Integrity- People of God

Everything God created has order and a line of accountability and responsibility. The Bible says that everything was created by God and nothing was made without Him. Everything was in line with God’s perfect plan but sin entered the world through pride and mankind’s disobedience to God. God’s perfect life for mankind was destroyed by them choosing to lift self above the word of God. They listened to the lie of the devil and refused the truth of God’s word.

We could say, if Adam and Eve had not listened to Satan and ate that fruit we would be ok today and yet we each have the same choice to make in our daily lives. We too have the same chance to choose to obey the word of God or listen to the lies of Satan in this fallen world system. Every day, every morning, evening, night we have a new opportunity to make a different choice to choose another way of doing things.

It is our lack of understanding of God’s word and the lies that we have been told and believe that keep us trapped in dark and hurtful places without hope. But God has sent His Son Jesus to give us another chance and another opportunity to choose life, eternal life, to be born again into the family of God. We have been taught by the world to define ourselves by what we do and what we have or have not. Many people believe and live in that lie that they are less than others or do not deserve another chance because of all that they have done their sins or the circumstances of their birth or because of their race.

This is the same tactic Satan used against Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. He caused them to question God’s word and bring doubt into their minds. They saw themselves as less than what God had created them to be, in His image and likeness. Even today we must choose who we will allow to define us and allow to direct our lives, our actions and our decisions whether it will be God’s word or the things of this fallen world system. We make these choices every day and every moment when we choose to speak and act. With our words and actions we are displaying who and what we believe. God has called us every day to make a choice, to choose between life and death, blessings and cursing.

Deuteronomy 30: 19-20 I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live; 20 that you may love the LORD your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days; and that you may dwell in the land which the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them.” NIV

If we have chosen God as our Father and Jesus Christ as our Saviour, then we are now a new creation in the earth. We are now born of another Father, a different bloodline, a new creation that is part mankind and part Spirit. A baby is born into this world innocent, unlearned and vulnerable, in need of wisdom, instruction and protection from the harm and troubles of this world. So are those who are born again into the kingdom of God. And yet many young born again believers are left without direction, training and the teaching they need to live this new life in the kingdom of God. Many people fall prey to the evils of this world’s system not knowing how to operate in the principles and ways of God’s word and His kingdom living.

God has sent His Son to purchase for us a new life and He has given us His written word, the Bible, to instruct us in our actions, thoughts and how to live this life. God has even empowered us to do and perform all that He asks through the power of the Holy Spirit. The only thing that is required of us is to make the decision to submit our will to His and to desire to obey His word. We are to ask Him to give us a clean heart, to let our thoughts and motives to be pure before Him. It is God who will give us the strength to do His good pleasure.

We cannot live this life in our own power, pride and strength. We must ask God to help us, to set our minds on the things above. God will give us the strength to put to death the things that belong to this world’s system of pride and hate. We should walk in love and compassion towards others regardless of who they are, their race, creed, social or economic status. In Christ there is no differentiation of people they are all Christ’s, created in the image of God and worthy of respect and honor because of their creator.

Colossians 3:1-4, 8-11
Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.

Our duty as believers and followers of Christ is to represent the Kingdom of God on the earth. We have been trained in this fallen world’s system to sacrifice for family, culture and even community groups be it gangs or country clubs. God has given us a new way of living that is to give a sacrifice of praise to God and to let the words of our mouths be that of thanksgiving to God and Jesus our Saviour. We are to do good to others and share the love of God because this is pleasing to Him.

In representing God we are to be like Christ and submit to those who are in authority over us. In doing this we acknowledge God as the ultimate authority knowing He sees us and has made provision for us to make it through the obstacles of life.

Hebrews 13: 15-17 NKJV Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name. But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased. Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you.