“God is good all the time, and all the time God is good.” I’ve heard that saying for many years, and it’s true. God is good. It means that God, by His nature, is inherently good. God’s goodness means He does what is right all of the time. 34:8 tells us, “Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.” Last week, we discussed one attribute of God’s goodness: His holiness. Today, let’s discuss the integrity of God.
The word integrity means “the state of being whole and undivided.” The root of the word comes from the mathematical term integer, which is a “whole” number without a fraction. So, integrity means being whole, without any fractions. That means that we are consistent and true. We are true to what we say we are. Our actions match our words.
Let me mention three attributes of God’s integrity:
1. God’s Genuineness: He is true.
Jeremiah 10:10 says, “But the LORD is the true God; he is the living God and the everlasting King.” In John 17:3, Jesus prayed, “And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.” Our God is the one true God. He is genuinely, authentically, truly true.
Our Response: True Worship
Jesus declared, “God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth” (John 4:24). Because God is true, our worship must be true. Is your worship of God undivided? Is it whole? Is it full of integrity? Or is it divided? Does something else vie for your worship that is only due to God?
2. God’s Veracity: He always tells the truth.
Hebrews 6:18 says that “…it is impossible for God to lie…” Think about that for a second: it is IMPOSSIBLE for God to lie. He cannot lie. He cannot do it. He always tells the truth.
Our Response: True Words
Because God is a God of truth, and ALWAYS tells the truth, we as His followers should tell the truth. Colossians 3:9 tells us, “Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices.” Ephesians 4:25 states, “Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another.” Do your words reflect the truth of the God you serve? Do you have a tendency to tell a “white lie” or to exaggerate a little too much?
3. God’s Faithfulness: He always proves true.
Both the Old and New Testaments declare the faithfulness of God. Jeremiah declared, “The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness” (Lamentations 3:22-23). And in the New Testament, we are told: “if we are faithless, he remains faithful—for he cannot deny himself” (2 Timothy 2:13).
God is always faithful. He is the same yesterday, today and forever. He never changes. He is always the same; He is always faithful.
Our Response: True Ways
I would encourage you to read the entire short Psalm 15. This psalm of David describes the integrity that we are to live by. We are to have integrity because God does. Is there anything in your life that does not match what the life you claim to live, and the God you worship? Do you practice what you preach? Is your life and worship true? Is it whole, or is it fractured and divided?
I am so grateful for the integrity and faithfulness of God. As the great hymn reminds us:
Great is Thy faithfulness
O God my Father
There is no shadow of turning with Thee
Thou changest not
Thy compassions they fail not
As Thou hast been
Thou forever will be
Great is Thy faithfulness
Great is Thy faithfulness
Morning by morning new mercies I see
And all I have needed Thy hand hath provided
Great is Thy faithfulness
Lord unto me
Pardon for sin
And a peace that endureth
Thine own dear presence to cheer
And to guide
Strength for today
and bright hope for tomorrow
Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside
Great is Thy faithfulness
Great is Thy faithfulness
Lord every morning new mercies I see
And all I have needed Thy hands hath provided
Great is Thy faithfulness
Great is Thy faithfulness
Great is Thy faithfulness
Lord unto me