Brian and Cathy Gray Bible study, Red Pill Diaries

Does Integrity Matter?

Paul v.s. Felix

Paul visits the beloved Ephesian elders in Mielitus. He tells them it is the last time he will see them and they weep. He reminds them of his impeccable integrity in fulfilling the mission the Lord had given them.

I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you in public and from house to house, testifying both to Jews and to Greeks of repentance toward God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. 

Acts 20:21
Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all, for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God. 

Acts 20:26-27

Paul appears to be referencing his obedience to Ezekiel 3.

If I say to the wicked, ‘You shall surely die,'and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, in order to save his life, that wicked person shall die for his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand. But if you warn the wicked, and he does not turn from his wickedness, or from his wicked way, he shall die for his iniquity, but you will have delivered your soul. 

Ezekiel 3:18-19

Paul then warns them of wolves and twisted teachers that would arise from among them.

In Acts 22 Paul establishes his integrity before his accusers first by declaring his credentials and his obedience to the law up to and including the persecution of Christians. He declares and owns this error that was confronted and corrected by Jesus. He does not back down when faced with the same persecution he had previously perpetrated on others.  Paul’s persecution continues in Acts 23.

And looking intently at the council, Paul said, “Brothers, I have lived my life before God in all good conscience up to this day.” 

Acts 23:1

The high priest responds by ordering those close by to punch Paul in the face. Paul responds by calling a spade a spade, referring to the high priest as a “whitewashed wall.” His assessment was correct. Yet Paul’s eyesight was poor and he immediately repented the moment he learned he had unwittingly addressed the high priest.

“Why would he repent?”

Paul didn’t change his opinion about the high priest. Paul repented because of his own integrity. He repented because, “it is written ‘You shall not speak evil of a ruler of your people.'” Paul’s respect was not directed toward the high priest. His repentance was in obedience to the Lord who was sending him on to Rome.

In Acts 24 Paul is brought before Felix the Roman governor. The Jews remained relentless in wanting him dead. Paul simply defends his integrity and begins the conclusion of his testimony with,

"So I always take pains to have a clear conscience toward both God and man."

Acts 24:16
‘It is with respect to the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial before you this day.’” 

Acts 24:21

Felix and his licentious wife Drucilla protect Paul and give him a haven in a modified prison with privileges. It occurs to me that Paul had the most peace and security during the two years he spent there. Still, Felix was corrupt and had no integrity. He just wanted Paul to bribe him and would eventually face what amounted to corruption charges in Rome.

Integrity
Integrity the quality of being honest, having strong moral principles, and maintaining consistency in character, often described as doing the right thing even when no one is watching. It also refers to a state of being whole, undivided, or complete. Synonyms include honesty, honor, probity, rectitude, and wholeness.

-AI synopsis from six dictionaries-

Mental Fragmentation is the opposite of integrity.  Oxford Academic describes Fragmentation as,

A concept where the overall belief system is split into multiple, sometimes contradictory, sub-states rather than one unified whole.

James describes fragmentation as a double-minded man who is unstable in all his ways.

In any case, integrity seems pretty important to God. That brings me to today.

Just this past week I had two Zoom calls scheduled with people I do not know. I completely rearranged my day around them. I set alarms so as to make absolutely certain that I would remain true to my word. One person ghosted me. The other was kind enough to message me one minute before the call was scheduled,

“Sorry. Something came up.”

For some reason this week several friends have shared their frustration with the absence of integrity of believers. People who were supposed to be at such and such a place and such and such a time and weren’t and won’t even acknowledge this is problematic. People who borrowed things and returned them broken. Others did not return what they borrowed at all. Granted, emergencies happen. But that does not apply in any of these situations. 

A lack of integrity does.

At work, people often don’t show up or show up late without even making a call to say they are going to be late. So what if the overnight person wants to go home? So what if it disrupts the lives of at least twelve other people. 

The sheer volume and frequency of these kinds of events lead me to wonder if integrity was never taught or if people simply don’t care. In all these cases the message is clear.

My time is valuable. Your time is not.

At first, I was tempted to become angry. “They’re just self-centered undisciplined spoiled brats!” That quickly transformed to, “We’ll, Jesus didn’t trust people.” John 2:24-25 Then finally, 

Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 

1 Corinthians 13:4-7

I decided to not be convinced that these people are in any way malicious or intentionally inconsiderate. What I see is fragmentation. After all, what is so complicated or hard about

saying what you mean and doing what you say?

While my primary experience is with those in the church, fragmentation seems to every where and growing. Could this be why so many are consumed understanding their own identities?

