Cedrick Baker challenges us to walk in the way of integrity, living with our actions aligned with our beliefs. In this way of life our actions are not determined by what fits the situation, but by how our conscience determines what we will choose to do in the moment.
Watch/Listen
The Way of Integrity
• Cedrick Baker
Show Extended Summary Hide Extended Summary
Integrity is a word that is related to the word integer, meaning one, the same, or consistent. It means that there is a unity or consistency in our lives where we live in the same way in different circumstances. The opposite of the virtue of integrity is the vice of hypocrisy, which is acting in a way that pretends to be different depending upon the situation. With hypocritical living there is a disconnect between what we say we believe and the way that we act.
In Matthew 25:27-28, Jesus challenges hypocrites. He says that on the outside it appears that they are following the ways of God, but when you look inside at their hearts, this is not the case. Who they are on the inside is not aligned with that they are saying. They are pretending.
This lack of integrity is rooted in a lack of trust in God in two main areas. We do not trust God as our source or we do not trust God for our worth. In 2 Corinthians 1:12, Paul wrote, “ Now this is our boast: Our conscience testifies that we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially in our relations with you, with integrity and godly sincerity. We have done so, relying not on worldly wisdom but on God’s grace.” Paul is saying that he was able to live with integrity because God has been his source and his worth.
The early church emphasized the formation of integrity through the development of what is called a habitus. This is a way of living which is comprised of the deeply ingrained habits, skills and dispositions that shape an individual’s worldview, behaviors and preferences. The habitus of a group of people forms the way a people respond so that their choices are not dependent upon the situation. Instead, they react to challenges according to the habitus because they are have been formed by the practices of that habitus. It becomes second nature. As a result, the love of Jesus is not something that one has to think about doing in a specific situation. It is second nature to them.
Cedrick offers three tips for weaving integrity more deeply into our nature. First, practice is key. We do not simply will ourselves into integrity. We practice it to the point that it becomes part of who we are. In order to practice, it is helpful to simply focus on one thing at a time. Second, confession is good for the soul. We need to embrace humility to the point that we are willing to share our faults and weaknesses with others. We need a few people in our lives who are safe who can know us at a deeper level and embrace us for who we truly are. Third, integrity is a matter of the heart. It is important to immerse ourselves in the truth of what God says so that our hearts might be inundated and filled with what is true. As a result, we are not simply trying to act with integrity, but instead integrity will be more likely to flow out of us.
We do not develop integrity for the sake of integrity. Instead, we are living with integrity so that we might know Jesus better and so that we might put the life of Jesus on display before a watching world. This is our call. This is our way.
Hide Extended Summary
Topics: Disciplines, Hypocrisy, Transformation
Sermon Series: Walk the Way
Downloads & Resources
Audio File
Study guide
Transcript
Group Study Guide
Identity in Christ Handout
The MuseCast: July 8
Focus Scripture:
-
Psalm 15:1-2
Lord, who may reside in your tent?
Who may settle on your holy hill?
One who walks with integrity,
practices righteousness,
and speaks truth in his heart.
5 thoughts on “The Way of Integrity”
Leave a Reply
"Thank you for this ministry! It has transformed my life in some really radical ways. God has broken down so many barriers and exposed so many lies that have taken some serious burdens from my heart. It has given me hope, freedom and purpose I never could have imagined possible."
– Jenny, from Wisconsin
I’ve never been okay with the Spirit actually killing Annanias.
Couldn’t he perhaps have been an old man or perhaps he had a pre-existent heart condition?
His being found out could have triggered a heart attack – and that’s why he died. Perhaps?
My bad. I jumped the gun and forget that the wife died as well. aargh
Hi Kevin!
In our Theology & Things library, we have a post on Ananias and Sapphira that might help: whchurch.org/qa_article/why-were-ananias-and-sapphira-killed/
—Emily from the Communications Team
Thanks Sister Emily; i’d forgotten all about that link.
‘If’ i feel led to comment, i’ll do so on that page.
The sermon was about much more than that one thing.
Cedric really said what he meant – and meant what he said! Our having integrity despite curcumstances is vital. i don’t want to be double-minded or hypocritical. We’re commanded to ‘speak the truth – in love’. i always contrasted that with ‘people-pleasing’ :-O
Maranatha!
Cedrick, I’ve been reading Nassim Nicholas Taleb’s books the last “Skin in the Game” this week and a couple things caught my attention.
I was a little nervous where I might be able to share not knowing what’s coming so here goes hope this works!
Taleb would say it is impossible to be a person of integrity without ‘skin in the game’ and in the absence thereof you’re a hypocrite. Matthew 23:3 so you must be careful to do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach.
Matthew 23:27-28 NNT version The intellectual yet idiot IYI [i.e. woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites] that get the first order logic right but NOT the second order [higher] effects making you totally incompetent in complex domains having no skin in the game [NO BS detection]; can’t tell S*** from shinola .
Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence.
Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent.
Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb.
Education will not; the world is full of EDUCATED DERELICTS. see above
Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.
Calvin Coolidge
“Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.”
Antoine Marie Jean-Baptiste Roger, Vicomte de Saint-Exupéry
Later re-paraphrased by IBM: “KISS KEEP IT SIMPLE STUPID” Hey nothing personnel it’s a paygrade limitation. From a prior comment on Greg’s sermon “The Way of Contentment”: Our MINDS are NOT quite DESIGNED to UNDERSTAND how the WORLD WORKS but rather how to get out of trouble rapidly and have progeny.
These two quotes emphasize the importance of simplicity, integrity and conciseness.
In the context of “analytical brilliance,” it suggests that true understanding and profound insights come from simplifying complex ideas and eliminating unnecessary information, rather than continuously adding more.
Most things we believe were invented by universities were actually DISCOVERED by tinkering and later legitimized by some sort type of formalization. The knowledge we get by tinkering, via trial and error [2 CONFESSION IS GOOD FOR THE SOUL], experience, and the working of time [1 PRACTICE IN KEY], in other words, contact with the earth [3 IT’S A MATTER OF YOUR HEART], is vastly superior to that obtained through reasoning, something ALL our IYI self-serving institutions have been very busy hiding from us.
2 Corinthians 1:12 NNT version It is BS identification and filtering [Romans 12:2] that is the difference between theory and practice, cosmetic and true experience and academia and the real world […not on worldly wisdom but on GOD’S GRACE]
Again from my comment on Dan’s sermon “The Way of Empathy”
Mark 10:42–45 Jesus wasn’t teaching us to condescend and serve one another; he was teaching us that we should not regard service as condescension to begin with. Service isn’t what unimportant people do for IYI important people; it’s what equals do for each other.
In the Tennessee Ernie Ford song, “Sixteen ton what do you get another day older and deeper in debt – St Peter don’t you call me because I can’t go – I owe my Soul to the company store”, I consider this man was given, by God, a one talent say so – but he performed it tenfold – however IYI contract society says sorry pays the same at that level: if you want more you need to transcend above your God given talent say so however, Colossians 3:23-24, in the end God will make it right for the Agape community!
Cedrick loved your three point’s thank you!