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Are You a Man of Integrity?
When I was new in the faith I was introduced to a book on how to study the Bible entitled, The Joy of Discovery in Bible Study by Oletta Wald. That book helped me to learn the observation skills necessary to dig deep into God’s Word and discover new insights, understandings and applications of God’s great precepts. I want to join the apostle Paul in shouting, “Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God!”
Recently I was studying Chapter 8 of II Corinthians when I had the joy of discovering a Bible character I had never noticed before. He is only mentioned in a couple of verses, and even then he is never named. I’ve read over this passage many times in the past, but this time the Holy Spirit enabled me to see something I had not noticed before—a man of incredible integrity. Here is what Paul tells us about him in II Corinthians 8:18-20:
- He was a great preacher for his “fame in the things of the gospel [had] spread through all the churches” (v.18)
- He was “appointed by the churches” of Macedonia to accompany Paul and the offering to Jerusalem (v.19)
- He was a man of unquestionable integrity for his very presence insured that “no one should find fault with the way we are handling this generous gift.” (v.20)
This New Testament individual was a man of such unimpeachable character that his very presence gave credibility to Paul and Titus and confidence to the Corinthian believers. This man’s integrity quotient was off the charts!
Integrity—it is like worldly wealth in that it takes time and intentionality to gain it, but it takes only a moment to throw it all away. Integrity is usually developed in the shade, out of the limelight and away from the view of others. William Ralph Inge, Professor of Divinity at Cambridge during the first half of the 20th century, spoke of this when he said, “The soul is dyed with the color of its leisure thoughts.”
Job was obviously a blameless man for God declared him to be so. Joseph lived out his integrity in a foreign land. Asaph tells us in Psalm 78 that David led his people “according to the integrity of his heart.” Daniel was a man in whom his peers could find no fault. The Apostle Paul lived a life above reproach. Yet, there remains a man who is nameless and faceless in the Bible who may have surpassed them all.
I’m so glad God’s Spirit led me to discover this unnamed man of integrity. He may be unknown to us, but his character was certainly well known to others and to God.
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