Paul never wavered or faltered after he encountered Jesus. He knew what he saw and was told. He remained unmoved by flattery or flagellation. He knew God’s word, obeyed it and fulfilled his God-ordained mission. Why are contemporary believers so fragmented?

I did some digging.

Multiple online sources cite the cause of extensive psychological fragmentation within our society as the combined pressures of digital overstimulation, chronic trauma/stress, and a fast-paced, “fad-oriented” modern lifestyle that prevents deep integration of experiences.

  • The average person engages with constant stimuli (96+ smartphone checks daily), creating a fractured, perpetually divided attention span that is often engineered for engagement rather than focus.
  • Modernity causes people to adopt multiple, often contradictory identities (e.g., work, social media, family) rather than maintaining a unified, stable sense of self.
  • When emotional pain is too high to process, people may utilize “splitting” or dissociation as a survival tool, breaking their psyches into fragments that hold pain or fear.
  • Economic, political, and rapid technological innovations prevent the formation of a cohesive, stable, or unified life experience.
  • The decline of traditional social structures, such as religion and stable communities, leaves a void that increases feelings of disorientation.

This fragmentation leads to feelings of disassociation, confusion, and disconnection from the self.

People aren’t just disconnected from others. They are disconnected from themselves. In that context, failing to keep an online appointment carries the same emotional charge as choosing not to pick up one’s phone. 

What’s the beg deal?!

COVID 19

Given that the perceived lack of integrity seems more prevalent among younger people, I wondered about the effects of COVID-19 lockdowns and if there were any contributing factors. Once again I drilled down into multiple online sources. As it turns out,

COVID-19 lockdowns caused widespread psychological fragmentation, characterized by a loss of familiar routines, social isolation, and heightened anxiety. This “uncanny” disruption fractured the sense of time and self, resulting in elevated rates of depression, stress, and unprocessed trauma. Key factors included the loss of social connection, economic uncertainty, and a persistent fear of infection.

  • Temporal Distortion: The blurring of daily routines caused individuals to lose the ability to differentiate between days, disrupting personal memory and perceived time.
  • Loss of Familiarity: The disappearance of daily rituals and familiar social interaction created a “sense of the uncanny” and a fragmentation of the known world.
  • Social and Emotional Detachment: Extensive loneliness and social isolation, particularly among youth and older adults, drove a spike in anxiety, stress, and depressive symptoms.

Still, there is a part of me that wonders if I am simply making excuses for sin. Am I making excuses for people because excuses like trauma and COVID lockdowns are so much more palatable than calling out the fact that people do not fear God. The pursuit of holiness has become ancillary. The word sin if it is mentioned at all is usually a hasty generalization. Meanwhile decades of sexual sin and abuse are being exposed. Why would I hope for, let alone expect integrity in a culture that protects predators and persecutes their victims?

Am I wrong?

“Help me Lord to see the best, hope and believe the best!”

Almost invariably He shows me yet another worldly abomination masquerading as truth faith. Buckle up. The government has allegedly been briefing certain pastors regarding a pending Alien contact disclosure.

Jesus made a whip.

It occurs to me and concerns me that the world as we know it has not returned to normal, whatever that was, since the end of 2021. On one hand, I believe I have an idea of where we are on the biblical timeline, that we have stepped into a period of Matthew 24:4 and 2 Thessalonians 2:11 planáō which is deception and delusion. On the other hand, the increase in deception and delusion should apparent regardless of whether or not you believe in Bible prophecy.

The complete absence of integrity among our current elected officials who have done none of what they promised to do but have exposed themselves as part of what is being called the “Epstein Class” is just the start. Apparently pedophilia and cannibalism are the new normal. Meanwhile, they have started a war that could result in two to four billion people starving to death over the next decade. While Africa and the rest of the world face the greatest risk, Keir Starmer just announced the possible need for food rationing in the UK. Just as some posulated that COVID lockdowns were by design as evidenced in part by the increased economic and political power gained by the so-called Epstein Elite, many suspect that the war with Iran is a similar ploy to cull the world’s population through starvation and war. The discussion is not new and has been ongoing since Thomas Galton invented Eugenics in 1883, followed by a slew of Racial Hygienists, like Margaret Sanger whose founding of Planned Parenthood, at the turn of the last century inspired Adolf Hitler. Paul R. Ehrlich’s 1968 book, The Population Bomb, inspired people like Bill Gates and other technological elites such as Elon Musk, Sam Altman, Peter Thiel, and Pavel Durov, to name a few who believe that only their own bloodlines are worthy of propagation. I could go on. Suffice it to say, that while we should, “Occupy (do business) till He comes.“, Luke 19:13, we should also 

Be sober, watchful for our enemy prowls around like a lion seeking whom he might devour. 

