The Secret to Greatness

Written by: Andrew Friesen on 3/10/2011

John Maxwell who is a well respected leader around the world says that the greatest quality that people want in a leader is integrity.  Reinhard Bonnke says, “Integrity is being what you should be when no one is watching, being real with ourselves, honest in our minds, for “as a man thinks in his heart, so is he” (Prov 23:7) Wikipedia says “Integrity is a concept of consistency of actions, values, methods, measures, principles, expectations, and outcomes.  The world today often complains against hypocrisy in the evangelical church.  There is no question that today the world is crying out for leaders who have integrity.  Preachers who live and experience what they are preaching. Above all Jesus Christ lived a life of integrity.  He lived what he preached.  "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday today and forever." Hebrews 13:8 

Everybody knows and wants integrity but the question is how do we get integrity?

Several years ago I attended a church that really emphasized integrity.  It was a very good emphasis.  The problem was I never heard anyone say how to get it.  They would just say things like.  “Do this!”  or “Bring it to the cross.” or “give it to the Lord.”  “Let God deal with it.”  I would say to myself “Take it to the cross”?  How do I do that?  The cross on the church steeple?  Then one day I saw something that hit me like a bolt of lightning and I believe with all my heart that it will transform your life and cause you to live a life of integrity. 

Joseph was a man in the bible who had integrity.  A woman approached him and tried to seduce him but to no avail.  Gen 39:10-12  “So it was, as she spoke to Joseph day by day, that he did not heed her, to lie with her or to be with her.But it happened about this time, when Joseph went into the house to do his work, and none of the men of the house was inside, that she caught him by his garment, saying, “Lie with me.” But he left his garment in her hand, and fled and ran outside.

Samson on the other hand had no power over sin and lived in hyposcrisy.  Samson was forbidden by law to cut his hair, drink wine, and marry a Philistine.  Samson found himself doing the very thing he was commanded not to do.  It’s a sad story.  Judges 14:1-2 “Now Samson went down to Timnah, and saw a woman in Timnah of the daughters of the Philistines. So he went up and told his father and mother, saying, “I have seen a woman in Timnah of the daughters of the Philistines; now therefore, get her for me as a wife.” 

I asked the Holy Spirit “Why is it that Joseph had lived in integrity and Samson did not?”  The Lord said to me, “Andrew it’s because Joseph didn’t have any law.  Joseph lived by my Grace”.   Wow!  The law was given by Moses who lived many years after Joseph and Romans 7:8 “For apart from the law sin was dead.”  Do you see that?  Only Grace can produce integrity while law or human effort will produce failure and hypocrisy.  The power of sin is the law but the gospel of God’s grace is the power of God for INTEGRITY.  Grace is Jesus and what He has already done on the cross for the entire world.  Your sins are all forgiven past, present, and future.  God has already reconciled you to himself.  2 Corinthians 5:19 “that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.”  God has already done it.  He’s not going to forgive you.  He DID IT ON THE CROSS.  Focus on that! On Jesus inside of you.  You will find yourself automatically living a life of integrity.  You will avoid great pain in your life.  “For the wages of sin is death.” Romans 6:23.  There are consequences for sin.  Broken marriages.  Families destroyed.  Ministries lost.  This breaks my heart!  That’s why I’m writing this blog.  Get the Law and condemnation out of your life.  Stop trying to live the Christian life and let Jesus live in and though you now before it’s too late.  Yes God’s grace can restore and there’s always hope with God.  However, there are consequences in this life.  Don’t you think it’s better to live a life of integrity?  Your thoughts?  -Andrew