Thread: Integrity, Temptation and Moral Character - what can we know of these things?
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Integrity, Temptation and Moral Character - what can we know of these things?
Posted : 27 Sep, 2017 11:16 PM
A FEW QUIET THOUGHTS: What of temptation and integrity? Satan cannot tempt a person if the person will find no desire for �the bait�. Desire = �want� or �need�; �Want may be superficial and outside of �SELF� � ie: �It�s pretty � I want it.�, whereas �need� may be more �integral� and felt to be within �SELF� � ie: A person who is suffocating, literally �needs� air.
Pavlov did not layout �Pavlov�s Hierarchy of WANTS�, but rather Pavlov�s Hierarchy of �NEEDS�.
�NEEDS� are necessary� �WANTS� are more illusionary and desire-based.
A person�s level of �INTEGRITY� dictates the fortitude by which they will resist temptation. So what is integrity? Is it INTEGRAL to an individual�s personality? Is it the rock, upon which, the foundation of who we are, as an individual, rests? Are we, as individuals, born with it? or without it? I think that, according to Psalm 58:3-5, it is an intrinsic trait for some� while others simply lack it at birth�
Psalm 58:3-5 �The wicked are estranged from the womb: they go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies. Their poison is like the poison of a serpent: they are like the deaf adder that stoppeth her ear; Which will not hearken to the voice of charmers, charming never so wisely.� (and the lesson in Eccl 10:11 would tell us that it is a deaf adder that is sure to bite.)
God states that Job had integrity�
Job 2:3 �And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? and still he holdeth fast his integrity, although thou movedst me against him, to destroy him without cause.
It is most likely why God chose to bring him up as a topic of conversation with satan. This trait of �INTEGRITY� would be the ultimate test of a person�s trustworthiness. But even integrity has degrees and may be subject to situational influences or issues of self-opinion.
If a person does �what is right� because it is tied to their �pride�, then one might ask �was it because it was the right thing to do? Or was it done to placate their pride and �self image�? � to elevate the level of their �self-acceptance� that the person has set for themselves? (Somewhat like the Jews who gave alms with great fanfare.)
OR�
Was it done simply because it was �the right thing to do�? - being not relative to 'self-image' but relative to 'God�s expectations', whereby we may, even through the most heart-wrenching of times and events� and perhaps ESPECIALLY because of such events � be transformed moreso into the image of �God�s Son. And through such efforts, perhaps draw closer to a time when we may be more perfectly transformed into a spiritual likeness of our Father.
So what were the thoughts of Job, regarding his horrific trials, and the value of his integrity, to him?
Job states in Job 27:3-8 �All the while my breath is in me, and the spirit of God is in my nostrils; My lips shall not speak wickedness, nor my tongue utter deceit. God forbid that I should justify you: till I die I will not remove mine integrity from me. My righteousness I hold fast, and will not let it go: my heart shall not reproach me so long as I live. Let mine enemy be as the wicked, and he that riseth up against me as the unrighteous. For what is the hope of the hypocrite, though he hath gained, when God taketh away his soul?�
Please share your thoughts, comments and ponderings� We grow through active thought� and meditating upon The Word� and I post this as an exercise to strengthen our spiritual muscles� It is not a post meant to argue but to illicit mature debate between any who read it, such is welcome�
THE GOAL: To simply challenge deeper contemplation of what �INTEGRITY� is� and its place in a believer�s life�
May His blessing be upon the lives of each of His Children this day�
Integrity, Temptation and Moral Character - what can we know of these things?
Posted : 18 Oct, 2017 10:56 AM
for me integrity is partially learnt from mistakes and the consequences of them, some of it was taught by my father but most from reading what my heavenly Father calls me to do, for some people the carrot of unrighteousness is a big enough draw to forget the stick of discipline, those of us who look deeply into such things have a shield about them, for lack of knowledge they are destroyed, I have seen many do wrong and show pitiful character but I cannot judge because I have made the same mistakes all I can do is speak when given leave or calling to do so. we do grow stronger when we meditate on the Word, when we consider where we are what he has done and the lessons that we are presented with we have a choice, sometimes we have to learn the lesson many times that's why wisdom usually comes with age, wisdom can sometimes be confused with integrity and often they are the same... I know I still have much to learn, as pride and arrogance takes takes a beating He grows stronger and I grow in humility, God willing he will make me presentable and that is what we all strive for, to be made perfect before him.
Integrity, Temptation and Moral Character - what can we know of these things?
Posted : 6 Nov, 2018 10:10 PM
Oh A-Quiet-Woman^ wherever you may b:
One place I was reading today was Psalm 97 (NKJV) and along verses 10 to 12 it says
�You who love the Lord, hate evil!
He preserves the souls of His saints;
He delivers them out of the hand of the wicked.
Light is sown for the righteous,
And gladness for the upright in heart.
Rejoice in the Lord, you righteous,
And give thanks at the remembrance
of His holy name.�
It make me think again of this post. You said �A person�s level of �INTEGRITY� dictates the fortitude by which they will resist temptation.� I like how well you expressed this wonderful principle. It looks like something taught to you by the Holy Spirit and realized in one of those pleasing �Aha!� moments, but maybe not.
Regardless, there are many �devices�, or rather avenues to resisting temptation and the imperative above is one, but it perfectly compliments your principle and causes me to think that like a person's level of integrity dictating their fortitude of resistance to temptation, a person's �level� of love for the Lord (zeal) will dictate whether they merely dislike evil, or hate it, thus establishing our level of fortitude at resisting evil, either secret, personal evil, or societal.
And with this in mind both of these, your principle and verse 10, have the beautiful, but perhaps uncomfortable quality of a mirror. In point of fact I twinged when I read your post because I know who I am. Regrettably at times I have stumbled before the Lord, and since I stumbled I realized my integrity and love for God wasn't at a high enough level. Indeed, we all must know this inherently when we honestly confess to Him.
So I'm pleased and thankful you shared this. It's good admonition to those who would be reigned by it. Remember, Proverbs says a wise man is not a sinless man. A wise man is a correctable man.
Integrity, Temptation and Moral Character - what can we know of these things?
Posted : 25 Nov, 2018 02:05 PM
Maybe we should consider from God's perspective. God is a Spirit. God made man flesh. He did not make us contrary to Him, because He would become flesh too. Christ conquered/condemned sin in the flesh, so the righteousness of all He did, (the law) might be fulfilled in us. That is integrity, it is God, it is Spirit. Love has a conscience, it casts out fear, it works no ill, it bears all, it hopes for all, it seeks not it's own, love never fails, so it explains pretty much what and where integrity comes from and how it works. Man is that example of none whatsoever of integrity, hence the evil of this life sand it's purpose, and the Lords will to be done on earth as IT IS in Heaven shows how integrity came to us if we are not so blind to see it was the rain to our desert and the closing of our mouths to give opening to our ears..
Romans 8:3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:
4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
Ecclesiastes 5:Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God, and be more ready to hear, than to give the sacrifice of fools: for they consider not that they do evil.
2 Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few.
3 For a dream cometh through the multitude of business; and a fool's voice is known by multitude of words.
4 When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hast vowed.
5 Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay.
6 Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin; neither say thou before the angel, that it was an error: wherefore should God be angry at thy voice, and destroy the work of thine hands?
7 For in the multitude of dreams and many words there are also divers vanities: but fear thou God.
8 If thou seest the oppression of the poor, and violent perverting of judgment and justice in a province, marvel not at the matter: for he that is higher than the highest regardeth; and there be higher than they.
