Introduction
The core of the Jewish understanding about God is revealed in the shema: “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.” (Deut 6:4-5) God is revealed as a being with integrity. The response demanded of us is one of integrity. This response is not limited to our religious worship but engages our whole lives, including our vocation.
The God of Integrity
The doctrine of the Trinity affirms the oneness of God , while teaching that he expresses himself in three persons: the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. This is evident in his work, such as the work of creation and redemption. Scripture affirms that creation was the work of the Father (Gen 1:1), and of the Son (Col 1:16), and of the Holy Spirit (Gen 1:2). In the same way, our redemption was the work of the Father (Col 1:13), and of the Son (Tit 1:4), and of the Holy Spirit (Rom. 8:2).
Integrity is not just the three persons of the Godhead working in harmony; it is also God’s consistency over time and his congruence between his words and his actions. The oracle of Balaam explicitly states that, unlike humans, God cannot lie or change his mind . The writer of Hebrews affirms this by using God’s promise to Abraham as an example of the ongoing congruence of God’s words and actions , the purpose of which was to exhort his readers to remain steadfast in their faith over time.
The question arises, then, whether God’s integrity is an expression of his incommunicable attributes, such as his immutability, or is it something which we can aspire to? Based on the shema, the response is that we must aspire to imitate God in this respect. Created in the image of God, we were created as whole beings. As a result of the corruption of the Fall, however, our integrity was lost. We no longer maintain congruence over time between our words and our actions. Yet integrity is an expression of holiness, and we are commanded to imitate God’s holiness in all we do .
Human Struggles with Integrity
Henry Cloud writes that integrity is “the whole thing working well, undivided, integrated, intact and uncorrupted. ” According to his earlier work , this is the result of the successful completion of four developmental tasks: bonding, establishing boundaries, accepting good and bad, and relating to others as adults. As a result of the Fall, however, none of us have had perfect childhoods and therefore each of us have failed to complete these tasks to varying degrees and so experience a lack of integrity.
These ideas accord with the testimony of Scripture, even in the experience of the Christian. In Romans 7, the apostle Paul describes his internal struggles between his best intentions and his inability to carry them out in his own strength. Despite the exhortation of the shema, we cannot love the Lord with our whole heart, soul and might. It is only as we walk in the power of the Holy Spirit and experience his sanctifying work that we are able to live with integrity.
The New Testament Commends Integrity for Christian Leaders
The only New Testament reference to explicitly use the word “integrity” (ἀφθορία) is Titus 2:7-8, where Titus is instructed: “Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity, and sound speech that cannot be condemned.” Integrity is a quality commended to this early church leader.
“It is used with σεμνότης to describe the moral attitude of Titus, who will not let himself be led astray; it refers, then, to his conduct relative to teachers and teaching. We are not to think in terms of the impregnability against false teaching that Titus is establishing in the churches, nor in terms of doctrine safeguarded by the truth, but rather of innocence in the sense of not being, or not able to be, corrupted. In other words, what is described is the disposition of Titus. ”
Integrity, in this sense, then means imperviousness to external influence, the ability to withstand outside pressures to conform, and strength of character to hold fast to God’s purposes.
A contrast to this form of integrity might be made with James’ “double-minded” person . This person is like a wave, “susceptible to change and manipulation, because it has no shape of its own. It is always shifting, never solid, never sure where or what it is, without foundation... One cannot live a life of integrity and faith if one is waffling ”
Wisdom Literature Commends Integrity for Believers
The wisdom literature, informed particularly by the blessings and curses of Deuteronomy 28, describes general principles for living in light of God’s covenant. Integrity (תֹּם) occurs seven times in Proverbs. It is the basis on which the Lord gives protection (2:7). The person of integrity faces the future with confidence, in contrast with the inevitable exposure of the crooked (10:9). A person of integrity finds God’s way a source of strength and protection, whereas the evil are condemned by it (10:29). The protection attracted by integrity is contrasted with the assault attracted by sin (13:6). It is better to be poor with integrity than wealthy and perverse (19:1; 28:6) . Finally, the result of living with integrity is a positive family legacy (20:7) . In summary, the result of conducting ourselves with integrity is to attract God’s blessing and protection and to leave a positive family legacy.
This understanding is affirmed by the testimony of the psalmists. Six times they claim a right to attract God’s blessing and protection based on how they have conducted themselves with integrity . Similarly, Eliphaz recognises that Job claims to have confidence before God because he has conducted himself with integrity (Job 4:6). It appears to be the consistent testimony of Scripture that conducting ourselves with integrity is the foundation for attracting God’s blessing and protection.
Other Biblical Examples
When God accused Abimelech of unlawfully taking Abraham’s wife , the king’s defence was that he had conducted himself with integrity and had been a victim of Abraham’s duplicity. Similarly, when Absalom was conspiring to overthrow his father David , he deceived two hundred leaders from Jerusalem who were innocently caught up in his scheme. Finally, God promises to bless Solomon if he will conduct himself with integrity , and to enact the covenant curses if he fails to obey the Lord’s commands, that is if he pursues other gods.
Contemporary Implications
God’s promise to Solomon provides significant instruction for contemporary Christian leaders in the marketplace. Integrity is contrasted with abandoning the Lord and serving other gods. Leaders face the common temptations offered by the gods of power, money and sex. As James warns, we cannot be swayed by these temptations. We cannot be faithful to the Lord only when the sky is blue and the breeze is gentle. We must continue to be steadfastly loyal to him when the storm hits. It is when the sponge is squeezed that what is really inside is revealed. The dark times reveal whether we truly trust him with our whole heart, soul and might, or whether we have held a small part in reserve, as a “backup”, to solve the problems ourselves, just in case God doesn’t come through for us.
The stories of Abimelech and Absalom show us that individual actions can be undertaken with integrity, even when we have been deceived. However, the focus of the wisdom literature was that God blessed and protected a whole life characterized by integrity. A wise leader realizes that maintaining integrity over the long haul requires two things. Firstly, commitments to act in a godly way need to be worked out well in advance of the pressure situation arriving, so that we do not just react to external pressures. For example, an executive who has predetermined never to pay graft will find it significantly easier to navigate a particular situation than one who is trying to work out their position on the fly. Secondly, systems, structures or habits need to be implemented to support those decisions over time. For example, an executive might arrange with his personal assistant to never set up a meeting with a woman where they cannot be seen.
Finally, the underlying values of the covenant relationship God established with Israel, and reaffirmed in Jesus’ teaching about the kingdom, should be reflected in our conduct today. Leaders are stewards of everything God allows them to have – wealth, influence, expertise - and they must recognize that they will one day give an account to him for their use of those things. Material prosperity, which is often the worldly reward for marketplace leadership, is not to be hoarded , but is to be distributed to achieve God’s purposes for his kingdom.
Conclusion
Our triune God is one. He always works in harmony with himself and he maintains his congruence between his words and actions over time. We are exhorted to reflect his integrity in our relationship with him, with ourselves, with other believers and with the world. A life that is conducted with integrity attracts God’s blessing and protection, whereas a life of duplicity experiences his judgment. Integrity requires knowing who we are and whose we are.