God created everything to be in proper relationship with Himself. Integrity is born out of relationship with God and flows into our relationships with others. Integrity is the personification of truth.
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 expects 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 of opposition or even persecution. When we face a moment of truth, our integrity is tested and proven either genuine or not. In Jesus’ three years of ministry, His environment progressively 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. Yet, when we lack integrity, we live in fear [Proverbs 10:9, 28:1]. We’re afraid of getting caught, of someone knowing who we really are, when we walk in righteousness and love what is right we have nothing to fear at all.
As we grow in integrity, we grow in the courage to live lives of conviction. The only actions we consider are those that reflect the character of God. Integrity increases our capacity to live and act in a genuinely heroic way. When Saul questioned whether David was up to the challenge of Goliath, David’s response was a summary of his resume as a shepherd [1 Samuel 17:34-37]. His response was not a moment of inspiration, but a pattern of integrity. The courage to face lions, bears, and giants was the outflow of the integrity of his heart. The seriousness with which David took his responsibility as a shepherd was the best indicator of how he would respond if entrusted with responsibility over God’s people [Psalm 78:70-72].
When we fear God, we fear nothing else. We are free from all the fears that haunt our hearts apart from God. The fear of God aligns us with all that is true and good, and it transforms the core motivation of our hearts to become love.
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