Daily Thought: Integrity is Moral Courage

"In Jesus' three years of ministry, His environment grew in hostility and every decision of integrity increased its volatility.  That Jesus walked in integrity at all times, even when it cost Him His life, was the ultimate proof of who He was.  When we are defined by integrity, we respond with moral courage.  Courage is the ultimate expression of integrity.  Integrity gives us the courage to walk in truth even when it means walking straight into the mouth of the dragon.

"Solomon tells us that the wicked flee when no one pursues; but the righteous are as bold as a lion (Prov. 28:1).  When we lack integrity, we live in fear.  While that fear may manifest itself in many ways, it is fundamentally the fear of getting caught, of someone knowing who we really are.  When we walk in righteousness and love what is right, when we live lives of integrity, we have nothing to fear at all."

Erwin McManus, Uprising, Thomas Nelson (2003), pp. 72-73

Daily Thought: A Person of Integrity

"Jesus had only one face. When we lack integrity, we find ourselves with several faces, being several people, depending on the circumstances.  We become personality salesmen rather than people of substance.  But Jesus was always the same person (Mark 12:14), and this is exactly what God both desires and requires of us.  This same type of integrity is to be formed in us to shape our lives.  As with Jesus, integrity is best showcased in the context o opposition or even persecution.  When we face a moment of truth, our integrity is tested and proven genuine or not.  In Jesus'  three years of ministry, His environment grew in hostility, and every decision of integrity increased its volatility.  That Jesus walked in integrity at all times, even when it cost Him His life, was the ultimate proof of who He was." ~ Erwin McManus, Stand Against the Wind, p. 61

Daily Thought: The Essence of Hypocrisy

"Yet how few of us live one life and live it in the open! We are tempted to wear a different mask and play a different role according to each occasion.  This is not reality, but play-acting, which is the essence of hypocrisy.  Some people weave round themselves such a tissue of lies that they can no longer tell which part of them is real and which is make-believe.  Alone among men Jesus Christ was absolutely pure in heart, being entirely guileless." ~ John Stott, The Sermon on the Mount, p. 49

Daily Thought: Classic Counterfeits

"To be authentic means literally that we are not false or copied, that we reflect the original. Our separation from God has made us into imitations, no longer reflections of the Creator. Although we are born of a template designed in the image of the Creator God, that template is broken, and the reproduction flawed. We are classic counterfeits. We pass as the real thing. We might even fool ourselves. Yet the evidence of our inauthenticity can be seen in our departure from the character of God. The first and most important step in becoming genuinely authentic is once again to be authenticated by the original designer. God longs to place within each of us a new heart, that reflects Him in both action and desire (Ezekiel 36:26)." ~ Erwin McManus, Stand Against the Wind, p. 59

Confessing and a Brand New Start

I need to be honest with you. In my first post this month I wrote about how we lie to ourselves, and I shared a personal example of ordering an iPod Touch. I told myself that it would help me in organization because of the calender and note capabilities it has, even though deep in my heart I knew I wanted it because of its web capabilities. In that pondering I mentioned that I was going to send the iPod back. Well, as you might have noticed from a couple of posts recently I decided to keep it.

I won't get into the justifications I used to come to that conclusion, but I will point out that when we really want something it is very easy to justify it. The bottom line is that I started to feel techno- envy because so many other people had cool little devices and I didn't.

One of the things that I have come to like about the iPod touch is the ability to take notes. The majority of the sermons I listen to via podcast I listen to while walking my dog Barkley. I have found myself stopping and typing out different statements that catch my attention.

A few nights ago I was walking Barkley while listen to a teaching by John Eldredge. He was teaching on the need for men to fight for their wives and he said, "You can take your integrity back."

In the context he was referring to the reality that many men talking themselves out of engaging because of their past failures. Even though I am not married, I see this tendency in myself in other areas. In fact that is one of the biggest obstacles I face in life.

The point of what John said is that today is a new day, and yesterday no longer needs to haunt us. For us who follow Christ Jesus, that is not just wishful thinking, but it is reality. As the apostle John wrote 1 John, if we confess our sins God will forgive us.

I may have messed up in the past, but those failures and sins don't need to hold me back from doing the right thing today. What a blessing it is to serve a God who forgives our sins and allows us a brand new start. Now is the time to take advantage of that blessing. Pardon me, I have some confessing to do.

"Anyone can attend church. Only truly devoted followers of Jesus can
change the world." - Aaron Brockett

Sent from my iPod

Lying to Yourself

Have you ever lied to yourself? I know I have. There have been a couple of times when I have had an obvious stain on my shirt and I told myself, “It doesn’t look that bad.” The lie that I am battling right now is the fact that I ordered an iPod Touch because I told myself that I can use it to keep myself organized, when I know the reason I ordered it is because of the internet capabilities that it has (I am planning on returning it when it arrives). I think we lie to ourselves quite often.

It is this tendency of lying to ourselves that James addresses in James 1:22-25. Read what the brother of Jesus had to say:

But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing. (ESV)

Commenting on this passage David Nystrom in The NIV Application Commentary: James wrote; “But hearing alone is insufficient. To hear and not to take action is to lie to oneself” (p. 94). The three other commentaries that I read said similar things. We deceive ourselves when we hear God’s Word and do not live God’s Word.

