Integrity is making known to the outside world what we truly are on the inside. A person with integrity adheres to a code of moral values. They are so committed to their code of ethics that they become almost incorruptible. They are undivided in their morality. As Christians, our code of morality is spelled out in the Bible. We are to be so committed to Christ that we do not waiver in our biblical principles. However, we who are Christians can be good at putting on a front. Sometimes, we have one thing in our hearts but act another way. Biblical integrity brings us to a point of understanding that putting on a front is living a lie. If we really are Christians, we are to seek to be like Christ on the inside and show it on the outside. That should be revealed in our actions and our attitudes. That is what we want the world to know about us. We need to be determined that whatever the cost, I am going to maintain my integrity because that is who I am to God. It is what He is expecting of me.
A notable example of integrity that jumps out at me from the Bible is the Hebrew young men Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. These young men were probably in their late teens; some scholars believe they could have been as young as 13 when the Babylonians captured them. These young men were chosen as the best of the young men. They were being groomed to serve in King Nebuchadnezzar’s palace.
In Daniel chapter 3, all who were in the kingdom were commanded to bow and worship a statue of the king when the music was played. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were in their early adult years by now because they had already been given positions in the palace. This is one of the most beloved stories to young children because it shows the power and protection of God to those who place Him first in their lives. However, it is also one of the greatest examples of integrity. These young men would not bow to worship anyone but Jehovah God, no matter what the cost would be. They were willing to give their lives rather than worship anyone else. These young men were thrown into a fiery furnace. The furnace was so hot that those who opened the door, “the most mighty men in his army,” were consumed by the fire.
Daniel 3:20-23 “And he commanded the most mighty men that were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace. Then these men were bound in their coats, their hosen, and their hats, and their other garments, and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. Therefore, because the king’s commandment was urgent, and the furnace exceeding hot, the flame of the fire slew those men that took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.”
Later in Daniel chapter 3, we see the young men walking out of the furnace completely unscathed. When in the furnace, Nebuchadnezzar sees them walking around, but they are not alone. In verse 24 Nebuchadnezzar sees 4 men, to this he reply’s “the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.” Because of their integrity, they were not only spared but became a living testimony to the King and the Babylonians, about the one true God.
Daniel 3:24-26 “Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonied, and rose up in haste, and spake, and said unto his counselors, Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True, O king. He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.
Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth of the burning fiery furnace, and spake, and said, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, ye servants of the most high God, come forth, and come hither. Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came forth of the midst of the fire.”
As Christian adults, we can learn much from these young men. We are to represent Christ wherever we go and in whatever situation we are in. How many times have you walked away from those who are using God’s name in vain instead of taking a stand and letting others know this is your God, your friend, about whom they are talking? How many times have you ignored situations where you could take a stand for Christ but didn’t because of fear of ridicule or repercussions that might affect your job or your relationships with others? What about in your Christian circles where you see people compromising, but you refuse to share the biblical truths that deem their attitudes or actions sin? It is time we, as Christians, live a life of great integrity. No fear of consequences should keep us from being a person of great integrity.
