GOD’S INTEGRITY
(week 33/15)
OLUBI JOHNSON
Integrity is the COMBINATION of honesty, reliability and consistency: a person may be honest but not reliable because of a lack of wisdom and resources; a person may be honest and reliable at times but sometimes due to difficult circumstances may not be able to keep his/her promise. They are honest, reliable but not consistently so.
When ALL the 3 VIRTUES are found in a person or institution, then that person or institution HAS INTEGRITY!
GOD IS INTEGRITY PERSONIFIED!
1. God is honest:
Number 23:19 NKJV: “God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?
Hebrews 6:17-18 NKJV: Thus God, determining to show more abundantly to the heirs of promise the immutability of His counsel, confirmed it by an oath, (18) that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us.
2. God is reliable:
Genesis 18:14 NKJV: Is anything too hard for the LORD? At the appointed time I will return to you, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.”
Luke 1:37 NKJV: For with God nothing will be impossible.”
3. God is consistent:
Psalms 89:34 NKJV: My covenant I will not break, nor alter the word that has gone out of My lips.
Malachi 3:6 NKJV: “For I am the LORD, I do not change; Therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob.
James 1:17 NKJV: Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.
How does God MAINTAIN HIS INTEGRITY?
He uses His infinite wisdom and power to MAINTAIN HIS CHARACTER OF LOVE, RIGHTEOUSNESS AND JUSTICE.
Jeremiah 9:23-24 NKJV: Thus says the LORD: “Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, Let not the mighty man glory in his might, Nor let the rich man glory in his riches; (24) But let him who glories glory in this, That he understands and knows Me, That I am the LORD, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight,” says the LORD.
Psalms 97:1-2 NKJV: The LORD reigns; Let the earth rejoice; Let the multitude of isles be glad! (2) Clouds and darkness surround Him; Righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne.
Jeremiah 1:12 AMP: Then said the Lord to me, You have seen well, for I am alert and active, watching over My word to perform it.
It is instructive to note that even though, God has great wisdom and power, God is NOT CALLED WISDOM OR POWER, rather GOD IS CALLED LOVE!
So God identifies MORE with His character rather than with His wisdom and power!
1John 4:8 NKJV: He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.
In the same way, we are to use the wisdom and power of God to develop and maintain our integrity, just like God does. This why we need to pray with an abundance of the life of God in our hearts both in the understanding in line with the written Word (which contains the wisdom of God) and in the spirit: tongues and travail (to release the detailed wisdom of God and great power) in and through our hearts so we can become people of integrity like God:
Ephesians 5:1 AMP: THEREFORE BE imitators of God [copy Him and follow His example], as well-beloved children [imitate their father].
Luke 6:45 NKJV: A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.
Proverbs 2:6 NKJV: For the LORD gives wisdom; From His mouth come knowledge and understanding;
1Corinthians 14:2 NKJV: For he who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God, for no one understands him; however, in the spirit he speaks mysteries.
1Corinthians 2:7 NKJV: But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory,
Romans 8:26 NIV: In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.
Ephesians 6:17-18 NKJV: And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; (18) praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints—
In our article next week, we will see how God uses the prayers of His people over centuries and millennial to fulfill His promises.
