This Sunday

How often have we heard in our day of someone who has destroyed their ministry and credibility because their integrity was compromised through a disastrous fall into sin? Integrity and a good Christian witness is one of those things that once lost is very hard to regain. There are many Christians who have made shipwreck of their personal testimony and witness and made their usefulness for the Lord minimal at best because they lost their credibility. Lost because of a life that has been foolishly compromised through a fall into sin or choosing the vain pleasures of this world. One sinful mistake or a besetting sin has ruined a life that could have had so much potential for the Lord. Consider the following Bible verses touching the topic of integrity:

ROM 12:1-2 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
MAT 5:16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
PRO 11:3 The integrity of the upright shall guide them: but the perverseness of transgressors shall destroy them.
PRO 19:1 Better is the poor that walketh in his integrity, than he that is perverse in his lips, and is a fool.
PRO 20:7 The just man walketh in his integrity: his children are blessed after him.

I believe one of the greatest Old Testament believers was Joseph. If you read the account of his life you will see a man who was governed by a love for God and the Spirit of Truth. Let us consider the following obeservations:

I. Notice that the believer who holds to their integrity is a prosperous Christian.

1. Notice that I did not say a wealthy Christian. God caused the efforts of Joseph to bring about a blessing to his master’s household. vs. 2
2. Joseph’s godliness was a witness to his master of the fact that God was with him. vs. 3 Can it be said of you or me by those outside of the Kingdom that they see the effects of the Lord in our lives? If you are not walking with the Lord as you should it will never be evident to those around you that you are a Christian. It will not be said of you that “the Lord is with you”.
3. Joseph served his master as if he were serving the Lord.
4. A man of integrity is a person who can be trusted with anything that is put to his care. Joseph was not a minute man but rather a man devoted to serving his master with honesty and a hard days labour. He was given charge over all Potiphar's estate. He did not need his employer to watch over his shoulder. Some people at their places of employ are involved in what is commonly called "time theft". Just wasting time until quitting time. Not so with Joseph. He could be trusted with anything and everything!
5. The unbelieving Potiphar was blessed because of a godly man like Joseph in his house. You can have an impact on others because of your walk with the Lord. You can impact them for good or for bad depending on your walk with the Lord.
6. A man of integrity has a good reputation.

II. A man of integrity lives and acts knowing that he is in the presence of the living God.

1. Joseph is tempted to lie with Potiphar’s wife
2. He could have done so. No one would have found out. It would have been their little secret. But Joseph would not even consider doing such an evil thing because he was upright and holy.
3. He realized that this would be great wickedness and a sin against God. A man of integrity is sensitive to sin. A godly person sees sin for what it is: a great wickedness! There is not an attitude of little sins and great sins. All sin is a great wickedness and an offence against the Most High.
4. He lived with the awareness that the Lord is with him wherever he is and it is the Lord that sees and knows all things.
5. She repeatedly came to him day by day with the same temptation in order to try and wear down Joseph. The devil was working overtime in an attempt to destroy Joseph’s integrity. Reminds me of Job’s trials. The Devil was attempting to go for the jugular. Joseph was a handsome man and Satan was attempting to use his good looks against him.
6. Joseph refused to listen to her or even be in the same room with her. The Bible says that we are to abstain from all appearance of evil. The rule of the Bible is that if it could be taken as appearing to be evil than you should abstain.
7. But the most important lesson that can be drawn from Joseph’s conduct is this: that to sin against God would have disqualified him from becoming the man under Pharoah to rule Egypt and preserve that nation and the godly seed of Abraham. You see how one fall in one sin can have a disastrous result?
8. You want to know why God is not blessing some of you as you think He should? Could it be that there is a besetting sin that has stopped your spiritual progress and usefulness for the Lord right in it’s tracks? You cannot expect God to bless your efforts if you think lightly towards sin in your life.


