Integrity

The title today is Integrity. Are you a person of integrity? And what does it mean when we say that he or she is a person of integrity? So let's define what integrity is. An unimpaired condition, soundness. And it can refer to a thing or to a person. It can even refer to your mind. Or do you have a state of mental integrity? For example, with a thing, the ship won't leak. It has integrity. In other words, a thing or a person does what it was made to do, or a person does what he or she was created to do when they were created.

Another facet is unwavering commitment to God's Word, and that there are people of integrity in the secular sense who may not know God's Word or may not be converted in the sense that we think of conversion, but at the same time they are devoted and true to a code of ethics and morality. Another facet is incorruptible. Incorruptibility cannot be bribed, is not subject to flattery, does what is right regardless of personal consequences. Another facet, the state or quality of being complete or undivided to behold.

There are no flaws or kinks in his or her armor. A boat may have great appearance, may have a great paint job, comfortable seats, great motor, but if it leaks, that's a problem. A man named James Bond Stockdale, James Bond Stockdale. Do any of you immediately recognize that name? Some probably do. Although not converted, was a man of integrity who lived by his moral code. He loved his country and his fellow men. You might remember that James Stockdale was Ross Perot's vice presidential running mate in the presidential election of 1992.

What about James Bond Stockdale? Spell S-T-O-C Stock-D-A-L-E Stockdale. He was born on December 23, 1923. He died July 5, 2005. He was an American and United States Navy Vice Admiral. He is one of the most decorated Navy officers who has been awarded the Medal of Honor for his Valerie bravery in Vietnam War, where he was a prisoner of war for seven and one-half years. Stockdale was the highest ranking naval officer held as a prisoner in North Vietnam. He had led aerial attacks from the carrier U.S. Ticonderoga during the 1964 Gulf of Tonkin incident. His next deployment, commander of Carrier Air Wing 16 aboard the carrier U.S.

Orris Connie, was shot down over North Vietnam on September 9, 1965. He parachuted out of the plane before the plane crashed. He parachuted into a small village in Vietnam where he was severely beaten and taken prisoner. He was held prisoner in a prison camp that the Vietnamese called Hoi Lo, H-O-A-L-O, Hoi Lo Prison, and the Americans called it the Hanoi Hilton, where prisoners of war were held.

He was held there for the next seven and a half years. As the senior naval officer, he was one of the primary organizers of prisoner resistance. Tortured routinely, denied medical attention for the severely damaged leg he suffered when he was captured after parachuting out of his plane that was on the way to crashing.

He was able to organize some secret communications in the prison. In the summer of 1969, he was locked in leg irons in a bath stall and routinely tortured and beaten. When told by his captors that he was to be paraded in public, Stockdale slit the scalp of his head with a razor. Can you imagine taking a razor to disfigure himself so that the captors would not use him as propaganda?

Then they covered his head with a hat, and then he took a chair, a stool, and he beat his face beyond recognition. When Stockdale was discovered with information that could implicate his friends, he slit his wrists so that they could not torture him into confession. The purpose of this was to show them that he was a person of integrity, and regardless of what they did or what happened, he would not break.

He would not violate his code of ethics. He was one of 11 prisoners known as the Alcatraz gang. These individuals had been leaders of resistance activities while in captivity, and thus were separated from other captives and placed in solitary confinement. And so Alcatraz, as it was called, was a special facility in a courtyard behind the Hanoi Hilton, the Hoi Loi prison. Each of the prisoners was kept in an individual windowless concrete cell measuring three feet by nine feet, with a light bulb burning around the clock, and they were locked in leg arms each night. So three feet is about from one end of my shoulder to the other end.

So you're three feet by nine feet, and at night, locked in leg arms. He was eventually released and held various offices and even got into politics with Ross Perot. In that 1992 election, on the Democratic ticket, there was Bill Clinton and Al Gore. They received 43 percent of the electoral vote. Bush and Dan Quayle, Herbert W. Walker Bush, and Dan Quayle received 37 percent of the electoral votes.