Why does James say that we deceive ourselves when we are only listeners and not also doers? I think it comes down to the reality that God’s Word shows us what true humanity is to look like, and when we refuse to take action we are saying that we are already what God desires us to be. That is the point of the illustration that James uses. A man who looks in the mirror and does nothing is saying that he already looks good enough. His hair needs combed, his faced needs to be washed, and his beard needs trimmed, but he has convinced himself that he is presentable as is.

The person who is able to listen to God’s Word and doesn’t take action is saying that he/she is already measuring up to what God desires. They are deceiving themselves. To aid this deception they will point out other people who need to hear this “Word from God”, but in no way will they admit that it applies to them.

What do you do with God’s Word? Do you enjoy listening to it thinking of how it applies to others or critiquing it for correct doctrine? Do you listen to it and think how it applies to your life? Do you allow the truth be told or do you look for ways to lie to yourself?

One of the ways we experience God’s grace in our lives is through His Word. God wants to guide our lives and help us understand the best way to live. I hope that we can be humble enough to accept His Word, not only as truth to be learned, but also as instructions to live. Be truthful to yourself: listen and obey.

White Washed Tombs

Originally posted on Saturday May 8, 2004

“If we fail to keep our hearts clean, the rest of our lives will stagnate and become dirty.” ~ Joshua Harris, I Kissed Dating Goodbye

Normal people do not like to be dirty. We will work hard and become all sweaty and dirty, but the first chance we get we will hop in the shower to wash all the grime away. Most of us find dirt and stench repulsive. That is why we have such a strong desire to be clean; we don’t want to be repulsive to other people. I believe all of us would admit that we go to great lengths to be clean, to smell nice, and be presentable to the public.

While we may take great pains to stay clean on the outside, many of us live in pig pens spiritually. People may be able to praise us for our wonderful good looks, the way we smell, the amazing talents that we have, or the nice things we do for others, but they have no idea about the thoughts and desires lurking in our hearts. The result is that these people who lavish us with praise have no idea what we do when no one else is around. The truth is that we can hide a terribly sinful life in a perfectly clean body.

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people's bones and all uncleanness. So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness” (Matthew 23:27-28; ESV).

Jesus went after the Pharisees because their focus was on a religious appearance that would be praised by men, rather than pursuing the desires of God. The Jewish religious leaders of Jesus’ day were consumed with their appearance, tedious rituals, and public acts of righteousness. That led to them ignoring the poor, the outcast, and God. The Pharisees may have had a great religious appearance, but their hearts told a different story.

Jesus taught that whatever is in our hearts will eventually overflow into our lives. That means we have to start putting into our hearts things which are positive, things that will make us attractive to God. The apostle Paul said it this way:

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you (Philippians 4:8-9; ESV).

If we want to look good on the inside as well as the outside we need to put into our lives things that are good and will benefit the new heart God has given us in Christ Jesus. Bible study (personal study as well as sitting under good Bible teachers), prayer, and worship must all be a part of our lives. Our entertainment must be wholesome and uplifting. We must learn to throw out evil thoughts and think about what is righteous.

Not only do we have to take control of what comes into our minds and our hearts, but we also need to take control of what comes out. We cannot just play church, but we must be ready to step up and put our hearts into action. The love we have for God should be seen in the way we live our lives. The trust we have for Jesus needs to be seen in our obedience to His teachings.

My plea today is simple: Don't be a whitewashed tomb, but be a beautiful temple.

Sunday Quote: The Importance of Integrity

"Integrity cannot be gained by power and authority. Integrity must be gained long before these have been place in our hands. Jesus lived an obscure life for thirty years preparing for a public ministry that lasted only three.

"Integrity requires that you decide what kind of person you want to become. Integrity not only harnesses our passions but focuses our intentions. Our course is guided by an internal compass of convictions fueled by passions." ~ Erwin McManus, Stand Against the Wind, p. 66

Relational Integrity

"When God creates, he creates with relational integrity. Everything is connected and fits together. This is true not only in the physical realm, but even more so in the spiritual. The Bible tells us that when man sinned, all creation groaned...The pulling of one piece of fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil was the primary influence of famines that spread across deserts, tsunamis that swallow up villages, earthquakes that shake the earth, and the unpredictable force and violence of nature. According to Scripture, everything is connected, and every action has at least some effect on the whole.

"In the same way the church is a part of the whole, she is both influenced by the world around her and called to influence the world in which she exists. Too often the church does not realize that she is part of a greater societal and spiritual ecological system. That is why a balanced ecosystem is of primary importance in the Genesis design. And just as it is critical for all living beings to live within a balanced ecosystem, the church can only thrive in the context of healthy relationships.

"We are accustomed to speaking of the great commission, but it is the commandment that Jesus calls 'great.' The commission erupts out of the great commandment: "Love the Lord your God with all your soul and with all your mind." The second is this: "Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these. The gospel flows best through the establishing of significant relationships that are authentic and healthy. When relationships become stagnant and the community of Christ closes itself to the outside world, the result is an institution rather than a movement." ~ Erwin McManus, An Unstoppable Force; pg. 15

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