Maintaining Integrity of the Heart Authentic Christianity Matthew Goode

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” - Matthew 5:8

Matthew 5:8 Out of our hearts, all issues of life are distilled & resolved (Prov. 4:23) If we can learn to be completely honest with God in everything, there is immeasurable joy to be found & immeasurable sorrow to be spared. It’s through our openness & transparency before God that we can begin to look at our integrity. The Bible tells us that out of our hearts, all issues of life are distilled and resolved (see Prov. 4:23). This truth is key to a promise of great significance and hope for every disciple. In essence it says that if we can learn to be absolutely, totally, completely, and unreservedly honest to God - up front with every dealing of His Spirit in our hearts, responding to His promptings, and submitting to His corrections - there is immeasurable joy to be found and immeasurable sorrow to be spared. Furthermore, immeasurable blessings will be poured out on others through the channel of a heart that remains unpolluted and available to the Holy Spirit's pure grace-workings. It is through our openness and transparency before God that we can begin to look at our integrity.

Introduction to Integrity “And Abraham journeyed from there to the South, and dwelt between Kadesh and Shur, and sojourned in Gerar. Now Abraham said of Sarah his wife, ‘She is my sister.’ And Abimelech king of Gerar sent and took Sarah. But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and said to him, ‘Indeed you are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken, for she is a man’s wife.’ But Abimelech had not come near her; and he said, ‘Lord, will You slay a righteous nation also? Did he not say to me, ‘She is my sister’? And she, even she herself said, ‘He is my brother.’ In the integrity of my heart and innocence of my hands, I have done this.’ And God said to him in a dream, ‘Yes, I know that you did this in the integrity of your heart. For I also withheld you from sinning against Me; therefore I did not let you touch her’.” - Genesis 20:1-6 Abimelech The notion of integrity of the heart in the Bible first appears in the telling of an incident in Abraham's life when God confronts King Abimelech: “And Abraham journeyed from there to the South, and dwelt between Kadesh and Shur, and sojourned in Gerar. Now Abraham said of Sarah his wife, ‘She is my sister.’ And Abimelech king of Gerar sent and took Sarah.  But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and said to him, ‘Indeed you are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken, for she is a man’s wife.’ But Abimelech had not come near her; and he said, ‘Lord, will You slay a righteous nation also? Did he not say to me, ‘She is my sister’? And she, even she herself said, ‘He is my brother.’ In the integrity of my heart and innocence of my hands, I have done this.’  And God said to him in a dream, ‘Yes, I know that you did this in the integrity of your heart. For I also withheld you from sinning against Me; therefore I did not let you touch her’.”  Gen. 20:1-6

Introduction to Integrity Abimelech Background comes from an earlier agreement between Abraham & his wife. Custom: The King would kill the husband of a woman he desired. The meat of the story: God speaks through a dream & Abimelech responds that he was acting in integrity, and honestly did not know that Sarah was married. God replies “I know”, his intention wasn’t to correct Abimelech. The background of this story comes from an earlier agreement between Abraham and his wife. It was common in their day for a regional king to kill the husband of a woman that he wanted to become a part of his harem. Because of her beauty, and since they would be doing quite a bit of nomadic traveling, an agreement was made between Abraham and Sarah that if they were to ever get caught in such a predicament, that they would convince the king that she was Abraham's sister. This would at least ensure that Abraham would not be killed. The true meat of the story comes when God appears to the king Abimelech in a dream, calling him a "dead man" for taking a married woman. Abimelech replies that he was acting in integrity, and honestly did not know she was married. God replies to Abimelech, telling him "I know" and allowing Abimelech to understand that He was there to correct him.