Perot and Stockdale received zero percent of the votes, but they received 18.9 percent of the popular vote, no electoral votes, the highest of any independent ever. Of course, Stockdale lectured widely. He wrote some books. And one of the things that he talked about was integrity, and in fact, a person who wrote a book about his life was named James Collins.

James Collins wrote a book titled Good to Great. Good to Great. So Collins writes about a conversation he had with Stockdale during his coping strategy, during his period in the Hanoi Hilton, being a prisoner of war. Stockdale says, Then he writes about integrity. Integrity is one of those words which many people keep in the desk drawer label too hard. It's not a topic for the dinner table or the cocktail party. You can't buy or sell it. When supported with education, a person's integrity can give him something to rely on when his perspective seems to blur, when rules and principles seem to waver, and when he's faced with hard choices of right or wrong.

It's something to keep him on the right track, something to keep him afloat when he's drowning, if only for practical reasons. It's an attribute that should be kept in the very top of a young person's consciousness. I cannot even remotely imagine being a POW and the torture from your captors, much less inflicting upon yourself, splitting your scalp, beating your face to a pulp, slitting your wrist, so as to show that you would never break under any circumstance. Then another quote here from him, the most valuable asset that we share with ourselves and the world is our integrity.

It is what gives us strength and hope. It is what establishes our influence and credibility with others. We are respected foremost because of our integrity. That's what we are talking about today. We will use examples from the Bible as well. Let's look at Proverbs 11 and verse 3, a couple of verses or so about what the Bible says about integrity, and then talk more about it. It is a very interesting, intriguing subject to me, and I hope that we shall all grow in integrity as a result. In Proverbs 11 and verse 3, The integrity of the upright shall guide them, but the perverseness of transgressors shall destroy them. The integrity of the upright shall guide them. We will use words like this definition we gave at the front, unwavering commitment to God's Word or to a code of ethics or a code of morality. The Hebrew word tumah that is translated as integrity is here in the noun form, and it comes from the adverb tom, spelled T-O-M in English from the Hebrew, Hebrew, which means completeness, fullness, wholeness, simplicity. And perhaps one of the best biblical examples of this state of being is what Jesus said about Nathaniel. So let's look at John 1, verse 47, about this person when Jesus saw him coming in John 1.47. In John 1.47, Jesus saw Nathaniel coming to him and said of him, Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile. There is nothing put on or phony about Nathaniel. Now Nathaniel had said in verse 46, preceding verse, and Nathaniel said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? And Philip said unto him, Come and see. So I mean Nathaniel was upfront what you see is what you get. And look at Psalm 32, Psalm 32, and verse 2 with regard to what God says about integrity here. Psalm 32, and verse 2.

Blessed is a man unto whom the Lord imputes not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile. Nathaniel was a person of no guile. Behold, a man in whom there is no guile. And when God and Jesus Christ looked down at us, could each one of them say, Behold, and put your name in there, is a person of no guile. There's a blessing that is pronounced on those who live with integrity. Look at Proverbs 20 and verse 7. A blessing pronounced on those who live the life of integrity. In Proverbs 20 and verse 7. The just man walks in his integrity. His children are blessed after him. So I promise here with regard to a person being a person of integrity. In contrast, you look there at Proverbs 19.1, probably just across the page, or the next page, Proverbs 19.1, Better is the poor that walks in his integrity than he that is perverse in his lips and is a fool. We have so many fools who are running the country today. It's like the old saying, the inmates are now running the asylum. So if the inmates are running the asylum, you would expect crazy things to be going on, and so they are. Honesty and honor are two words that are closely associated with and linked to integrity. Let's notice what the Bible says about honesty and about honor. We look at Luke 8 and verse 15. Luke 8 and verse 15. I'm turning to these scriptures with you, and there's something about when I could be sitting back there with you, and I'd be fumbling around trying to find it, but here it's just like it opens to the page. I don't know.

