This is what will happen when you seek after walking uprightly – fulfilling what Jesus said in Matthew 6:33.
Matthew 6:33 | AMP (33) But seek (aim at and strive after) first of all His kingdom and His righteousness (His way of doing and being right), and then all these things taken together will be given you besides.
We need to learn God’s ways, more than we need to learn God’s rules.
Psalms 81:13 | NKJV (13) “Oh, that My people would listen to Me, That Israel would walk in My ways!
Ways – a road, a course of life, mode of action, method of operation.
An ignorance of God’s ways will keep us out of God’s highest and best for our lives.
What does a foundation or uprightness look like?
Psalms 15:1-5 | NKJV (1) A Psalm of David. LORD, who may abide in Your tabernacle? Who may dwell in Your holy hill? (2) He who walks uprightly, And works righteousness, And speaks the truth in his heart; (3) He who does not backbite with his tongue, Nor does evil to his neighbor, Nor does he take up a reproach against his friend; (4) In whose eyes a vile person is despised, But he honors those who fear the LORD; He who swears to his own hurt and does not change; (5) He who does not put out his money at usury, Nor does he take a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things shall never be moved. This is not a salvation Psalm. This Psalm is God’s plan for how to succeed, and have His blessing, prosperity and advancement in life as a believer.
Three Things To Do:
Psalms 15:2 NKJV (2) He who walks uprightly, And works righteousness, And speaks the truth in his heart;
- Walking upright means simply do not sin.
Again, Jesus did not die just to save us from sins but to also to save us from sinning.
- The next thing in verse two we see is the works of righteousness.
- He speaks the truth from his heart.
When we are speaking about our walk, our works and our words, that is pretty much the sum total of our lives. God wants us to walk uprightly in all of these areas.
Three Things NOT To DO:
Psalms 15:3 NKJV (3) He who does not backbite with his tongue, Nor does evil to his neighbor, Nor does he take up a reproach against his friend;
- Does not backbite with his tongue
- Does not do evil to his neighbor.
- Does not take up a reproach against his neighbor.
There is a phrase in verse 4 that I want to look at in this lesson:
Psalms 15:4 | NKJV (4) In whose eyes a vile person is despised, But he honors those who fear the LORD; He who swears to his own hurt and does not change;
Psalms 15:4 | GNB (4) They despise those whom God rejects, but honor those who obey the LORD. They always do what they promise, no matter how much it may cost.
What we are really talking about here in this phrase is walking in integrity.
God’s expectation for us as believers is that we will make the decision to do what we promise or fulfill our word no matter how much it may cost us.
One of the main reasons for this is that your character is only as strong as your word is strong.
This is what makes God character so strong is that He will not compromise anything where His Word is concerned.
You see it is God’s character that makes His Name powerful. It is not simply the amount of power that He possesses.
It is our character that makes our name powerful or to carry weight to it where it can work on your behalf.
Integrity is more than just telling the truth.
Integrity – (Hebrew) perfection, uprightness, simplicity and moral innocence.
Webster’s – implies trustworthiness and incorruptibility to a degree that one is incapable of being false to a responsibility or pledge. It is an absolute refusal to lie or steal in any way.
Integrity is who you are when no one else is around or watching you.
Who are you behind the scenes?
Integrity is the line where your public life and your personal life are congruent or the same.
When you tell someone, you are going to do something, then you must swear to your own heart and do what you said.
A life of integrity is a life that is completely open, no hidden motives, refuses to compromise the standards of truth that God says are necessary, a life that refuses to deceive or manipulate no matter whether it is in your benefit or not, a life that cannot be corrupted by money or fame.
Integrity is the way that we appropriate the mercy of God in our lives.
Some people come out smelling like a rose in spite of the mistakes they may make in their lives because of the integrity of their own heart.
Psalms 26:1 | NKJV (1) A Psalm of David. Vindicate me, O LORD, For I have walked in my integrity. I have also trusted in the LORD; I shall not slip.
Psalms 26:11 | NKJV (11) But as for me, I will walk in my integrity; Redeem me and be merciful to me.
Psalms 41:10-13 | NKJV (10) But You, O LORD, be merciful to me, and raise me up, That I may repay them. (11) By this I know that You are well pleased with me, Because my enemy does not triumph over me. (12) As for me, You uphold me in my integrity, And set me before Your face forever. (13) Blessed be the LORD God of Israel From everlasting to everlasting! Amen and Amen.
