BUILDING AND SUSTAINING CHRISTIAN INTEGRITY

1. BUILDING AND SUSTAINING CHRISTIAN INTEGRITY Job 2: 3, 9

2. Job 2: 3, 9 • Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth … he holds fast to his integrity although you incited me against him to destroy him without a cause. • “Then his wife said to him, ‘Do you still hold fast to your integrity? Curse God and die.’”

3. INTRODUCTION • There are several things that contribute to who and what one becomes in life. • One that stands out among others is integrity. • That is why it is an important issue to be treated in a forum like this. 

4. DEFINITION • The word integrity has been variously defined by scholars of different categories. • The one that appeals to me for the sake of this lesson is that given by one Barbara Killinger which states that “Integrity is … an uncompromising and predictably consistent commitment to honour moral, ethical, spiritual and artistic values and principles.”

5. WHAT IT IS NOT • It is the opposite of hypocrisy. • It is taking one by one’s own words. • It is being truthful, upright and reliable. • Note that integrity is not measured by one’s subjective judgment of self, but is determined by generally accepted principle.

6. JOB WAS A MAN OF INTEGRITY • In our text, the man Job was not just a wealthy man, he had integrity that was known by God and man. • No one knows a man or woman more than the spouse. • There are, however, a few exceptions.

7. Job’s wife knew him that much and suffered for it for a little period. • While the hard time lasted, she forgot that she had enjoyed so much comfort in her life because of the same quality of her husband.  

8. A MAN OF HIS WORD • He was known as a man of his words and of a predictably stable character. • You could have audience with him and you go home sleeping with your two eyes closed. • He would not accept what he could not do and would not opt out half way when he accepted to be in a bargain. • Many work men – artisans – are fond of doing the contrary.

9. LIBERAL IN OPINION SHARING • He respected other people’s opinion and expected others to respect his. • That brought him great regard by his contemporaries. His wife knew it and was not happy with his consistency at that very trying moment. • Cursing God would have meant the end of his suffering according to the woman’s calculation. • God would be disappointed in him and would cause him to die and the woman would freed from her stress of caring for a rotting old man.

10. INTEGRITY IS A KEY TO SUCCESS • One ZigZiglar said that “The foundation stones for a balanced success are honesty, character, integrity,..” • Among all these, our focus now is on integrity.

11. IT BREEDS TRUST • Many people in business prosper by virtue of being reliable. • It follows the principle that one who is faithful in a small thing will be entrusted with a big one. • Luke 16: 10 states that “He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much and he who is unjust in what is least is also unjust in what is much.” • In Jesus’ story of Luke 19: 17 the master said to his servant, “Well done good servant; because you were faithful in a very little, have authority over ten cities.”

12. SHARING OF EXPERIENCE • I know a man in this market – computer village, a very charming young man. • He is one of the foundation traders here. He had many importer friends who were giving him goods on credit to sell with a margin and return their money.

13. He would sell, make his profit and use the money to turn around and would not return it in time and then in bits. • It was going for him at first but today he is a very struggling person instead of being a top notcher he should have been if he was faithful at first.

14. SOME CHRISTIANS ARE LIKE THAT TOO • Unfortunately, some Christians are like that. • I drafted a brother to help another in need believing he had integrity to protect but was greatly disappointed. • He paid during a chance encounter on the road. • A case of being unreliable in a little thing.

15. THERE WAS ANOTHER • There was another case of a family that was in dire need and came to me if there could be a way out. • I approached a brother who I believed could help to raise a loan for them. • We agreed on a certain amount he could afford immediately and he asked that a bank account should be forwarded to him and it was done. • The whole day passed, there was no response.

16. In the night I called to know if he made good his promise. • He complained of being choked up with work and promised to pay in the money first thing the following morning. • The whole day again nothing happened in spite of my text messages and calls that were not picked. • The worst thing was that the needy family did not bother to go anywhere else for help because a Christian brother had promised to help.

17. Joyfully, at the climax of the pressure, God provided another person who gave several times the amount free. • I then began to wonder if people could do such to me directly, then there is likely to be a high degree of hurt that is in circulation among us. 

18. OUR GOD IS GOD OF INTEGRITY • For, what he says he will do Isa. 46: 11 … I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed it; I will also do it.

19. WE NEED TO DISCIPLINE OURSELVES • In I Cor. 9: 27 Paul said, “I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others, I myself will not qualify. • This should be the resolve of every Christian. Building and sustaining my integrity should be the bottom line for me all my life as a Christian.

20. INTEGRITY IS ESSENTIAL IN OUR MARRIAGES • Many Christians care less of integrity at their homes. • Over the years, they have destroyed the trust they had for each other because they have been lying to themselves even over little things. • Some men and women can go to any length to settle problems in other families but pay little attention to their own.

21. Solomon said in Songs of Solomon 1: 6 ‘… they made me caretaker of the vineyards, but I have not taken care of my own vineyard.’ Integrity, like charity, should begin at home. • Job was an example.

22. IT MAY LOOK LIKE FUN OF APRIL • April 1st is usually a day people lie for fun and they enjoy it. • Many others enjoy such fun on daily basis without worrying about the harm to themselves and others. • But Romans 13: 14 admonishes us thus: ‘clothe yourself with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature.’

23. Again, the pleasure of sin is for a season according to Heb. 11: 25. • And sin when it is finished, brings forth death, James 1: 15. Christians should be mindful of all these. • Always being conscious and maintaining your integrity is the answer.

24. WATCH IT • The spirit may be strong, but the body is usually weak. • Those evil that we do for fun, may graduate into attitude and character. • At that point, we lose sense of its evil content and throw caution to the winds. • Therefore, we should watch and steer away from temptation. Matt. 26: 41.

25. HOLD ON TO YOUR CHRISTIAN INTEGRITY • Building a solid structure is costly any day, but when it is completed it gives lasting joy. • So, building integrity costs time and effort. • But when the structure is in place, it is worth the effort.

26. We build integrity when we obey the word of God with the right motive. • Even when sinners entice and lay pressure on you, do not consent, Prov. 1: 10. • Hold on to your integrity.

27. ITS REWARD? • Job 42: 12 summarizes the reward of sustained integrity. • It says in part ‘… The Lord blessed the latter part of Job’s life more than the first…’ • So shall it be with us if we do the same.

28. THE ANTHEM Tell your neighbor, neighbor, You have an integrity to protect. Hold on to it even when tempted. No one can take away your integrity except you. There is a great reward for it. God bless you for so doing. In Jesus name.

29. PRESENTER Evangelist Oji O. Oji, Church of Christ, Ikeja, Lagos. On Sunday March 2, 2013. www.ojiooji.com