1. The Heart And Moral Integrity

2.  Integrity is an adherence to the code of Bible truth.  Christians are responsible to seek for that truth and live it in their daily lives.  Christians move from worldly behaviors to godly behaviors.

3.  Moral turpitude  A very evil quality or way of behaving.  Inherent baseness.  Depravity.

4.  Genesis 13:13 – Now the men of Sodom were wicked exceedingly and sinners against the Lord.  Genesis 19 – Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities of the plains destroyed by God.

5.  Isaiah 3:9 -- …and (Jerusalem/Judah) display their sin like Sodom…  Matt. 10:15 -- …it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment that for that city… Sin City

6.  Paul’s description of the wickedness of Rome  Romans 1:18-32  Idolatry  Lustful impurity (homosexuality/lesbianism)  Depraved minds  Filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil, envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice, gossip, slander, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful….

7.  We are commanded to leave turpitude behind and pursue righteousness.  To help identify the differences, the New Testament has numerous lists of specific sins.

8.  Flesh (turpitude) vs. Spirit (integrity)  Deeds of the flesh: immorality, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing and things like these.

9.  Light vs. Darkness  “The night is almost gone, and the day is near. Therefore let us lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us behave properly as in the day, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual promiscuity and sensuality, not in strife and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts.

10.  Taking Out The Trash  “Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire and greed, which amounts to idolatry…anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech from your mouth. Do not lie to one another….”

11.  Job 27:5-6 – “Far be it from me that I should declare you right; till I die I will not put away my integrity from me. I hold fast my righteousness and will not let it go. My heart does not reproach any of my days.”

12.  “As for you, if you will walk before Me as your father David walked, in integrity of heart and uprightness, doing according to all that I have commanded you and will keep My statutes and My ordinances, then I will establish the throne of your kingdom over Israel forever….

13.  “And they sent their disciples to Him, along with the Herodians, saying, ‘Teacher, we know that You are truthful and teach the way of God in truth, and defer to no one; and You are not partial to any….’”

14.  Through abstinence  Proverbs 16:6 – “By lovingkindness and truth iniquity is atoned for, and by the fear of the Lord one keeps away from evil.”

15.  Matthew 5:13-16 – “You are the salt of the earth…You are the light of the world…Let you light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven….”

16.  Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may because of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God in the day of visitation.

17.  1 Peter 2:9 – “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of the darkness into His marvelous light.”

18.  “How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher? How will they preach unless they are sent….”