Integrity and God’s Man

Introduction

Integrity touches all of life, every thought, act and word we speak. It comes to us from our Creator, for it reflects his character in us. Due to our fallen nature, we do not comprehend its full capacity to transform us into Christ’s likeness, but this is God’s will ultimately.
Integrity is God’s plan for every Christian. It is the hub, center, and fulcrum of our lives in Christ. Integrity is Christ in us, the hope of glory. The Apostle Paul pleaded with the Christians in the first century to let Christ be formed in them completely. True integrity is Christ-likeness in its fullness in us.
What is integrity in our personal walk with Christ? How is it formed? What circumstances ensure its presence in us? What attitudes and lifestyle must we show for others to see Christ portrayed through us? This study is presented in order to open our hearts wider to God’s plan for our understanding and growth in integrity.
Lessons 1 – 3c, (5 studies), give us an introduction to the Scriptural definition of integrity. Lessons 4a and 4b establish the essential beliefs necessary for integrity (2 lessons); Lessons 5 - 8, (6 studies), describe the process, challenges and potential consequences that will test our integrity. Lessons 9a – 9d, (4 studies), give us a glimpse of our earthly and eternal rewards for faithful service (keeping integrity and holiness on the forefront of our lifestyle; Lessons 10a – 10d (4 character studies), help us see integrity in action through the eyes of true, biblical manhood; and lessons 11 – 12 (2 studies) allow for a new definition of integrity and wrap-up our time together. Let’s get started.
Lesson 1 – What Does Integrity Look Like?
Years ago on a hot, sunny, spring morning, I pulled my wheelbarrow out of our garden shed in the backyard. It was buried under children’s bicycles, rakes and other interlocking items. Nevertheless, I retrieved it and set it on our cement patio for a good workout. My plan to haul dirt from our small garden to the Rhubarb patch twenty feet away seemed doable. Filling the wheelbarrow three-fourths full, I grabbed the wooden handles and started my first run. As the front, rubber tire rolled its way over a garden hose, then, over our bumpy lawn, I could feel the weight of the dirt tugging down on my hands and forearms. Stopping short of my destination, I set the load down and walked around the wheelbarrow, somewhat suspicious as to why it couldn’t carry the dirt adequately.
“Aha!” All the nuts and bolts were loose. Even the tire seemed full of air, but lacked the strength to carry its present weight. I slowly moved the wheelbarrow to the Rhubarb patch and parked it there. Examining the Rhubarb, I noticed several weeds had cropped up and a few clumps of grass growing with the plants. Removing the weeds with a spade and transplanting the grass to needy areas in the yard, I now dumped the dirt and spread it evenly between the Rhubarb plants.
Now, I returned to the patio and tipped the wheelbarrow upside-down. Grabbing a few wrenches, screwdrivers and my bike pump from the garage, I meticulously moved from bolt-nut to bolt-nut, tightening each one. After each tightening, I rechecked the previous one, ensuring its integrity to withstand the pressures and weight of future loads. I filled the front tire to its allowed capacity. Turning the wheelbarrow over to its upright position, I grabbed the wooden handles, lifting them off the ground and waddled the entire wheelbarrow back and forth, feeling its tightness and togetherness. It felt like one piece of equipment, not a bunch of loose nuts, bolts and screws. What had I done?
First, I tested the integrity of the wheelbarrow by carrying a load of dirt across the yard. It did not meet the standards for what it was originally created to do. Second, I retightened the nut-bolts and screws, making sure the handles and wedge-assemblies were straight and properly positioned. Finally, I inflated the front tire to its intended capacity. These measures renewed the wheelbarrow’s strength and nearly brought it back to its original condition. I restored its usefulness and prolonged its life simply by taking a few minutes to repair it.
Do you have integrity? Does it flow into every part of your life? Like the wheelbarrow, all the parts are there, but you have some loose screws. Let’s begin with a few definitions.