Sometimes that's not the case, but often it is. Luke 8 and verse 15. But that on the good ground are they which, in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, keep it and bring forth fruit with patience. So when the seed is sown and it falls on those with an honest and good heart, then it can take root and prosper and bear fruit. Look at Acts 6 and verse 63. Acts 6 and verse 63. We're establishing here the link. Honesty, integrity, honor. Those things go together. We could ask ourselves, am I a person of integrity? Am I a person of honor? Am I an honest person? If a person is not honest, then there's very little hope. For him, with regard to overcoming whatever problems there might be. In order to overcome a problem, you have to admit that you have a problem before you can overcome it. In Acts chapter 6 and verse 3, wherefore brethren, look you out among you, seven men of honest report. So here's the origin of deacons in the church. Where the apostles told the leadership there, at that time there was not an ordained, quote, leadership other than the apostles to look out for seven men of honest report so that they could lay hands on them so they could be ordained as deacons. So look you out among you, seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint or ordain over this business. Now look at 2 Timothy chapter 2.

2 Timothy chapter 2. You know, when we are called into God's great truth, His precious truth, when we are given His Spirit, when we become the temple of God, know you not that you are the temple of God and the Spirit of God dwells in you, as Paul writes in 1 Corinthians chapter 3 verse 16. What are you going to be? Here God has given you His Spirit.

Are you going to be a person of integrity, a person of honor? Are you going to be honest, or are you going to be a person of dishonor? Are you going to count as profane? Profane means worldly, secular, that which is holy, and surely our calling is holy.

God is the one who calls. He is holy. We'll start in verse 19, 2 Timothy 2. Nevertheless, the foundation of God stands sure, having this seal, the Lord knows them that are His. And one of the things that we'll go through as we pursue this in greater depth is God will come to know you for what you are, through the very depth of your being. The Lord knows them that are His, and let everyone that names the name of Christ depart from iniquity. But in a great house, unfortunately, there are not only vessels of gold and of silver.

See, we hold, as Paul writes in another place, we hold this treasure that is the Spirit of God in earthen vessels. We are earthly and of the earth, but we have this treasure, a spirit essence, the Holy Spirit within us, but also of wood and of earth, and some to honor, and some to dishonor. And how someone would count that which is so sacred and valuable as to be profane and secular, there's really no excuse for it. Most people use the excuse of what somebody else is doing and what the organization is like or this, that, or the other, but I have not seen the action of any person ever change a word in the book. Not one word. Verse 21, if a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honor, sanctified and fitting for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work. So obviously, God wants us to be people of integrity, honest, and people of honor.

In Jeremiah 17 and verse 9, which we probably could quote, but let's turn there because we want to emphasize in this case the immediate verse that follows Jeremiah 17. Jeremiah 17 verse 9. So do we really know what is in our heart? Do we know to the depth of our being what's there?

Did Job really know what was in his heart to the depth of his being? Now, we have read a case of a man in military service, later in civil service, involved in even running for Vice President of the United States, what he did as a POW without God's Spirit, but devotion to principles that he did not waver on. If he can do that, what can we do?

