(a chapter from the section, The Growth Paradigm, of my book, Heaven on Earth)
Integrity means that we have the resources and the wherewithal within ourselves to keep doing the things that are right even when circumstances and the external social cultures might try to push us toward doing the wrong things.
We might feel that it might take great effort to keep doing the right things even though our feelings and our thoughts might try to pull us towards something that is contrary to rightness. In these instances our flesh might seek to enslave us into our old thought patterns or our old conditioned responses. We might find that we are trapped into repeating our old mistakes or we might make a mistake because of ignorance when we don’t know any better.
Living by rules and our physical human effort is often called legalism. The Bible is a big book and it has many rules if we view it that way. Speaking for myself, I find it humanly impossible to retain all that much information in my head all at once, all at the same instant. If we have to review each situation in life by all the rules of the Bible every minute and every hour and every day, we would get nowhere very fast. However, we must still have a daily discipline of walking with God daily, and He still guides us within the context of the Bible.
The more that we lean and depend on Jesus, the more that we bind ourselves to God the Father, the more we are able to surrender control of our lives to the Holy Spirit; and thus, the more freedom we are able to release into our lives. This is how we find the free, full, rich and satisfying life that Jesus promises to each of us who seeks the kingdom of God and His righteousness [John 10:10 NLT, Matthew 6:33 NIV, John 8:36 NLT]. For us to achieve the free, full, rich and satisfying life that God created for each of us, He must increase and we must decrease. The perfection that is Jesus must be allowed to emerge as our sinful nature is submerged. This is how we know ourselves to be fully human.
The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.
But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free.
The purpose of the Bible and the example of Jesus is to set the standards and the ruler by which we can measure our emotions and our thought life. We know that we frequently do not measure up to such high standards. The purpose of our realization of not measuring up to such high standards as the Bible and the example of Jesus is not to make us feel bad about ourselves or guilty that we have done a bad thing. Sometimes feeling bad or guilty that we have done wrong can propel us toward positive growth into a better person or to seek godly solutions to our life issues.
In my personal life experiences in the social culture, in the workplace and in the business world, external pressures have frequently provided a driving force for me to compromise my personal values, my God-given identity and my God-given purpose. It is only with the presence of Jesus in my life that I have been able to remain steadfast and steady in my walk with Him. We may feel overwhelmed by daily pressures and expectations of others, but only God can know absolutely what we need to do to avert a disaster. Only God can guide us through the unknown and the uncharted territories of life.
In this journey through re-establishing the foundation of the earth and the laws of the universe, I have not had the opportunity or the need to speak to every single human being on planet earth. God, on the other hand, has the ability to know every heart and every thought and every human need. I don’t have any other ability to read other people’s hearts and minds. What I do have is a flourishing relationship with God, who is able to answer every need. Where as human beings, we have time and space within a single human lifetime, God has eternity – all of the past, the present and all of the future until the end of time. We have abilities, opportunities, gifts, strengths, talents, godly passions and (yes) weaknesses to work with within our present day. But outside of the context of the present day, we have to trust God, who has sight beyond the present day.
One of the measures of the Bible is human integrity. The Bible tries and guides us in the ways of integrity because it is important. We might not realize that our deeds have consequences beyond the present day, but God can see the consequences ahead of time. You see, when we build a human life, we must build on a firm foundation so that it will last through the good times and the challenging times. [1 Timothy 6:18-19 NLT, Luke 6:47-49 NLT] As Christians, we must build in the ways that will last for an eternity. The timeless way of building. The eternal way of building. When we build a community and a nation, it is such a huge investment that we must build them to last beyond a human lifetime. Furthermore, we must build using eternal ways because many human lives are affected. If we don’t build using eternal ways, then we may experience collapse when the storms of life come upon us. [Luke 6:47-49 NLT]. Jesus is the way. [John 14:6 NIV]
Tell them to use their money to do good. They should be rich in good works and generous to those in need, always being ready to share with others. By doing this they will be storing up their treasure as a good foundation for the future so that they may experience true life.
I will show you what it’s like when someone comes to me, listens to my teaching, and then follows it. It is like a person building a house who digs deep and lays the foundation on solid rock. When the floodwaters rise and break against that house, it stands firm because it is well built. But anyone who hears and doesn’t obey is like a person who builds a house without a foundation. When the floods sweep down against that house, it will collapse into a heap of ruins.”
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
May the grace and peace of Abba Father the Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
In the Name of Jesus, Amen.
Thank You, Abba Father, Lord Jesus Christ.
Word Sabre, scribe for Abba Father, LORD GOD, Lord Most High, Lord Jesus Christ.