Integrity: Part 3 – The Mindset of Faith

Today’s study assumes you are dealing with the sin causing your lack of integrity. (For more on this, see here) Notice the verb tense “are dealing” because this will never be a completed issue this side of eternity. Sin will always threaten your integrity. You also know the only source of hope is found in God alone; and He is willing to provide all that is needed for your success in this area.

The life of integrity possesses faith, honor and discipline. Faith begins as an idea that is verified repeatedly and widely until it grows into a conviction. This conviction is placed in context of life and given the status of “that which can be questioned, but from which I cannot be dissuaded.” When an idea reaches this stage, it has become faith. Faith guides our decisions, aids in our activities and dictates our values. This is what faith does, but how does it do that?

Faith provides a steadying influence to life. In this regard, Proverbs 13:17 speaks of a faithful representative providing a stable picture of his homeland to other nations. Proverbs 20:6 informs us that this influence is difficult to find among mankind; not everyone is a person of integrity. In Psalm 36:5, the psalmist tells us that the sky is the limit when it comes to testing (verifying) God’s influence in life. Isaiah (33:6) would have us know that this stability of faith comes via knowledge (the accumulation of facts) and wisdom (the correct application of knowledge). In fact, our stability allows others to place trust in us as well, according to Titus 2:10.

Not only does faith provide a steadying influence to life; it also builds confidence into a life. Note how the man in Matthew 8:10 is described: a man of GREAT faith; the level of confidence found in him was unparalleled. Luke 17:6 reminds us that confidence need not be great in magnitude to be great in effect. In the next chapter (Luke 18:8), Luke tells us that like stability, confidence is also often lacking. So how is confidence gained or maintained? Romans 10:17 instructs us that confidence is born out of repeated exposure to God’s Word; a process that breeds patience in times of trial (James 1:3) that motivates actions (Hebrews 11:1, 3, 4).

Confidence is closely related to expectation. Since I am confident that my birthday will be celebrated, I expect (have faith) that I will receive presents. Faith is described in terms of confidence in passages such as Acts 16:19, when the Philippians expected to receive profit from their psychic girl. Paul expresses an expectation to receive what God had promised him in Acts 26:6. Even society operates under the principle of expecting a harvest (1 Corinthians 9:10) from invested labors. 1 Peter 3:15 informs the believer that his confidence and the expectation that breeds it should be readily evident to all – and be succinctly explained. Yes, confidence breeds expectation; but expectation also influences and further solidifies our confidence.

A final aspect of faith is its ability to withstand in any situation. People were once commonly referred to as “men of their word” referring to their unquestionable character of truthfulness. Notice that aspect of faith in Psalm 100:5 (God’s truth is stable throughout time); Acts 14:22 (The confidence that resulted in expectation was able to sustain these believers for their entire life!); Romans 1:17 (The character of reliability is what separates ‘the just’ from the rest) and Ephesians 6:16 (Our faith is to be trustworthy; what soldier would take an unreliable shield into battle?)

With the following definitions of faith in place, the faith mentioned in Acts 6:5 is the life of faith! Stephen was not only a man of firmness and fidelity, he lived in light of the hopes and expectations he possessed. His was a life lived by conviction. His character was one of reliability. Stephen is seen at the culmination of the process of faith. You must not assume he was always a man of such character. In fact, he was a sinner, saved by grace, like every follower of Jesus Christ. His journey from sinner to model of faith is not chronicled; but he undertook the journey and arrived successfully – as can you!