Integrity
Blessed are they who observe justice, who do righteousness at all times!
Psalm 106:3 ESV
We all strive to be seen as men of integrity. We want others to see us as trustworthy, to know we honor our commitments, and to assume our words are truthful. These are just a few of the ways we measure a man's integrity. Of course, God is the ultimate Judge of our integrity. We can give an outward appearance of integrity yet still hide sin that only God can see. When our outward appearance doesn't match our heart, guilt will start to creep in. No matter how well we mask our feelings of guilt, we can't escape our conscience when it's being convicted by the Holy Spirit. A guilty conscience keeps us from living a life of pure integrity.
Psalm 106 contrasts God's integrity with the lack of integrity shown by the Israelites throughout the Exodus and the period of the judges. We can never match God when it comes to integrity. Verse three in Psalm 106, however, lays out specific ways we can align with His expectations and the impact on those who follow them.
The first thing we're called to do is observe or keep justice. This means we make fair and honest assessments of situations, circumstances, and people and follow through with impartial decisions or actions only based on the facts. The second chapter of the Book of James discusses this in verses one through nine. James 2:8-9 concludes the instructions with, "If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well. But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors." In the Old Testament, there are several references to the Lord detesting uneven scales. When our decisions on right or wrong, to help or not help, to defend or withdraw take into consideration factors outside the relevant details, our integrity is at risk. This also puts us at odds with God as Paul wrote to the church in Rome, "God shows no partiality." (Romans 2:11) If God expects us to keep justice, we must be like Him and also not show partiality.
God's first expectation, to observe justice, is a response to something that has taken place. The second expectation expressed by the psalmist, do righteousness at all times, calls for us to be proactive. Once again referring to the Book of James, we're called to not only hear the Word but do it. (James 1:22) Specifically, we're to act in accordance with the moral law. (Baker & Carpenter, 2003) Not only must our actions be in accordance, but our heart must be as well. As hard as we try, we'll never fully meet God's expectations. Praise God! As a testimony to His character, He's provided us with His Son and His Spirit. Our faith in Christ alone gives us the ability to be seen as righteous by God. As a reflection of our appreciation, through His indwelling Spirit, we bear spiritual fruit by the actions we take that give evidence of our righteousness. This isn't a sometimes thing or only when we feel like it, God's expectation is that we always act righteously. We also don't turn on and off our righteousness based on who's watching from a human perspective, we do righteousness because it's our calling and to bring glory to God, not ourselves. Integrity isn't a sometimes thing, it's how we live when we're new creations in Christ.
The first word in Psalm 106:3, 'blessed', is the result of keeping justice and always acting righteously. The Hebrew word used for 'blessed' in this verse is not the same one commonly used to imply receiving favor from God or showing God our adoration through worship and obedience. The word used here refers to being happy, joyful, and content. Going back to the foundation of integrity including a clear conscience, if we make just decisions and act in accordance with the will of God, we will be filled with joy and contentment. We don't have to cover things up, remember who we told what to in order to maintain a false image, or avoid people or situations where we might get found out. Instead, we experience the freedom and joy God desires for us.
In the moment, it's tempting to listen to the flesh and take the easy way. Trying to win favor with man instead of pleasing God is just one example. The next time the temptation to make a biased decision or to do an unrighteous action arises, remember Psalm 106:3, it's a simple one to memorize, and choose to align with God's expectations. Psalm 106 continues with what happens to those who don't choose God's way. Learn from the bad choices of the Israelites and seek to meet God's expectations instead.
References
Baker, W., & Carpenter, E. (2003). The Complete Word Study Dictionary - Old Testament. In W. Baker, & E. Carpenter, The Complete Word Study Dictionary - Old Testament (p. 939). AMG Publishers.