lost overnight because of one mistake or sin.

Rather, integrity is built over time and lost the same way.

We need to be careful then and not blame our circumstances when these cracks begin to develop.

This leads me to another aspect of having an integrous heart.

If we fail to come to belief in Jesus Christ, then our foundation won’t be built on anything solid, when the storms of life hit and rage all around us, then the risk is that our foundation will crumble, and the houses of our lives will come down.

When we violate God’s word or break one of His commands, when our integrity is compromised, small cracks begin to form in the foundations of our lives, and if left neglected, that is, unconfessed, unrepented for, then the firm foundation and our lives will begin to crumble.

How can we prevent the small cracks from getting bigger?

They must be sealed through the process of confession, forgiveness, and heart felt Psalm 32 and Psalm 51 repentance.

This will restore the foundation and make it as stronger than it ever was.

Jesus said,

“Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much.” (Luke 16:10 NKJV)

If people can’t trust us in the small matters, how can trust us when things get serious, and our help is really needed.

Integrity Is Not Determined by Circumstances

“But the child (Samuel) ministered to the Lord before Eli the priest. Now the sons of Eli were corrupt; they did not know the Lord.” (1 Samuel 2:11b-12 NKJV)

Even though our upbringing and the circumstances we face in this life affect us, we still have the power to choose either good or evil.

Two people can grow up in the same environment, even in the same household, but turn out completely different.

One may have integrity, while the other may not.

Take for instance the high priest Eli’s two sons and Samuel.

They all grew up in the tabernacle under Eli’s tutelage.

Samuel grew up to be a man of integrity, while Eli’s two sons were corrupt.

If circumstances really could determine our ability to be a person of integrity, Joseph would be the classic example to follow.

Circumstances weren’t kind to Joseph as he was sold by his brothers into slavery, lied about by Potiphar’s wife, and thrown into prison and forgotten by a top official in Pharaoh’s court.

Yet he never allowed the negative circumstances he encountered to dictate his actions, rather he kept his integrity through it all.

Looking at the circumstances that assailed Joseph and his not wavering in keeping his integrity leads me to the last aspect about having integrity.

Integrity is Expensive

Matthew 16:24-26 The Message

24-26 Then Jesus went to work on his disciples. “Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. You’re not in the driver’s seat; I am. Don’t run from suffering; embrace it. Follow me and I’ll show you how. Self-help is no help at all. Self-sacrifice is the way, my way, to finding yourself, your true self. What kind of deal is it to get everything you want but lose yourself? What could you ever trade your soul for?

Joseph’s integrity cost him dearly.

It cost him his freedom, but in the end, God blessed him, raised him up into a position of highest responsibility and saved his family through him as a result.

There is something that I tell everyone I counsel when things don’t go their way and they are tempted to take the easy way out.

I tell them that when we honor God, God will honor us.

Having an integrous heart will lead to problems, relational conflicts, loss of business, and possibly loss of a job – but in the end, it will lead to real benefits.

Benefits and Blessing of Integrity

a. Safety and Security

“He who walks with integrity walks securely.” (Proverbs 10:9 NKJV)

b. Protection

“Let integrity and uprightness preserve me.” (Psalm 25:21 NKJV)

c. Guidance

“The integrity of the upright will guide them.” (Proverbs 11:3 NKJV)

d. Family

“The righteous man walks in his integrity; His children are blessed after him.” (Proverbs 20:7 NKJV)

And so, while our integrity will cost us, in the end it will bring real and lasting benefits that money can’t buy.

Now that we’ve determined a heart of integrity, the question becomes “What Does an Integrous Heart Do?”

What Does an Integrous Heart Do?

Speak the Truth

Luke 6:43-45 The Message

Work the Words into Your Life

43-45 “You don’t get wormy apples off a healthy tree, nor good apples off a diseased tree. The health of the apple tells the health of the tree. You must begin with your own life-giving lives. It’s who you are, not what you say and do, that counts. Your true being brims over into true words and deeds.

Jesus said that the mouth speaks what the heart is full of (Luke 6:45).

And so a heart that is integrous is going to speak the truth.

Jesus said, “All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.” (Matthew 5:37 NIV)

Long explanations are not necessary, a simple yes or no will do the trick.

Our words need to be so reliable that nothing more than a simple statement or word is needed.

Solomon said, “Put away from you a deceitful mouth, and put perverse lips far from you.” (Proverbs 4:24 NKJV)

A person with an integrous heart won’t be found speaking from both sides of their mouth.

Hypocrisy and lies would not be considered acceptable.

And while speaking the truth will cost, there is a larger cost involved when we tell a lie.