In Jeremiah 17.9, the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked, who can know it? Well, sometimes we don't even know our heart ourselves, and that is one of the reasons why God allows us to be tried sometimes to the very depth of our being. But look at verse 10. I, the Eternal, search the heart. I try the reins, even to give to every man according to his ways and according to the fruit of his doings. So God searches the heart. He already knows what's there, but he searches it out, and one of the purposes is to try to get us to see ourselves the way we really are. You might be surprised as to how you would respond if all the veneer of this life were stripped away. If the veneer of this life was stripped away, would you remain a person of integrity? Well, James Stockdale had all of the veneer of this life stripped away. A POW in Hanoi Hilton had very little hope of ever being set free or ever getting out alive. Job had all the veneer stripped away from him, and his heart was revealed. So if the veneer of this life was stripped away from us, would we have anchors for survival, as did Stockdale, in which his integrity saw him through? Let's go to Job just before Psalms. Job chapter 1 verse 1. The way that Job sees himself and the way that God speaks of him initially, but what about when the veneer is stripped off? All the trappings of this life. By trappings of this life, his reputation, his family, his wealth, and the opinion he had of himself of being a person of integrity, whole and complete, but did he lack anything? So in Job 1.1, there was a man in the land of us whose name was Job, and that man was perfect and upright and one that feared God and eschewed evil. Then the next four verses or so here talks about what he did. I mean, he did like preventive kind of sacrifice even for his children, in case there was something secret there. Then we pick it up in verse 6. Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves. Sons of God, in this case, are the angels. The angels are referred to as sons of God in the book of Job, especially also in Genesis chapter 6. And people get confused, and you can see why at times the sons of God refer to spirit beings or does sons of God refer to human beings? In this case, it refers to spirit beings.

So the sons of God came to present themselves before the Eternal, and Satan came among them. Of course, angels are ministering servants to the heirs of salvation, and they report evidently back into God with regard to, I don't know exactly what the reports may be, but he just thinks sometimes when I'm praying I think about, okay, here I am, little old me and wherever I am. I'm one of seven plus billion people on the face of the earth. How many people are praying to God right now?

And how would God hear me, just me and all of these other people, and be aware of all of these other people as well? So God does have helpers who report to him. And you look at verse 7, and the Eternal said unto Satan, where do you come from?

Then Satan answered the Lord and said, from going to and fro on the earth and from walking up and down in it. You know, there's a verse that says that Satan walks about as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. That includes you and me. And the Eternal said unto Satan, if you consider my servant Job that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and upright man, one that fears God, and achieves evil, like we read in verse 1. Now this is God saying this to Satan, but God knew there was something amiss in Job. Then Satan answered the Lord and said, does Job fear you for nothing? Of course, Satan has this idea that if one fears God, it's because he expects the one he, she expects something in return. And so Satan says in verse 10, Have you not made an hedgerow about him, and about his house, and about all that he has on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land. Maybe the wealthiest man in the land had the greatest reputation, perhaps, had a wonderful family. Obviously, he had high self-esteem. And then Satan says, put forth your hand now and touch all that he has, and he will curse you to your face. But the Lord said unto Satan, Behold, all that he has is in your power, only upon himself, put not forth your hand. And so Satan went his way, and Job's family was taken away, his wealth was taken away, and so Satan comes back, and God asked him about Job, said, Well, let me at him. Let me afflict his very flesh, his body, and you'll see that he'll curse you to his face. So Job was smitten from the top of his head to the soles of his feet, and yet he did not curse God. But God was in a terrible situation.

Who knows exactly what the affliction was, maybe boils. So he went and sat, stripped his clothing, stayed of mourning, and sat cloth and ashes, and his friends come by to console him. But really, one of the main purposes they came to Job was to condemn him, to tell him that the reason this has happened to you is because you have some secret sin that you're hiding.

In Job 31, there's a lot of conversation that goes back in two between Job and these friends, the three guys here. But in Job 31, Job 31 is a very interesting chapter. I'm not going to read all of it, but a few verses here, because in this chapter, Job in essence goes through all his points of righteousness that he could think of. And it's a good checklist. If you want a good checklist, am I doing this or that? Read all of Job 31. We're hitting highlights here. In verse 1, I made a covenant with mine eyes. It's like, now you can sin with your eyes, and you don't want to be guilty of the three things of lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, pride of life. So I'm just going to, even with my eyes, my eyes is only going to look at the right thing with the right thing in mine. I made a covenant with mine eyes. Why then should I think upon a maid? I mean, I'm saying, well, I don't have a problem with lust of the flesh or lust of the eyes with the guard to women. For what portion of God is there from above and one inheritance of the Almighty from on high? You really focus there. You're not going to get anything from God if it focuses on the wrong thing. Is not destruction to the wicked and a strange punishment to the workers of iniquity? Does not He see my ways and count all my steps? Well, God knows everything anyhow. I made His covenant. What's wrong with me? I have walked with, if I have walked with vanity or if my foot has hastened to deceit, let me be weighed in an open balance that God may know mine integrity. Look, I'm whole. I'm complete. And then He goes through a long litany here of the things that He has done. He so examined Himself. Then in verse 35, Job like cries out, oh, I wish just God would speak with me. I really want an audience with God. So let's read 35. Old that one would hear me. Behold, my desire is that the Almighty would answer me, and that mine adversary had written the book.

