May29-June 4: Integrity: Wholeness and Holiness

Teaching Points

1. What is the definition of integrity? 

ANSWER:

• H8538--innocence.
• H8537—completeness, innocence, prosperity, uprightness

2. How is integrity or complete innocence closely related to being just or holy or righteous?

ANSWER:

• Prov. 20:7—The just walk in integrity.
• In Job 27:17 just and innocent are closely related.
• In Job 4:7, 22:19 and Psa. 94:21 righteous and innocent are closely related.
• Just means righteous, lawful
• Innocent means blameless, clean, clear, or guiltless
• When one is innocent he is righteous because he is guiltless or blameless

3. How does Job give us an example of integrity or holiness (just)? 

ANSWER:

• Job 2:3—Job continually clings or maintains his complete innocence. He is also upright, perfect and eschewing or turning away from evil.  
• Job 2:9—His wife sees his integrity and tells him to let go of it, curse God, and die. 

OBSERVATION:

• Integrity, holiness, righteousness, innocence, completeness, uprightness are all closely related and intertwined.
• Job illustrates these characteristics beautifully: he is upright, turns away from evil, maintains his innocence and refuses to blame God or turn against God when God allows bad things to happen. 

5. How can Job teach us the importance of clinging to integrity and shunning the wrong?

ANSWER:

• Job 2: 3, 9, and 10—Job responded to his wife’s temptation to let go of his integrity with integrity! He would not turn against God and curse Him for allowing evil to come but accepted God’s sovereignty.
• Job illustrates how to accept everything as from the hand of God in full trust. 

6. What attitude does Job demonstrate in his answer to his friends’ accusing him?

ANSWER:

• Job 27:4-6—He is still clinging to integrity, refusing to speak evil or reproach. 

7. What kind of love for God will give us the strength to hang on like Job when we lose everything and are being falsely accused?

ANSWER:

• Matt. 24:12, 13—enduring love that does not grow cold 

8. What is God’s remedy if we are lacking enduring love for Him?

ANSWER:

• Rev. 3:18-20—buy gold tried in the fire (1 Pet. 1:7), White raiment (Rev. 19:8), and eye salve (Ps 119:82—eyes failing for comfort of the word, Jn. 16:13—spiritual understanding from the comforter), repent zealously and open the door to Christ.  

OBSERVATION:

• Job’s response can show us how we should respond if we are truly following God and we lose everything—even having family and friends turn against us.
• Job’s attitude is the same attitude we should have in responding to being accused.
• Only enduring love for God will last through total loss with false accusations from family and friends.
• God has a solution to our weak and cold love—repent and open the door to Christ, buying the gold tried in fire, eye salve, and white clothing—symbols of faith, righteousness, and the Holy Spirit. 

SOP

• If men of tried courage and strong integrity are needed for this time, men who are not afraid to lift their voices for the right. To every laborer I would say, In all your official duties, let integrity characterize each act…. {Gospel Workers p. 141.2}
• And today, while the last message is being heralded to bring God's servants into harmony with every precept of his law, there will be scoffers and unbelievers; but every soul must stand in his own integrity. As Noah was faithful in warning the antediluvian world, so we must be faithful to the great trust that God has given us. Although there are scoffers and traducers on every side, we must not shrink from presenting the truth of heaven to this generation.  {Review and Harold, January 31, 1888 par. 6} 
• Many have been corrupted by the spirit and influence of the world. Their characters are becoming more and more unlike the divine model. They are being transformed to become instruments of unrighteousness. In striking contrast with this class are those industrious, honest, poor men, who ever stand ready to help the needy; who would rather suffer themselves to be defrauded by their wealthy brethren than to manifest so close and acquisitive a spirit as they manifest; who esteem a clear conscience, and integrity, even in little things, of greater value than riches. They are so ready to help others, so willing to do all the good in their power, that they do not accumulate; their earthly possessions do not increase. If there is a benevolent object to call forth means or labor, they are the first to be interested in it and to respond to it, and will frequently go far beyond their real ability, denying themselves some needed good, to carry out their benevolent purposes.  {Review and Harold, March 4, 1880 par. 5}  

CONCLUSION:

• Integrity is connected to innocence or holiness or righteousness.
• Job gives us an example of integrity and illustrates how we should value integrity above all else. 
• Job demonstrates that the key to integrity is a deep love relationship with God that is not broken by bad circumstances, false accusations from his friends, or his wife.
• In the last days we will soon face similar circumstances in losing all and being falsely accused by “friends” and “family”—will our love remain hot and endure?
• If our love is already lukewarm or cooling off, God has a solution: repent, accept His righteousness, receive the Holy Spirit, and have our faith and love strengthened by trials.

APPLICATION QUESTIONS:

• Do you hate evil so much that you turn away from it or do you love watching, hearing, or doing it?
• When things don’t go your way how do you respond toward God?
• Do you love and trust God so much that when everything goes wrong you still love God and trust Him with everything?
• Are you repenting and accepting Christ’s gifts of righteousness, faith, love, and the Holy Spirit?
• How would you rate you love for God: hot, lukewarm, or cold?