Integrity- People of God

God has given purpose to His creation. Everything that exists has the purpose to live the life it has been given in the place in which it stands. Plants grow where they are planted and they produce after its kind, it provides and meet the needs of the things around it. While living plants can provide oxygen, produce food and display beauty in its everyday existence. When we look at nature we see God’s handy work and can get an understanding of His natural and spiritual principles that are pleasing to Him.

Genesis 1:12 And the earth brought froth grass, the herb that yields seed according to its kind, and the tree that yields fruit, whose seed is in itself according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. NKJ

A firefly has a short existence its adult life may extend one to two months and yet in this short life span it lives, reproduces after its kind, brings light to dark places and beauty to those who admire them. There is nothing spectacular done in this short life but it lived and impacted the things around it. It expressed God’s created purpose for its life by simply being and doing what it does naturally, to be a light in darkness and to reproduce after its kind. 

Each one of us can fulfill God’s created purpose for us by simply living the life God has placed in us, reflecting His imageand letting those around us see God’s life and His light in our lives.  Thereby we are reproducing after our own kind in the image of God. Every person has the ability to reproduce after its kind, though everyone may not give natural birth to children we all can reproduce in others the life and light God has placed in us to those around us. 

Isaiah 54:1, 13 “Sing, O barren, you who have not borne! Break forth into singing, and cry aloud, You who have not labored with child! For more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married woman,” says the LORD. NKJ

All your children shall be taught by the LORD, and great shall be the peace of your children. NKJ

As we live a life that honors God, one that shows His love in our relationships, this will be light in a dark and perverse world. Jesus tells us to take His yoke upon us, which is to learn of Him and His way is easy and His burdens are light. But the fallen mindset and ill-religious people will try to place heavy burdens on humanity to make us live a life according to their expectations but they are not of God.

Matthew11:29 Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. NKJ

Matthew 23:4 For they bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers. NKJ

Mankind in Adam and Eve were created in a time when aperfect world system existed and their purpose was to live and engage life around them according to God’s word. They haddominion over the earth and reflected the glory of God’s image to the things around them. Then as a fallen and marred humanity, they no longer reflected their creator but lost their created form and became subservient to a fallen world and the attacks of Satan. 

We have heard many people say, “God gave us common sense,” but it is a lie and you cannot find that in His word. God gave us His perfect wisdom and the Holy Spirit to lead and guide us but common sense was a result of the fall. It is humanity trying to bring reason and sense of function to their life apart from God.   When people say, God gave us common sense to do… we should ask, “where it that in His word?” Some people are quick to say what they think and say what they have experienced or heard others say but these are all results of a fallen, sin infested world system.  Only by God’s word we can validate what is true, wise and right and we are to build on these truths as God reveals them to us.  

Isaiah 28:10 For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line, Here a little, there a little.” For with stammering lips and another tongue He will speak to this people, To whom He said, “This is the rest with which you may cause the weary to rest,” and, “This is the refreshing”; Yet they would not hear. NKJ

The things we hear often are the things we tend to remember and believe. Again, we have heard the saying, “God gave uscommon sense,” and many people believe this saying is true. They believe they are operating correctly when they do things according to their common sense and yet they refuse to obey God’s word. They listen to their own desires and those things that are common in their lives and society. God’s wordconstantly tells us that His ways are not our ways and His thoughts are far above what we are thinking. The only way we will know the truth of God’s ways is to study and listen to His words. When we have the Holy Spirit in us He will guide us in truth and the ways of God.

Isaiah 58:7-8 Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: Let him return to the LORD, and He will have mercy on him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon. “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” ways the LORD. NKJ

After the fall, the Holy Spirit; the wisdom of God, no longer resided in mankind. People are now subjected to distorted and fallen views that are influenced by Satan that can blind their eyes to the truth of God’s word. Mankind began operating in “common sense,” which is a deformed logic and distorted way of thinking that is common to fallen humanity. It is a trick of the enemy to have people believe if everyone is doing it, then it must be oaky. Thus, they believe in their common sense and influence others to make poor judgements because most people are doing the same thing.

A quote by William Penn put it simply, “Right is right, even if everyone is against it, and wrong is wrong, even if everyone is for it.”

We are to look at the life of Jesus, who is the example of mankind living on the earth in fulfilling our purpose and reflecting the glory of God. In Jesus’ everyday walk He engaged the people that were around Him. He met the needs of those who came to Him, interceded and prayed for those who were with Him and was in a continuous relationship and constant communication with God, His Father. This is what we are to learn of Him; how to be meek and lowly in heart, how to acknowledge God in all we do and let Him direct our path. 

Proverbs 3: 5-6 Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all you ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. NKJ