Integrity
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"Yes" be yes, and your "No", no, or you will be condemned.
1. Integrity means - Let your "Yes" be yes, and your "No"be no. Say what you mean and mean what you say.
Illus – Eqerem comment – Do you really like Albanian food or are you just saying that?
Question of honesty – People often say what they think you want to hear.
You can tell the truth and still be polite.
2. Integrity means – You do what you say you will do!
Illus – my sister – I argued with everything my parents said, but then repented and did what they asked.
Debbie agreed with them and then did what she wanted.
Proverbs 22:1 A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favour rather than silver
and gold.
3. Integrity means – You keep your agreements.
Illus - In 1 Kings, there was a man, a prophet, who was ordered by the Lord to go on an errand…
1 Kings 13:2 He cried out against the altar by the word of the LORD: "O altar, altar! This is what the LORD
says: ‘A son named Josiah will be born to the house of David. On you he will sacrifice the priests of the high
places who now make offerings here, and human bones will be burned on you.’"
1 Kings 13:3 That same day the man of God gave a sign: "This is the sign the LORD has declared: The altar
will be split apart and the ashes on it will be poured out."
This prophecy was 100 years before Josiah was born.
… and he was told not to eat or drink anything until it was completed. He was given specific orders from
the Lord. When the king tried to convince him to break his agreement with God, the prophet said, "Even if
you were to give me half your possessions, I would not go with you, nor would I eat bread or drink water
here.” (1 Kings 13:8)
This is the kind of integrity God demands. You deal honestly with all men. You don’t change your
convictions or commitments for selfish gain.
Illus – a friend of mine was asked to speak at a small church. He agreed. Then a very large church asked
him to speak on the same day. They promised him a larger offering than the other church could possibly
give. He turned them down. He had made an agreement with the smaller church. He would not break his
commitment in order to get more money. He stood by his promise.
That is integrity. We see many people in our world who will violate their commitments and their
convictions for personal gain. But what do you really gain? You sell your soul!
We see this in the life of Daniel. Daniel refused to bow down to the image of Nebukadnezzar, the king. The
punishment for this was death, but Daniel considered his commitment to God more important than his
mortal life. He refused to compromise.
If your allegiance is for sale, then there is no truth in you.
Jesus said:
Matthew 16:26 What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can
a man give in exchange for his soul?
If we call ourselves by the name of Christ, then we need to act like Christ. We need to be honest people –
people that others can respect.
The Bible tells us to be conformed to the image of Christ.
Romans 8:29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that
he might be the firstborn among many brothers.
That means we become like him.
1. Integrity means - Let your "Yes" be yes, and your "No"be no. Say what you mean and mean what you say.
Illus – Eqerem comment – Do you really like Albanian food or are you just saying that?
Question of honesty – People often say what they think you want to hear.
You can tell the truth and still be polite.
2. Integrity means – You do what you say you will do!
Illus – my sister – I argued with everything my parents said, but then repented and did what they asked.
Debbie agreed with them and then did what she wanted.
Proverbs 22:1 A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favour rather than silver
and gold.
3. Integrity means – You keep your agreements.
Illus - In 1 Kings, there was a man, a prophet, who was ordered by the Lord to go on an errand…
1 Kings 13:2 He cried out against the altar by the word of the LORD: "O altar, altar! This is what the LORD
says: ‘A son named Josiah will be born to the house of David. On you he will sacrifice the priests of the high
places who now make offerings here, and human bones will be burned on you.’"
1 Kings 13:3 That same day the man of God gave a sign: "This is the sign the LORD has declared: The altar
will be split apart and the ashes on it will be poured out."
This prophecy was 100 years before Josiah was born.
… and he was told not to eat or drink anything until it was completed. He was given specific orders from
the Lord. When the king tried to convince him to break his agreement with God, the prophet said, "Even if
you were to give me half your possessions, I would not go with you, nor would I eat bread or drink water
here.” (1 Kings 13:8)
This is the kind of integrity God demands. You deal honestly with all men. You don’t change your
convictions or commitments for selfish gain.
Illus – a friend of mine was asked to speak at a small church. He agreed. Then a very large church asked
him to speak on the same day. They promised him a larger offering than the other church could possibly
give. He turned them down. He had made an agreement with the smaller church. He would not break his
commitment in order to get more money. He stood by his promise.
That is integrity. We see many people in our world who will violate their commitments and their
convictions for personal gain. But what do you really gain? You sell your soul!
We see this in the life of Daniel. Daniel refused to bow down to the image of Nebukadnezzar, the king. The
punishment for this was death, but Daniel considered his commitment to God more important than his
mortal life. He refused to compromise.
If your allegiance is for sale, then there is no truth in you.
Jesus said:
Matthew 16:26 What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can
a man give in exchange for his soul?
If we call ourselves by the name of Christ, then we need to act like Christ. We need to be honest people –
people that others can respect.
The Bible tells us to be conformed to the image of Christ.
Romans 8:29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that
he might be the firstborn among many brothers.
That means we become like him.