Integrity

      Integrity is that honest adherence to moral and ethical principles even when it does not personally benefit you—even when it seems to work against you. For the child of God, it is a solid commitment to the will of God and a relentless devotion to our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ.
      Joseph certainly comes to mind as a person of God who would not compromise what was right to save his own skin. Genesis 37 tell us that Joseph was 17 years old when he had his dreams of reigning over his brothers. In anger they stripped him of his coat of many colors and cast him into a pit. Before his brothers had a chance to sell him, a group of Midianite merchantmen lifted Joseph out of the pit and sold him to the Ishmaelites for 20 pieces of silver. From there, they went down to Egypt where Potipher bought him from the Ishmaelites. The Lord was with Joseph and made him to prosper. Potipher realized this and made Joseph overseer of his house (Genesis 39:5). Even when Potipher’s wife, many times, tried to sleep with Joseph, all he could think of was, “There is none greater in this house than I; neither hath he kept back any thing from me but thee, because thou art his wife: how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?” (Genesis 39:9). The final attempt by Potipher’s wife was when “she caught him by his garment, saying, Lie with me: and he left his garment in her hand, and fled, and got him out.” (Gen 39:12). She turned on him and reported that he had tried to rape her and when she screamed, he turned and fled, leaving his garment behind. This cost him some time in jail.
      While in Babylonian captivity, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego did not regard Nebuchadezzar, they refused to serve his gods and worship the golden image that he set up. They answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter. If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up. (Daniel 3:16-18). They got thrown into the furnace, but God miraculously protected them.
      An unusual New Testament teaching in 1 Corinthians 8 regarding eating food offered to idols demonstrates, more in depth, the importance of integrity. In this, Paul establishes that "an idol has no real existence," (8:4). However, there were brethren who were “weak” in their conscience because of their former association with idols (8:7). Paul taught that the eating of food, previously offered to idols wasn’t sinful in an of itself, but it could destroy the weaker person. “Thus, sinning against your brothers and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ. Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never eat meat, [while the world standeth - KJV] lest I make my brother stumble” (1 Corinthians 8:12-13). This is integrity.
      This is no different than the character of Jesus as seen in Capernaum when He miraculously provided the tribute money in the mouth of the fish (Mt. 17:24-27). The Son of God was legally exempt, but “lest we should offend them” he instructed to pay the tax.
      Christians are to be soul-conscious. We don’t want to be the reason someone sins. Our influence and actions are powerful. Christians need to be known for their integrity—that honest adherence to moral and ethical principles even when it does not personally benefit you—even when it seems to work against you. It might save a soul.