And then in chapter 32, after Job completes that, so then the three men ceased to answer Job because he was righteous in his own eyes.

I mean, he had no flaw, it seemed. Then was Kendall the wrath of Elihu, the son of Barachal, the buzzite of the kindred of Rome. Against Job was his wrath Kendall because he justified himself rather than God. In essence, in his mind, Job was accusing God of being unjust.

Because there was no reason that he could find that would justify him being in the situation that he was in. Also against his three friends was his wrath Kendall because they had found no answer and yet had condemned Job.

And we need to know the difference between condemnation and conviction. They had condemned Job, and Elihu had waited until Job had spoken because they were elder than he. When Elihu saw that there was no answer in the mouth of these three men, then his wrath was Kendall and he began to tell Job the way it really is. So after Job gave his justification in chapter 31 of all his actions, the friends stopped trying to question him. Elihu steps in and says what we've just read. Then Elihu begins to tell about who has wisdom, who doesn't have wisdom. It's not just because you might be old, not because you might be mighty, or any of those things.

And finally comes to the biggest point here initially, it's in Job 33 verse 6. In Job 33 and verse 6, Behold, I am according to your wish in God's dead. Remember Job 31-35? Oh, that God would speak to me. I want an audience with God. Well, Elihu is saying in essence, I am in God's dead. I am standing here representing God to you. You want God to speak to you? Here he is in the person of Elihu, one of God's ministers. Behold, I am according to your wish in God's dead.

I am also formed out of the clay. And so all of the ministry understands that, or hopefully they do, that we're all sinners. We all have different roles and different callings, different gifts, talents, as we talked about last week when we talked about charisma. But we have calling, we have responsibility. Behold, my terror shall not make you afraid, neither shall my hand be heavy upon you. Surely you have spoken in mine hearing, and I've heard the voice of your word saying, summarizing what Job has said in 31 chapters back in 2. I am clean without transgression. I am innocent. Neither is there iniquity in me. Of course, Romans 3, 23 says, all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. You remember the story of the Pharisee and the public went in the temple to pray. The Pharisee lifted up his voice, I thank God I'm not like other men, and he listed all of his great qualities. And the publican, not so much as lifting up his eyes to heaven, said, Lord have mercy on me, a sinner.

Verse 10, continuing with what Job had said, Elihu's telling him what he said, behold, he finds occasions against me. He counts me as his enemy. So in essence, Job was saying that God has dealt unfairly with him. He puts my feet in the stocks. He marks all my paths. Behold, in this you are not just. I will answer you that God is greater than man.

