Maintaining Spiritual Integrity - Evangelical Caucus/Devotional

"In order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ" (Phil. 1:10). Seek to have a life that bears scrutiny.

In our society, those whose lives are marked by moral soundness, uprightness, honesty, and sincerity are usually thought of as people of integrity. However, society's standards often fall far short of God's. Spiritual integrity calls for the highest possible standard of behavior and requires supernatural resources available only to those who trust in Him.

Paul's prayer in Philippians 1:9-10 outlines the path to spiritual integrity. It begins with love that abounds with knowledge and discernment (v. 9) and progresses to the pursuit of excellence (v. 10). The result is sincerity and blamelessness—two characteristics of godly integrity.

The Greek word translated "sincere" in verse 10 speaks of genuineness and authenticity. It literally means "without wax" and is an allusion to the practice of inspecting pottery by holding it up to the sunlight. In ancient times pottery often cracked during the firing process. Rather than discarding cracked pieces, dishonest dealers often filled the cracks with wax and sold them to unsuspecting customers. Holding a pot up to the sunlight revealed any flaws and protected the customer from a bad purchase.

Following that analogy, biblical integrity requires that you be without wax, having no hypocrisy or secret sins that show up when you're under pressure or facing temptation.

"Blameless" speaks of consistency in living a life that doesn't lead others into error or sin. Your standard is the same away from church as it is at church.

Being blameless isn't easy in a world that unashamedly flaunts its sinful practices. You must guard against losing your sensitivity to the heinousness of sin and unwittingly beginning to tolerate or even accept the sin that once shocked you. That's when you lose integrity and begin to cause others to stumble.

Diligently pursue integrity with a view toward glorifying Christ in all things until He returns!

-Thank God that He is able to keep you from stumbling and to make you stand in His presence blameless with great joy (Jude 24).

-Prayerfully guard your heart and mind from the subtle evil influences that can erode your integrity and make you ineffective for the Lord.

A description is exquisitely given in his "Through the Bible Day by Day" work by F. B. Meyer:

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It is exceedingly difficult to compress this Epistle, which is the tenderest and most personal of them all.

Every word merits consideration; every paragraph is full of linked sweetness long drawn out. In the opening verses we are taught that we may further the gospel, not only by direct efforts, but by helping those who, like the Apostle, are devoted to its spread.

From the early beginnings of their friendship, this Church had never faltered in its loving gifts, which Paul sought to repay with prayers on their behalf. He regarded them as comrades fighting the same enemy, on the same field, and sharing in the same grace.

The Apostle’s confidence that whatever God begins will have its perfect end,

Php_1:6, is very reassuring. *

"Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ: "

This is what we need, though we must not take it for granted apart from faith and prayer. Each of the Epistles has its “collect,” its comprehensive prayer offered in the name of Christ. This one is especially beautiful.

Abounding love will lead to increased knowledge; and this to quicker discrimination between things that differ, however similar they may appear; and this, in turn, to freedom from blame and offense.

And all will result in the fruit of a holy life, pleasing to Jesus and bringing glory and praise to God.

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* Added for clarity

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