Example of Abimelech:
Genesis 20:1-8 | NKJV (1) And Abraham journeyed from there to the South, and dwelt between Kadesh and Shur, and stayed in Gerar. (2) Now Abraham said of Sarah his wife, “She is my sister.” And Abimelech king of Gerar sent and took Sarah. (3) But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and said to him, “Indeed you are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken, for she is a man’s wife.” (4) But Abimelech had not come near her; and he said, “Lord, will You slay a righteous nation also? (5) Did he not say to me, ‘She is my sister’? And she, even she herself said, ‘He is my brother.’ In the integrity of my heart and innocence of my hands I have done this.” (6) And God said to him in a dream, “Yes, I know that you did this in the integrity of your heart. For I also withheld you from sinning against Me; therefore I did not let you touch her. (7) Now therefore, restore the man’s wife; for he is a prophet, and he will pray for you and you shall live. But if you do not restore her, know that you shall surely die, you and all who are yours.” (8) So Abimelech rose early in the morning, called all his servants, and told all these things in their hearing; and the men were very much afraid.
Even when we totally blow it and you are in a situation that could cost you your life, God will preserve you and keep you out of sin against Him.
There is a connection between the integrity of your heart and the mercy of God.
Faith does obtain the answer every time but there are days when our faith is not quite there and we must rely on the mercy of God, so we must have a right heart before God in order for that mercy to show up in our lives.
Statistics – the average person “shades” the truth at least 200 times a day. Perhaps the stats in the Church are better.
The world desensitizes us to falsehoods. We prepare for people to not keep their word i.e. contracts, alarm systems, TV cameras locks, etc.
Ephesians 6:14 | AMPC (14) Stand therefore [hold your ground], having tightened the belt of truth around your loins and having put on the breastplate of integrity and of moral rectitude and right standing with God,
The piece of spiritual armor that protects the heart is the breastplate of integrity. This breastplate protects the ground or repository of the Word of God.
Mark 4:15 | NKJV (15) And these are the ones by the wayside where the word is sown. When they hear, Satan comes immediately and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts.
Satan comes immediately to steal the word but we can protect the heart by integrity so the Word will produce and accomplish what God has purposed for it to do.
Mark 4:18-19 | NKJV (18) Now these are the ones sown among thorns; they are the ones who hear the word, (19) and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.
God’s supernatural weed control – Integrity
You better do what you say you are going to do – in spite of whether the situation has changed or not. Keep your word.
Psalms 119:100-104 | NKJV (100) I understand more than the ancients, Because I keep Your precepts. (101) I have restrained my feet from every evil way, That I may keep Your word. (102) I have not departed from Your judgments, For You Yourself have taught me. (103) How sweet are Your words to my taste, Sweeter than honey to my mouth! (104) Through Your precepts I get understanding; Therefore I hate every false way.
For you to place a premium on integrity, you must have a holy hatred for deceit.
Integrity is birthed in a person’s heart by gaining understanding from the Word of God of the realities of life and what God says are important.
Truth has to be in place in order to have a truth to hold to.
To have a life of integrity, you must be a person of the Word. Gain truth and understanding from the Word of God and that will begin to produce a holy hatred for falsehoods.
Realize that deceit is done based upon a habit of long practice, a habitual pattern of behavior.
Some tell the truth only when it is convenient and use deceit in whatever form as necessary to meet our own best interests.
Consistency or patience (James 2:4)
We must change our patterns of behavior by practicing the law of consistency.
Without integrity, the mercy of God will forever escape you.
Measure everything we do by the law of integrity, the standard of integrity. Learn to operate in the truth habit.
What you compromise to keep, you ultimately lose.
Proverbs 11:3 | TPT (3) Integrity will lead you to success and happiness, but treachery will destroy your dreams.
Psalms 112:1-10 | TPT (1) Shout in celebration of praise to the Lord! Everyone who loves the Lord and delights in him will cherish his words and be blessed beyond expectation. (2) Their descendants will be prosperous and influential. Every generation of his godly lovers will experience his favor. (3) Great blessing and wealth fills the house of the wise, for their integrity endures forever. (4) Even if darkness overtakes them, sunrise-brilliance will come bursting through because they are gracious to others, so tender and true. (5) Life is good for the one who is generous and charitable, conducting affairs with honesty and truth. (6) Their circumstances will never shake them and others will never forget their example. (7) They will not live in fear or dread of what may come, for their hearts are firm, ever secure in their faith. (8) Steady and strong, they will not be afraid, but will calmly face their every foe until they all go down in defeat. (9) Never stingy and always generous to those in need, their lives of influence and honor will never be forgotten, for they were full of good deeds. (10) But the wicked take one look at a life lived like this and they grit their teeth in anger, not understanding their bliss. The wicked slink away speechless in the darkness that falls, where hope dies and all their dreams fade away to nothing, nothing at all!