III. A man of integrity is one who flees from sin. He keeps the Temple clean.

1. Sometimes a tempting situation requires a physical response. He got out of there immediately. In fact he ran. The Bible tells us to flee from sin.

1CO 6:18-19 Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body. What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
1CO 10:14 Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry.
2TI 2:22 Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

2. Notice that Joseph even left his cloak behind. Potiphar’s wife took him by the cloak to force herself upon him but he would have nothing to with her and left his cloak and did not return for it. Better to leave all the things of this world and lose everything and still be right with the Lord. You will have to leave something behind if you are to forsake sin and follow the Lord.
3. Potiphar’s wife now is indignant with Joseph and she is so incensed that she concocts a story that he attempted to seduce her. It is amazing that for someone who was being taken advantage of, none of the servants heard her screams for help.
4. I do not think for a minute that Potiphar actually believed his wife and her wild fictitous account for he knew her all too well. Yet, for the sake of his reputation and embarrassment he had Joseph put in prison. He really could have executed him, but God was with Joseph.

IV. A man of integrity understands that God has Sovereign control over his life and lives confidently in that truth.

1. God showed grace and mercy from sparing his life from death. Remember Joseph’s brothers wanted to kill him, but Reuben intervened and he was sold instead. Joseph could have been put to death for the allegations made against him but God showed grace and mercy.
2. So Joseph was placed in the worst possible prison in the penal system. A place where those special prisoners of the King were held. The "Alcatraz" of Egypt.
3. Joseph finds favor with the prison Warden. And he is promoted to assistant to the Warden. Can you imagine such a thing? An inmate running the penitentiary. I don’t think you would see such a thing in our day. That’s how much trust the Warden had in Joseph.
4. The Lord was with him. It doesn’t matter what situation you may find yourself in, if you are obedient and in God’s will and living a godly life that God has called you to, He is always with you. And you can live confidently in that truth this morning.
5. Joseph made that prison a better place because the Lord made whatever Joseph did to prosper. An obedient faithful Christian will have a life which bears fruit for the Lord. “Ye shall know them by their fruits” You will know an evil person by their evil fruits and you will know a godly person by their good fruits.

V. A man of integrity is a man who has the Spirit of God.

1. I make this point because being the kind of man that Joseph was takes more than human effort. It takes a radical transformation from within the human heart. The sinful human condition must be dealt with.
2. Joseph was a saved man. He was born again. He had the Spirit of God taking up residence within his heart. The great tragedy within the Church today is that there are millions of people who profess to be Christians. They are professing Christians. But there are very few that are possessing Christians. In comparison there are very few that are truly born again Christians.
3. The believer lives in the Spirit. He walks in the Spirit. He is filled with the Spirit.
4. The Spirit gives wisdom. Divine wisdom to help you make the right choice. We often talk and ask during important matters that the Lord would give us the mind of Christ. We should seek to have the mind of Christ in all things. You can never be too spiritual.

VI. A man of integrity understands that the Lord can even use the evil that others perpetrate against him in order to carry out His Divine purposes.

1. Joseph knew what his brothers did was evil.

Gen. 50:20 “But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.”

2. But God intended that it would be used for good in order that a nation would be preserved.

ROM 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

CONCLUSION:

1. Are you living your life in a manner which reflects Christ in you? Do your unbelieving friends, neighbours or relatives see your faith in action? Is there some besetting sin which is hindering your testimony? Surrender it to Christ, before you head down that slippery road of compromise and end up with a fruitless life filled with regret. Today, repent and God can give you a fresh start and begin living with integrity today!

2. If you have never surrendered your life to Jesus Christ you can have a new start! Jesus died on that old rugged cross to pay your sin debt. If you trust Him today to save you from your sins, it is for certain that when this life passes you will spend eternity with Him forever. The Christian life is the most exciting life in the world when it is surrendered to the living God in Jesus Christ. God has a plan and a purpose for you! Turn your life over to Him and live a life surrendered to Christ and you will never regret that decision! May God help you to see your need for Him! Amen!