1 Peter 5:8

In my view, we should be prepared for the coming crisis including situations not unlike those that were faced by Jesus, Paul, and all the other disciples. After all the Bible promises persecution, not prosperity. Preparation begins with character not bunkers, supply hoarding, and guns.

Integrity is non-negotiable in a crisis. If I can’t count on you to show up for a phone call, let alone conform your thoughts and behavior to the word of God, amid relative prosperity and comfort, how will I or anyone else for that matter, count on you when the going gets tough? In the words of Jeremiah, 

“If you have raced with men on foot, and they have wearied you,
    how will you compete with horses?
And if in a safe land you are so trusting,
    what will you do in the thicket of the Jordan? 

Jeremiah 12:5

The simple answer is we won’t. I for one am actively distancing myself from anyone I can’t trust or count on. I don’t care how loud you sing, or how much you weep in worship if your word is garbage.

How will you be faithful to God if you lie to man?

Does that sound harsh? Maybe. Yet it occurs to me that Paul never minced words or pulled punches. His uncompromising pursuit of truth above all things underpinned his integrity. Paul knew that love and truth cannot be divorced. Of course it also caused people, especially people of faith to want him dead. He could have walked away at any time after his arrest in Rome. Instead he maintained his integrity and was ultimately beheaded for it. Given that this is a Bible study, it may be worthy to point out that the Bible doesn’t specifically say that Paul was beheaded. Rather,

“Early church historians and fathers, including Eusebius and Tertullian, state that Paul was executed (beheaded) by the Roman emperor Nero around A.D. 64–67.”

-Sean  MacDowell-

Let’s ask ourselves these questions. Do I say what I mean and do what I say? Why or why not? Do I repent when I fail? Am I obedient to the word of God or just the parts that I like and give me a dopamine rush? Is God’s truth the standard for my life or is people pleasing and politicking in Jesus’s name my way? What does integrity or the lack thereof look like in my life?

Does integrity even matter?

Chew on that…

Maranatha

Brian and Cathy Gray Bible study

On Hypocrisy

Romans Chapter 2

Therefore you have no excuse, O man, every one of you who judges. For in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, practice the very same things. Rom 2:1

Paul is addressing what modern psychology calls projection.

Projection is the process of displacing one’s feelings onto a different person, animal, or object. The term is most commonly used to describe defensive projection—attributing one’s own unacceptable urges to another.

As we discussed in What is in Man Jesus understood the nature of all mankind according to the flesh. As much as we like to talk about all human beings beings made in the image of God, that image applied universally to Adam and Eve. Everyone who came after was a corrupted mutation of that image. But to all who did receive him (Jesus) who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God. John 1:12 Hence all believers are works in progress on our way to becoming fully conformed to the image of God. Rom 8:29

What Jesus knew is in Man is the culmination of Romans chapter one.

every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity, envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice, gossip, slanderer, insolence, arrogance and boasting; invented ways of doing evil; the lack of understanding, fidelity, love, and mercy (as in man). Not only do they continue to do these things but they approve of (and commiserate with) those who practice them. Rom 1:29-32

It is so very important to understand that our redemption by the blood of Jesus is not a license to sin. The law and the standard for holiness has not change.

For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. Mat 5:8

Many believers mistake Jesus’ last words “It is finished!” John 19:30 for all is accomplished. It is finished in Greek is tetelestai from teléō. Perhaps the best analogous context is a business transaction where a debt is paid in full. Jesus was the final blood sacrifice that paid for all sin. All is accomplished in Revelation 19-22. All means the restoration of All God’s creation to its original status before the fall of man in the Garden of Eden. Victory over sin and death is just the beginning. The indwelling of Holy Spirit is a down payment toward our full inheritance. Eph 1:14 

The main error that Paul exposes in the first three chapters of Romans is one of overvaluation of identity. The Jews saw themselves as righteous by way of their Jewish bloodline. Some gentile believers regarded their newfound born-again status, or their identity, as won and done. The fruit of this error can be seen in Martin Luther’s proclamation, “Love God, sin boldly.” Jesus died for all my sins so I don’t need to worry about sin. Right?

Wrong!

…Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? Rom 2:4

The riches of His kindness made possible by the Cross, are what allow us to come boldly to the throne of grace. Heb 4:16 And to be forgiven provided we confess our sins. 1 John 1:9 Those who simply take the cross of Jesus for granted and minimize or justify instead of rectifying their sins and failures through confession and repentance are hypocrites.

The Jews thought they were righteous because they had the law. Apparently like today, many Jewish and gentile believers thought hearing the law, e.g. going to church and claiming to believe what they heard made them righteous. Paul made it clear that

For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified. Rom 2:13

While we are not exempt from doing what the law says, we do it His help.

Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Heb 4:14-16

At the end of the day, God is most concerned with the intentions of our hearts. Those intentions are defined by our actions.

For a righteous man may fall seven times
And rise again, But the wicked shall fall by calamity. Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, And do not let your heart be glad when he stumbles; Lest the Lord see it, and it displease Him, And He turn away His wrath from him. Prov 24:16-18

Paul continues to reinforce the theme of projection and resulting hypocrisy throughout the chapter with a discussion of circumcision.

For circumcision indeed is of value if you obey the law, but if you break the law, your circumcision becomes uncircumcision. Rom 2:25

Similar to baptism for believers,  circumcision was an outward expression of an inward commitment. While it might be tempting to focus on Paul’s seeming emphasis on distinctions between Jew and Gentile, it’s really not the point. Not at this point anyway. Once again, Paul is writing to the church in Rome. Hence he is speaking to both Jewish and Gentile believers. The message for contemporary believers remains the same. Pursue righteousness by doing what is written to the best of your ability with God’s help. Let us not redact scripture to fit the lifestyle we want to lead.  Don’t be a hypocrite.

The most sobering verse in Romans 2 is

You who boast in the law dishonor God by breaking the law. For, as it is written, “The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.” Rom 2:23-24

We constantly hear people justify sin, be it theirs or the sins of others in the name of grace because they errantly believe that the law is irrelevant because Jesus fulfilled it. Hence

love covers a multitude of sins. 1 Pet 4:8

Love is the crucifixion of Jesus that resulted in our justification, not our justifications that demand tolerance for our sins. This is Paul’s point when he says ...God’s kindness is meant to lead (us) to repentance…in Rom2:4

While church leaders and especially teachers are subject stricter qualifications and standards, 1 Tim 3,  James 3 Every believer impacts someone.

“Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea. “Woe to the world for temptations to sin!  For temptations must come, but woe to the one by whom the temptation comes! Mat 18:5-7

The word for sin and temptation here is skándalon– a trap. However, the trap here includes leading by wrong example. A person consumed by sexual sin and yet claims to represent the gospel of Jesus Christ  falls into the catagory of Romans 1:32.

Though they know God’s righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.

These are the ones by whom “The name of God is blasphemed (among unbelievers)” Rom 2:23-24

The very idea of covering up or making lite of our or another person’s blatant sin is neither righteous nor loving.

But then here is where projection can make a proverbial twist. Sometimes people errantly give what appears to be grace. We may assume their intentions are pure.  They simply misunderstand the nature and purpose of grace. “They‘re just nice,” we say. When in fact they are reticent to call out and expose worthless deeds of darkness Eph 5:11 because they are guilty of the same sins. …You who say that one must not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? Rom 2:21 A contemporary twist is; if I commit adultery; do I excuse adultery because I am guilty of the same thing? In covering up the sin of another with what I term love and grace; do I hope the same sins will be covered up for me?

There is no end to how those with one foot in the world and one foot in the kingdom will twist God’s word to justify their behavior and the behavior of those whom they are afraid to confront. If this is how a church body or a body within a body operates the end result will at best always be but a variation of what happened at IHOPKC and multiple other ministries over the last twenty years. In the end God is blasphemed and people reject Him because of our failures.

At the end of the day, the overarching theme in Romans 2 is simple.  Right is right. Wrong is wrong. If we know what is right because we got it from scripture then we’d better be doing it. People are watching and looking to justify their unbelief by our actions. When we fail as we all do at times, then we’d best be ready to immediately confess and repent. Anything else makes us hypocrites. This is one reason why Paul said, leaders must be above reproach. 1 Tim 3 And James said, not many of you should become teachers, James 3:1

Woe to the hypocrites. Mat 23

If you are reading this and asking “Where is the love?”, consider the possibility that you have a deficient understanding of love. Why is Paul so hard? Because

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. Prov 9:10

Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.  For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil. Ecc 12:13-14

The love of God can not be understood apart from the fear of God, His goodness apart from His severity.

Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off. Rom 11:22

So often any mention of the fear of God, His law, and the pursuit of holiness is dismissed as “religious”. Within the charasmatic stream, the word religion has become a pejorative. The implication is that Jesus was only hard on the religious people. We are “Spirit Filled”. For the record “religion” is from the Latin  Relegere to reread and Religare to bind fast, an obligation, a bond between man and God. In a nutshell, being religious means are who we say we are, and we do what we are supposed to do regardless of who we are with. Being Spirit filled means we have the power to walk in integrity. Integrity is a fruit of being unspotted from the world. James 1:27 Among other things, our religion should produce integrity.

Integrity is the antithesis of Hypocrisy.

Maranatha!