Integrity A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favor rather than silver and gold. Prov. 22:1 (KJV)

Integrity  What does integrity mean?

Integrity  The dictionary definition:  integrity -“A firm adherence to a code of especially moral or artistic values, or incorruptibility; incapable of being bribed or morally corrupted.”

Integrity  In the Bible, the Hebrew word translated “integrity” in the Old Testament means “the condition of being without blemish, completeness, perfection, sincerity, soundness, uprightness, wholeness.”  Integrity in the New Testament means “honesty and adherence to a pattern of good works.

Integrity Prov. 11:3 (CEV)  3 (Integrity) If you do the right thing, honesty will be your guide. But if you are crooked, you will be trapped by your own dishonesty.

Integrity Integrity can be summarized as:  “ Who You Are When No One's Looking”  Choosing Consistency, Resisting Compromise”  Giving without giving out. Enduring through the struggle to do the right thing.  Reputation is what others think we are.  Our integrity is based on who we really are and how we respond.

Integrity  To compromise is to make concessions or accommodations for someone who does not agree with a prevalent set of standards or rules.  The Bible makes it clear that God does not condone compromising His standards: “Joyful are people of integrity, who follow the instructions of the LORD.

Integrity  Joyful are those who obey His laws and search for Him with all their hearts. They do not compromise with evil, and they walk only in His paths. You have charged us to keep Your commandments carefully” (Psalm 119:1-4, NLT).Psalm 119:1-4, NLT

Integrity  Jesus is the perfect example of a man of integrity. After He was baptized, He went into the wilderness to fast for forty days and nights, during which time Satan came to Him at His weakest to try to break His integrity and corrupt Him.  Jesus was wholly man and wholly God at the same time, and He tempted in every way we are, yet he never sinned (Hebrews 4:15).Hebrews 4:15

Integrity  He is the only one who was ever without blemish, perfect, completely truthful, and always showing a pattern of good works.  As sinful human beings, our integrity is flawed, but Jesus’ integrity is perfect.  When we are “in Christ,” we partake of His divine nature, having been given new natures in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17), and that new nature is one of integrity because it is His nature.2 Corinthians 5:17

Integrity  The Bible also describes integrity as the truth. What is the truth? Jesus is the only real truth and the only way to attain eternal life.  Nobody comes to the Father unless he goes through Jesus who is the way, the truth and the life (John 14:6).John 14:6  Many times, Jesus prefaced His words by saying, “Truly, I say to you,” which, in essence, means “I tell you the truth.” Jesus never lied, and His actions defined His integrity.

Integrity A Story of A Seed  A successful business man was growing old and knew it was time to choose a successor to take over the business. Instead of choosing one of his Directors or his children, he decided to do something different. He called all the young executives in his company together. He said, 'It is time for me to step down and choose the next CEO.

Integrity  'I am going to give each one of you a SEED today - one very special SEED. I want you to plant the seed, water it, and come back here one year from today with what you have grown from the seed I have given you. I will then judge the plants that you bring, and the one I choose will be the next CEO.'

Integrity  One man, named Jim, was there that day and he, like the others, received a seed. He went home and told his wife the story. She helped him get a pot, soil and compost and he planted the seed.  Everyday, he would water it and watch to see if it had grown.

Integrity  After about three weeks, some of the other executives began to talk about their seeds and the plants that were beginning to grow.  Jim kept checking his seed, but nothing ever grew.  Six months went by -- still nothing in Jim's pot. He just knew he had killed his seed.

Integrity  Everyone else had trees and tall plants, but he had nothing. Jim didn't say anything to his colleagues, however. He just kept watering and fertilizing the soil - He so wanted the seed to grow.  A year finally went by and all the young executives of the company brought their plants to the CEO for inspection. Jim told his wife that he wasn't going to take an empty pot...

Integrity  But she asked him to be honest about what happened. It was going to be the most embarrassing moment of his life, but he knew his wife was right. He took his empty pot to the boardroom.  When Jim arrived, he was amazed at the variety of plants grown by the other executives. They were beautiful -- in all shapes and sizes.

Integrity  Jim put his empty pot on the floor and many of his colleagues laughed, a few felt sorry for him!  When the CEO arrived, he surveyed the room and greeted his young executives.  Jim just tried to hide in the back. 'My, what great plants, trees, and flowers you have grown,' said the CEO. 'Today one of you will be appointed the next CEO!'

Integrity  All of a sudden, the CEO spotted Jim at the back of the room with his empty pot. He ordered the Financial Director to bring him to the front.  When Jim got to the front, the CEO asked him what had happened to his seed - Jim told him the story. The CEO asked everyone to sit down except Jim. He looked at Jim, and then announced to the young executives, 'Behold your next Chief Executive Officer!

Integrity  His name is Jim!' Jim couldn't believe it. Jim couldn't even grow his seed.  'How could he be the new CEO?' the others said. Then the CEO said, 'One year ago today, I gave everyone in this room a seed. I told you to take the seed, plant it, water it, and bring it back to me today. But I gave you all boiled seeds; they were dead - it was not possible for them to grow.

Integrity  All of you, except Jim, have brought me trees and plants and flowers. When you found that the seed would not grow, you substituted another seed for the one I gave you. Jim was the only one with the courage and honesty to bring me a pot with my seed in it. Therefore, he is the one who will be the new Chief Executive Officer!'

Integrity Moral of the Story:  Integrity never passes up the opportunity to do the right thing.

Integrity  Once we come to Christ in faith and repentance, He gives us the gift of the Holy Spirit who assists us in developing our incorruptible integrity.  He leads us into ALL truth and righteousness. He convicts us when we are wrong.  It is difficult to have real integrity without Jesus as our Lord and Savior.  We pray that the Lord give us strong integrity that becomes incorruptible through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Integrity  As believers, we must “see to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ” (Colossians 2:8; see also Hebrews 3:12).Colossians 2:8Hebrews 3:12  We are also commanded to be “prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you …” (1 Peter 3:15).1 Peter 3:15

Integrity We Don’t Demonstrate Integrity When  We profess to being Christians, yet live lives not in keeping with the precepts of the Scripture, i.e., compromising their biblical beliefs by living like world.  When the things of the world and its sensual allurements take precedence over the Word of God (Acts 20:30; 1 John 2:16-19).Acts 20:301 John 2:16-19

Integrity We Don’t Demonstrate Integrity When:  We profess to follow Christ and compromise our faith by craving worldly success and accolades from others.  Jesus chastised such people who rationalized their questionable behavior: “How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God?” (John 5:41-44).John 5:41-44

Integrity  In other words, to compromise in one’s total allegiance and devotion to God is to allow the allurements of this world, with its accompanying worries, to take precedence over Christ (Matthew 6:24).Matthew 6:24

Integrity We Don’t Demonstrate Integrity When:  When we place our desires, and that of others, ahead of the Word of God: “While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not at your disposal? Why is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God” (Acts 5:4). And we must recognize that His Word is not to be compromised for any reason or for anyoneActs 5:4

Integrity Resources Got Questions bible.org: Intergrity Story of the Seed by Francis Kony