Maintaining Integrity With God: A Biblical Worldview

Our passage is set in a teaching moment where Jesus is once again using parables to get profound principles into the heart of his followers. The first lesson deals with the delay of justice countered by persistent approaches. The second lesson deals with personal perception. Jesus’ goals in all of his lessons was to frame a biblical worldview for his followers. At the core of each moment, they were with Jesus, he was using each event, each opportunity to teach and frame a biblical worldview for his followers.

Perhaps, this is why the Christian church in America is in the state she is in because her citizens have not been taught in such a way that frames for them a biblical worldview!

Let me come in early with truth, hard yet real truth. Biblical worldview is not automatic when you become a Christian. A biblical worldview must be taught in which the existing worldview is taught out. 

Teaching is not simply what you hear but is what you embrace and implement. 

You, as a Christian can pray. Get a sense that God heard your prayers and answered in your request and still not have a biblical worldview. You can hold power positions in a congregation or denomination group and still not have a biblical worldview. A biblical worldview is not automatic when you become a Christian. You can have spiritual experience and still not have a biblical worldview. Jesus used every moment possible to use parables to teach profound principles into the heart of his followers because he wanted them, not needed them to execute ministry, build and expand the Kingdom of God from a biblical worldview. They didn’t have a written bible like we do today in order to reference. They had something far more excellent. They had Jesus in his earthly body living the worldview that they would soon be responsible to teach. 

Why is this important? Because being a Christian, holding positions of power, influence and trust as a spokesperson for God, but doing so without a biblical worldview means you lack integrity with God. Yes, integrity with God is based upon the worldview you chose as the foundation of your life and influence. 

Let’s look again at the scripture in Luke 18. In verse 1-8, Jesus uses someone who sits in a position of power and influence but clearly has no integrity with God. He is an unjust judge. The very description tells us he has no integrity because he is unjust. Jesus says he didn’t fear God, he had no reverence for God. Again, he has a position of power and influence but no integrity with God. How can we detect this lack of integrity with God? It’s in the fact that he does not have reverence for God. But also it is in how he treats people. Jesus says this judge abused his power, misused his position in his dealings with people. 

In his worldview, he was the final authority. In his worldview, no one could challenge his actions nor hold him accountable. He held a worldview that was the opposite of the Kingdom of God. Jesus says when this man changed his mind concerning his treatment of this woman; it wasn’t because of a biblical or Kingdom worldview. Instead it was a humanistic worldview. He changed his mind, his decision because of himself. He didn’t want his life bothered. Jesus takes the lesson a step further and gives them the biblical worldview on prayer, intercession and justice.

Being a Christian, holding positions of power, influence and trust as a spokesperson for God, but doing so without a biblical or Kingdom worldview means you lack integrity with God. In his second lesson on this principle, Jesus compares two men in different occupations. One held a position of power as a religious and spiritual leader i.e. a trusted voice for God. The other held a position of power and influence in the financial sector as a tax collector. Both came for their personal time of sacramental duty. They came to pray. The trusted religious voice boasted to God that he was not like the others in his community. He boasted his betterness. He boasted about his various forms of spiritual superiority. Jesus clearly states that this religious man who enjoys his position of power and community influence was not at all justified with God. He held positions of power but he had no integrity with God.

In comparison, Jesus says the tax collector humbled himself while in communication and prayer with God. With his sins unexposed before God, the tax collector maintains integrity with God.

Clearly, these two men held different world views but only one of those world views allowed the man to maintain integrity with God. 

Why should we care if we have integrity with God? 

Integrity is about adhering to moral and ethical principles and character as defined by God. Integrity is being undiminished in principles as defined by God. Integrity is about light and dark as defined by God.

If you are a Christian, you should want more than fire protection from the flames of hell. You should want more than the blessing plan of cattle on 1000 hills, houses, land and riches. You should want more than the praises of people. When you are a follower of Christ, a citizen in the Kingdom of God, you should want to be in a right relationship with God. You should want the Lord to be pleased with your words and deeds. You should want the Lord to have confidence in you. You should want the Lord to examine your hands and determine, “My son... my daughter, you’ve kept your hands clean!” 

Integrity with God means friendship with God. Integrity with God means you enjoy the trust of God. Everyday, we should ask ourselves “Does God trust me or have I lost integrity with God?”. You can maintain the explanation from some who have lost integrity with God.

Well, brother and sister, what God understands and backs up are only His principles, never your compromise. So I close with Romans 8:35 – “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?” Tribulation? Distress? Persecution? Famine? Nakedness? Peril? Sword? Being sheep accounted for slaughter? Death? Principalities? Power? Creatures? No, in all things, we are more than conquerors; in all things we maintain integrity with God.

In all things, we decide from a biblical worldview. We act from a biblical worldview. We speak from a biblical worldview. We judge from a biblical worldview. We persuade from a biblical worldview. We lead from a biblical worldview.

Photo by Luis Quintero from Pexels 

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