It might cost us our marriage, our relationship with God, our children’s future, as well as friendships, career, and the list goes on.

Paul adds a quality to our need to speak the truth, and that is the quality of love (Ephesians 4:25).

25 What this adds up to, then, is this: no more lies, no more pretense. Tell your neighbor the truth. In Christ’s body we’re all connected to each other, after all. When you lie to others, you end up lying to yourself. (The Message)

We are told to speak the truth in love.

The reason is because we have the tendency to launch the truth at people like a guided missile intending to blow away all opposition to our point of view.

In the end we may feel good for speaking the truth, but the other person is laying there with their guts splattered all over the place.

So, an integrous heart speaks the truth through a loving spirit, looking to heal; not hurt.

But besides speaking the truth, an integrous heart also stands for the truth.

Integrity Stands for the Truth

Standing for the truth is taking our speaking the truth to the next level by putting it into action.

“For we can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth.” (2 Corinthians 13:8 NKJV)

In our society today there’s a prevalent attitude that whatever someone believes in, that it is affirmed and above board honest truth, whether it’s true or it’s not.

It’s called subjective truth.

It means that whatever is true for one person must automatically be true for all others, whether it is or not.

What this is doing is kicking objective truth to the curb or throwing it out the window.

Today subjective truth is going by the name of political correctness, tolerance, which when bisected and exposed to the light of God, is anything but tolerant.

What is needed are Christians who are willing to stand for the truth and against the wrongs of society.

We are to be people of an integrous heart that not only speaks the truth, but also witnesses to the truth and testifies to it and stand upon the truth of God’s Word.

The Apostle James says, “Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.” (James 4:17 NKJV)

Therefore, not speaking the truth and standing for what is wrong is sin.

More Thoughts on Our Desiring an Integrous Heart

Integrity is a vital element to a Christian’s heart and one that needs to be constantly nourished and maintained, because it’s out the abundance of our heart we speak, and it’s our hearts that determine who and what we are, therefore we need to guard our hearts, and the best defense is a heart that is totally sold out for Jesus Christ and is filled with the truth of God’s Word.

I would like to end with what I said at the beginning, because when we finally understand this, having a heart of integrity will be something that we strive for.

And it was about King David.

If David had a heart after God’s heart, and if David’s heart was integrous, therefore it can be concluded integrity is an integral part of God’s own heart.

Therefore, our hearts need to be disciplined, integrous, because an integrous heart, a heart filled with integrity, is part of God’s own heart He readily shares.

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

Confessing My Lack Of Integrity And Praying To Change

Psalm 51:7-15 The Message

7-15 Soak me in your laundry and I’ll come out clean,
    scrub me and I’ll have a snow-white life.
Tune me in to foot-tapping songs,
    set these once-broken bones to dancing.
Don’t look too close for blemishes,
    give me a clean bill of health.
God, make a fresh start in me,
    shape a Genesis week from the chaos of my life.
Don’t throw me out with the trash,
    or fail to breathe holiness in me.
Bring me back from gray exile,
    put a fresh wind in my sails!
Give me a job teaching rebels your ways
    so the lost can find their way home.
Commute my death sentence, God, my salvation God,
    and I’ll sing anthems to your life-giving ways.
Unbutton my lips, dear God;
    I’ll let loose with your praise.

Heavenly Father, Your are good and righteous altogether and I come to You today, confessing that I have not lived my life the way that You would have wanted, nor did I choose the path that You would have wished for me to take.

I confess my lack and come to You in humility of spirit, knowing that in Your loving-kindness, You forgive those that are of a contrite heart. Father, I want to turn my life around and live in a way that is transparent before You. I want to live a godly life that is pleasing to You and a life that brings glory to Your name. Lord, I do not want to grieve or quench the work of the Holy Spirit in my life any more, and know that the only way to please You is to walk in spirit and truth, and to live each day in submission to Your guidance, and empowered by Your grace.

Cleanse my heart of sin, forgive my stupidity and teach me Your ways I pray. Lord, I want to change my behavior to reflect those of the Lord Jesus, I want the thoughts of my mind to be pleasing in Your sight. I want to be a person of integrity, and live a life that is godly and full of grace, and I can only do so as I abide in You and rest in Your love. Teach me Your ways and give me a teachable spirit so that in the days to come I may live godly in Christ Jesus, knowing that this is Your will for my life.

Thank You that You have been faithful to me even when I proved unfaithful, and in Your grace, I step out into the future with my hand in Yours. In Jesus’ name I pray.

Adeste Fideles! Laeti Triumphantes! Venite Adoremus! Dominum.

Gloria! In Excelsis Deo! Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, Amen.

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