And why do you strive against him? For he gives not account of any of his matters. For God speaks once, yea, twice, yet man perceives it not. Then Job goes through a litany of the various things that God does for us that oftentimes we're not even aware of. How he might stay the hand of the thief in the night, or many other things that he might do. Verse 23, if there be a messenger with him, an interpreter, one among a thousand, to show unto man his uprightness, then he is gracious unto him, and says, Deliver me from going down to the pit. I have found a ransom. His flesh shall be fresher than a child's. He shall return to the days of his youth. In other words, if you are in your trouble, in your distress, in your sins, or wherever it is, and whatever the difficulty might be, if someone can get your attention, or if you can come to understand the messenger. Verse 26, he shall pray unto God, and he will be favorable unto him, and he shall see his face with joy, for he will render unto man his righteousness. He looks upon men, if any say, I have sinned, which Job had not done, I have sinned, and perverted that which was right, and it prophets me not. He will deliver his soul from going into the pit, and his life shall see the light. Lo, all these things works God oftentimes with man, for what purpose to bring back his soul from the pit, to be enlightened with the light of the living? Mark well, O Job, hearken unto me, hold your peace, and I will speak. If you have anything to say, answer me. Speak, for I desire to justify you. And the goal is, as always, for us to be justified in the sight of God, but in the process of us being justified in the sight of God, we must justify God. What does it mean to say that we must justify God? Well, it's the same as this verse here, 13 and 14. Why do you strive against him? For he gives not account of any of his matters, for God speaks once, yes, twice, yet man perceives that God. In other words, God is just in all of his ways, no matter what he does. And once again, we quote the Hebrews 11.6. He who would come to God must, first of all, believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of those who diligently seek him. Then Elihu continues in 33, If not, hearken unto me, hold your peace, and I shall teach you wisdom.

So the next chapter is a few there. Elihu really gets Job's attention. Then after Elihu gets Job's attention, God begins to speak to Elihu. Well, where were you, Job, when I laid the foundation to the earth? When the morning stars sang for joy, where were you? And it just goes on and on with the wonderful works of God in comparison to man. So then, you look at the end here of Job and what he comes to see. Job at first felt condemned through his three friends. We read the verse. It says that they had condemned him. That's up, Job. You've sinned, and everything will be all right. So do we know the difference between being condemned and convicted? Condemn has to do with being judged and feeling that the condemnation is not justified. Why am I going through this? What's wrong with me? I haven't done anything wrong.

Why is this happening to me? And oftentimes, we try to justify ourselves as Job did.

And of course, oftentimes, there are pangs of guilt associated with the feelings of condemnation. Conviction, on the other hand, is coming to understand to the depth of your being that a certain principle is right or principles, and that you should take action based upon the weight of the conviction that has been placed on your mind so that you will act on that conviction. It puts a whole different light on it. I know what I ought to do. I need to do it.

So God takes Job to task in chapters 34 through 41. Part of that is a lie, Hugh.

And then God speaks to him, and it results in Job being convicted of the great kink in his armor.

Just showing that he did have a flaw in his integrity. And that flaw is that in all things, man must be judged and God justified. You look at Job 42, and that's what Job came to. In Job 42, verse 1, I have heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now mine eye sees you. I really see you, God, for who you are and what you are and what your purpose really is. And I understand now how much greater you are than I am. Wherefore, I have whore myself and repent in dust and ashes. And it was so that after the Lord had spoken these words unto Job, the Lord said to a life as the team and I, my wrath is akindled against you and your two friends, for you have not spoken that which was right to my servant Job. And so, they were told to sacrifice. Job prayed for them, and Job had everything restored to him and more.

All of us have been in Job's shoes at one time or the other. Maybe not to the extent, not with the drama of God intervening in the personal sense as he did here, but oftentimes, maybe a friend, maybe it is the ministry, someone comes. I'm still amazed that in a lot of cases, the ministry is the last to know that a friend knows, a friend calls a friend, and then that friend calls the ministry and not the person themselves, or not at all. And the goal is a lie he says here in chapter 33, for I desire to justify you.

Now, I know the stories of people who have been mistreated and all kinds of things, and we could all go over our litany of what we've gone through. But all of us have been in Job's shoes at one time or the other. And how many times have you wondered during the past year or even the past week, am I going to make it through the day, the week, the month, a new year? How will I make it? How often have you asked God and yourself, why is this happening to me? Do you feel at times that the battle to go God's way is not worth the price?

So many, apparently, have felt that way. Do you wonder at times whether or not anybody really cares for you? Do you wonder at times whether or not God cares for you? If he does, why doesn't he answer me? Do you feel guilty part of the time, frustrated and angry part of the time, and sort of anxious the rest of the time? Have you felt at times that you are not good enough to be in God's kingdom? None of us are good enough to be in God's kingdom. But through faith and the sacrifice of Christ, repentance, God views us as sinless.