Understanding Integrity We are all vulnerable to confusion, mistakes, being mislead, or becoming a victim to someone’s manipulations. Like Abimelech, we can become trapped. BUT…. God is prepared to guard and deliver an honest heart—a heart of integrity—and defend that heart against the possibility of delusion. Understanding Integrity All of us are vulnerable to confusion and mistakes, to being mislead or becoming the victim of someone else's manipulations. Like Abimelech, without our awareness and completely outside of our intent or cooperation, we become trapped. But here the Bible discloses a life principle: God is prepared to guard and deliver an honest heart - a heart of integrity - and defend that heart against the possibility of delusion. Through the simple but demanding discipline of our constant walk of integrity of heart, God reveals He will protect and defend us from devices of evil or detours of self-confusion.

Understanding Integrity King David “Let integrity and uprightness preserve me, for I wait for you.” (Psalm 25:21) David didn’t have resources to protect all his regions, so he asked that his integrity would become his defense. As long as David walked in integrity, he was preserved. When he violated it, not only did he stumble, but his kingdom boundaries were penetrated. Integrity of heart can be further understood as we look at other uses of this concept: "Let integrity and uprightness preserve me, for I wait for You." Psalm 25:21When David wrote this the expanse of his kingdom had grown so large that he did not have adequate resources to protect every region. With this in mind we can see that David is saying, "Lord, there aren't enough troops to guard every border, so I'm asking: Let my integrity of heart before you become my defense." The implication of this request would create an agreement something like this: Lord, I'm going to walk before you in absolute obedience - to do what I perceive to be Your will and to respond to Your dealings with my heart. And in exchange, I ask you to lead me, in the context of my honesty of heart before you, that I will be guided by Your providence and wisdom and protection so that I will remain wise in administrating my borders - that I shall be kept by Your counsels as my defense against my enemies.And the Lord did exactly that during David's lifetime - at every point. As long as David walked in integrity of the heart, he was preserved. When he violated it, however, not only did he stumble, but his kingdom boundaries were penetrated.

Understanding Integrity King Solomon Solomon asked that the Lord would perpetuate his kingdom, the same as He did for David. This was God’s terms: “Now if you walk before me as your father David walked, in integrity of heart…then I will establish the throne of your kingdom over Israel forever.” (1 Kings 9:4-5) King Solomon For contrast, look at David's son, Solomon: In 1 Kings 8:12-53, we are told how Solomon prayed at the time the temple was dedicated, humbly opening himself to the Lord and revealing the same spirit and attitude of his father, David. Solomon asked for God to perpetuate his kingdom, much the same as He had for David, and in response to his prayer the Lord established His terms: "Now if you walk before me as your father David walked, in integrity of heart...then I will establish the throne of your kingdom over israel forever" 1 Kings 9:4-5

Understanding Integrity Integrity is a key to three blessings: Prevention – Abimelech was prevented from becoming entangled Preservation – David’s boundaries were preserved Perpetuation –Solomon was promised perpetuation of his kingdom God will preserve us, prevent us from evil involvements, & perpetuate the good blessings he intends for us….as long as we have integrity of heart. Through these biblical examples we see integrity as a key to three blessings: ​Prevention - Abimelech was prevented from becoming entangled because he walked in integrity of heart ​ Preservation - David's boundaries were preserved as long as he retained integrity of heart ​ Perpetuation - Solomon was promised perpetuation of his kingdom if he maintained integrity of the heart God will preserve us, He will prevent us from evil involvements that could cause us to stumble, and He will perpetuate the good blessings He intends for us.

Conclusion God is known via the heart, not mind. He’s known in Person & in intimacy by those who seek Him with all their heart. Contrary to the ideas of western intellectualism, God is notknown via the mind but via the heart. Our intelligence may deduce things about Him and our minds may study realities revealed by Him, but God is ultimately known in Person and in intimacy by those who seek Him with all their heart. Once met and known, advancement on the path to maturity and personal effectiveness is realized in the fullest way only as a discipline of purity. It requires the totality of heart-yieldedness, and a vulnerability to the Holy Spirit maintained in humility and childlikeness.

Conclusion Let us be open to the Holy Spirit’s monitoring us, and let us respond when God corrects. Let us be open to the Holy Spirit’s monitoring us, and let us respond when God corrects.