Impact Christian Church

“Integrity” is one of those characteristics you know it when you see it but it’s hard to put into words. Remember elementary school math class and the word “Integer” it describes a whole number. Then there’s the word “Integrate”, we use this word when we’re talking about combining several parts together to form one whole product or system. Integrity is very similar, for the Christian it’s when we’re acting like a “whole” follower of Jesus. When all out parts are integrated and forming the new creation we are in Christ.  Integrity is when our outer character reflects our inner beliefs.  When that is going on in your life, there’s no room for hypocrisy.  In the Christian economy integrity equals sincere relationship with God and flourishing spiritual life, while hypocrisy on the other hand reveals rituals, religion and spiritual death. Look at this example from the early church recorded in Acts chapter five:
Acts 5:1-5
 ¹ Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold a piece of property. ² With his wife’s full knowledge he kept back part of the money for himself, but brought the rest and put it at the apostles’ feet.
 ³ Then Peter said, “Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land? ⁴ Didn’t it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn’t the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied just to human beings but to God.”
 ⁵ When Ananias heard this, he fell down and died.

    Ananias’s lack of integrity brought swift physical death! When you study the last verses of chapter four you see that the outward message Ananias gave was that he brought all he received to Apostles feet. The Holy Spirit knew better, Ananias had blown his integrity. The outside character didn’t reflect the inside and for him the judgment was physical death!  What about us ?  Could we ever lie or exhibit such hypocrisy at church ?   Consider these possible areas where Christians could look like Ananias and risk damaging our relationship with God:

1)      WORSHIP -  Have you ever caught yourself in church “lifting Holy hands’ during a song, or mouthing the lyrics while your focus was on your “to-do” for list after the service.  Do you ever notice yourself critiquing some part of the worship while participating?

2)       OFFERING - Faking a happy face while inside we grumble about putting 2% of our paycheck in the plate is a form of lying to God.  In Malachi chapter three God tells his people they are robbing him by not bringing the whole tithe to the church.

3)       PRAYER - Do people ever confide in you with hurts or trials and you flippantly reply ‘I’ll pray for you” only to neglect the request and instead share the news with someone else?

If we want to continue to grow and flourish in our relationship with God we need to keep watch over our character before God, as Ezekiel warns:
Ezekiel 18:20  “The soul that sins is the soul that dies.”