Now, I could pose several other questions that could be applicable. I'm quite sure that every person here has had at least one of these thoughts during recent times. The point is that human beings are very fragile, insecure beings. No matter what our exterior may be, all human beings are subject to the four great enemies of faith, anxious care, fear, doubt, and human reasoning. And the four enemies of faith all the time war against all the parts of the promises of God. Of course, the anecdote to that is to put on the whole armor of God. The two principal ways to defeat the four great enemies of faith are, one, to live by faith, to understand that God always has your best interest at heart, and secondly, hope, the helmet of salvation. Keep the big picture burning brightly in your mind. To understand the purpose of life. And the younger that a person can understand the purpose of life, the better off they are. Satan, of course, would have us to believe that the way is too hard. We cannot make it. He would have us believe God doesn't care, church doesn't care, the ministry, parents, friends, neighbors, children, whomever you want to name. Don't care, but we have promises from God who cannot lie that He will never leave us nor forsake us. The perceptions we carry with us are based on the stream of events that flow into our minds. Why do we think what we think? Well, you have Satan and his influence. Satan is a prince of the power of the air.

If you do what it says in Psalm 119 verses 9 through 11, which says, How shall a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to your word. Your word have a head in my heart that I might not sin against you. See, the word of God is the anecdote to Satan the devil. When Jesus Christ was tempted, at great temptation in Matthew 4, each time he said something from the Scripture. For it is written, Man shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you worship. And of course, all three times he quoted Scripture.

Vain imaginations. This is one of the greatest of all enemies. Of course, vain imaginations is a product of anxious care, fear, doubt, and human reasoning. Look at 2 Corinthians chapter 10.

2 Corinthians chapter 10. I'll say this again as we go there in 2 Corinthians chapter 10 that vain imaginations are the product of anxious care, fear, doubt, and human reasoning. In 2 Corinthians chapter 10, Paul addresses the great spiritual warfare that goes on.

2 Corinthians chapter 10 verse 3, For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh. Now, if you don't have on the whole armor of God, then you may be warring after the flesh. And of course, Ephesians 6 verses 10 or so, maybe it starts in 11 through 16 especially. Actually, it's all the way to the end of the chapter.

Describes the armor. Though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, not fleshly, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds. What are strongholds? Strongholds are those things that come on the mind, that grip the mind, and sometimes put you in an obsessive compulsive kind of thought loop that you go over and over. Verse 5, casting down imaginations, the product of ancient care of fear of doubt, human reasoning, claiming the promises in every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. God, who cannot lie, has promised whatever it is He's promised. Never to leave you, never to forsake you.

Another thing that breaks down sometimes our integrity is the environment, the zeitgeist, the spirit of the times. And we wind up pitching our tents toward Sodom, a little leeway here and a little leeway there and a little leeway, and finally we end up spiritually in Sodom. Another thing is the people we associate with, birds of a feather flock together. You'll be known by the company you keep exposure to media, which for the youth is one of the most damnable things there is, from the video games to all the various things that they are exposed to. How we massage our thinking. As a man thinks in his heart, so is he. We talked about that recently.

Of course, we want it to be according to God and His Word, and not our own thoughts. So God does search the heart.

God searches the heart, as we read in Jeremiah 1710, one so that he gets to know you. How are you going to respond to the fiery furnace of life?

If you were a POW in Hanoi Hilton, what would you do? If you were in the situation of Job, what would you do? So one is to really get to know you. You know, we read 2 Timothy 2 verses 20-21 that in a great house there are these vessels. These vessels, in our case, have the Holy Spirit. Some are to honor and some are to dishonor. And then the other is so you can really get to know yourself.

2 Corinthians, we're there in 2 Corinthians. Turn forward a page or two to chapter 13.

Verse 5. It won't be long now. Here we are toward the end of January. Toward the end of April, it will be Passover. And the examination.

