The just man walketh in his integrity.” Proverbs 20:7. “We must have responsible men, and we want men that shall stand just as true as the compass to the pole.” –Spalding and Magan Collection, p. 165
And it fell on a day, that Elisha passed to Shunem, where was a great woman; and she constrained him to eat bread. And so it was, that as oft as he passed by, he turned in thither to eat bread. And she said unto her husband, Behold now, I perceive that this is an holy man of God, which passeth by us continually. Let us make a little chamber, I pray thee, on the wall; and let us set for him there a bed, and a table, and a stool, and a candlestick: and it shall be, when he cometh to us, that he shall turn in thither.” 2 Kings 4: 8–10
We live in a dispensation when people pursue power without seeking the neccessary prerequisties for attaining it. A close examination of scripture gives us a glimpse of the secrets behind the exploits of the great men and women of past generations. Learning from them will enable us to attain to their spiritual heights of divine possibilities. Since God is unchanging, His demands are unchanging, also. His standard remains the same whatever the prevalent circumstances may be in any period of history.
Holiness and power are inseparably linked together and one cannot exist without the other. A holy man is a man who lives by the awesome power of God. His comportment, look, and demeanour, carry the very presence of God. Such a man may be difficult to find, but can be easily recognized as he looks and acts different from the world.
Elisha was referred to as “an holy man of God” by the Shunammite woman. Merely seeing the prophet pass through the street, the woman was convinced of Elisha’s spiritual worth. Who else could have been so described? Elisha was a man who had great influence in the entire nation of Israel as a prophet. So amazing was his influence that after his death his bones raised a dead man to life (2 Kings 13:20–21). His testimony, influence and power outlived him.
The phrase “man of God” is used in scripture for men of proven integrity, purity and probity; men of conviction about the standard of God’s word; men who stood for God in spite of the prevalent corruptions and compromises of their age. Moses, David, Elijah, Elisha, John the Baptist, Peter, Paul and a host of other men had excellent spiritual track records.
Our usefulness in life and service hinges on our testimony of holy living and righteous conduct. Every servant of God must comprehend the challenge of a godly example as true ambassadors of Christ. The demand of leadership is primarily that of character rather than charisma. God is interested in those who wanting to be leaders in service for Him. Sin must be avoided as a plague and righteousness embraced as a spouse.
It is interesting to know that the ultimate purpose of scripture is, “That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.” 2 Timothy 3: 17. Paul further states, “But godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.” 1 Timothy 4:8. Godly Bible characters had the power to live a holy lifestyle. The impact they had on their generation ought to be a challenge to New Testament believers, and ministers of the gospel, in particular. It takes holiness and tenacity of purpose to become a true servant of God and to continue as an overcomer—to live the Christian life that influences others positively for life and eternity.
An unstoppable determination for God’s holiness ought to be the resolve of every servant of God and minister of the gospel. We must determine to be absolutely and entirely for God and Him alone. An absolute and irrevocable surrender to God is the secret of becoming a man after God’s own heart. When we do, the consequence is awesome power with incredible influence.
Integrity and Holy Character of The Holy people of God
“Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. Receive us; we have wronged no man, we have corrupted no man, we have defrauded no man.” 2 Corinthians 7:1–2
“Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.” Hebrews 12:4
Simply defined, integrity is the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles. Personal integrity is indispensable to a healthy spiritual life. Ministers are to be “beacon of lights” to their followers; but when they are caught in the web of moral pollution and corruption, their testimony is soiled and their impact diminished. Without a good character, there is no trust. God cannot trust us with His power. Successful characters in the scripture were men and women of integrity. With integrity, we have nothing to fear because there is nothing to hide.
DAVID: When David prayed, “Let integrity and uprightness preserve me; for I wait on Thee” (Psalms 25:21), it was a prayer of great signficance. It is integrity that opens the way to ministerial privileges. And if we are to remain in the ministry, we must continue in the same. This is the reason for the uniqueness of this prayer. Intergrity is the preserving virtue of gospel ministers.
JOB: God testified of Job as a man of integrity. “And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered My servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? and still he holdeth fast his integrity.” Job 2:3
Then said his wife unto him, you are still as faithful as ever, why don’t you “Curse God and die;” and Job said “You are talking like a foolish woman, when God sends us something good, we welcome it. How can we complain when He sends us trouble?” In spite of everything he suffered, Job said nothing against God. Here we have the components of integrity—perfect, upright, God-fearing. Godly fear helps us to shun all evil whether in private or public. To fear God is to hate evil. God testified of the godly qualities in Job’s life.
SAMUEL: Samuel, the upright Judge of Israel, towered high among his equals in his generation. His open submission to Israel’s public scrutiny is a great challenge to all servants of God in all ages. The whole nation of Israel testified, “Thou has not defrauded us, nor oppressed us, neither hast thou taken ought of any man’s hand.” 1 Samuel 12:4. We must build a foundation of righteousness within a soul; cultivate and water it daily through prayerful meditation in the Word. Also, we need to constantly wait upon the Lord for spiritual renewal and watch against lukewarmness. Holiness must characterize all the fabrics of our being. It must be our watchword as well as our lifestyle.
JOSEPH: Joseph said “No” to adultery, “How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?” In Genesis 39:7–10, Joseph called the proposition wickedness and said it was sin against God. That was integrity.
DANIEL: “But they could find none occasion nor fault; forasmuch as he was faithful, neither was there any error or fault found in him.” Daniel 6:4. We are not going to find anything of which to accuse Daniel unless it is something in connection with his religion.
ELISHA: “As the LORD liveth, before whom I stand, I will receive none. And he urged him to take it; but he refused.” 2 Kings 5:16. Naaman insisted that he accept the gifts, but he would not. Elisha declined Naaman’s gifts.
SHADRACH, MESHACH AND ABEDNEGO: They answered and said to the king, “we are not careful to answer thee in this matter. . . . But if not, be it known unto thee, O King, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.” Daniel 3:16, 18
These three Hebrew men maintained their holiness and integrity despite the threat of death in the fiery furnace. Likewise we, as servants of God should, also remain strong in our faith in God. No matter what we are facing we should know that God is able to deliver us in such a difficult situation like this.
Men of integrity are men of good conscience, of godly character, and gracious conduct. They are growing in carefulness and gospel conversion, wearing the garment of chastity, and their characters reflect godliness and Christlikeness. In both scripture Testaments we see these men and women with glowing testimonies. The same grace they had is still available for us today.
A life of untainted integrity is a possibility. God’s will is that the life of His Son be made manifest in us. His divine nature is promised to all His children.
Rufus Olaleye Akinola, Banjul, The Gambia