Examine yourselves whether you be in the faith. Prove yourselves.

Know you not, yourselves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except you be retrobate. If Christ is in you, then claim the promises. Act on the promises.

Paul was inspired to write. Go back to 1 Corinthians 3. Just a few pages back. 1 Corinthians chapter 3 was inspired to write that every person's work is going to be tried. There are no exceptions.

Now you might say, well, this person has this trial, this person has that trial, his person greater than the other person's trial, and so it is.

With regard to the way we might look at it, in 1 Corinthians 13, I mean 3 verse 10.

I want to back up from 10.

Verse 9, For we are labors together with God, you are God's husbandry, your God's building, according the grace of God, which is given unto me as a wise master builder. I have laid the foundation, and another bill is there upon. Let every man take heed how he builds there upon. For other foundation can no man lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man build upon the foundation of gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble, every man's work shall be made manifest, for the day shall declare it. It shall be revealed by fire, and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. And of course, judgment is on the house of God. Are we just going to feel condemned, or are we going to be convicted and committed and go on to be a vessel of honor? So God, He's testing us in many different ways today. It is a time of distress and trouble on the world scene. To some degree, it is a time of distress and trouble in our personal lives. God wants us to call on Him on the day of trouble.

He said to call on Me, and I will deliver you. That's Psalm 50, verses 14 and 15. God says in Romans 8, 31, of God before you, who can be against you.

See, Abraham was tested by Sodom and Gomorrah. His nephew was there. God said, I'm going to destroy him. Abraham said, well, if there be per adventure, it goes down to ten. God said, well, for that I won't destroy it. So God spared Lot and his family. The son-in-laws made fun of it, didn't go.

The wife turned to a pillar of salt.

The daughters seduced their father and became the progenitor of two of the most evil peoples on the face of the earth, Moab and Hammon. Abraham was further tested by command to go sacrifice Isaac. See, once again, the simplest definition of faith is what?

Believe God and do what he says. The true character of a man can only be revealed in the fiery furnace. James Stockdale, as we have noted, passed the test.

The three Hebrew children in the fiery furnace passed the test. Before being thrown in, they said, Nebuchadnezzar, we don't know if God will deliver us or not, but be it known unto you we will not bow down and worship the image. And then they were thrown in, and Nebuchadnezzar looked, and he saw one that looks like the Son of Man. So, after stoking up the heat and all of that, they came forth unscathed. So, the process of becoming as God is one of being in the Hanoi Hilton in the figurative sense spiritually.

In some cases, a person can judge themselves and avoid Hanoi Hilton to some degree. But not always. It says in John 15 that God purges every tree that he loves so that it will bear more fruit. He prunes it. So, the fiery furnace is a place of refinement for us, not destruction.

In all of life's ups and downs, we have to learn to totally trust and rely on God. We must learn to judge self and justify God. Many of the Psalms point to this, so that's a great place to go for refuge. It will help us defeat anxious care, fear doubt, human reasoning, and vain imaginations. In one sense, Jesus Christ summarized what we said here today in Matthew 22, verses 37 through 40, when they asked the two great commandments, or the greatest commandments. And Jesus said, you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, your mind, and soul. The second one is like unto it, you shall love your neighbor as yourself. And then he said, on these two, hang all the law and the prophets. So, let's close here with one final passage of Scripture, beginning in Ephesians chapter 4, or, no, it's 3, I'm sorry. Chapter 3, verse 14, to the end of the chapter.

Brother and I hope that we understand what it really means to be a person of integrity, a vessel that is fitted for the master service, a vessel of honor, a person who is honest. In Ephesians 3, verse 14, For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that he would grant you, according the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man. That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith, that you being rooted and grounded in love may be able to comprehend with all saints what is of breadth and length and depth and height, and to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge that you might be filled with all the fullness of God.

Now unto him that is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us. And to him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages. World without end. Amen.