Integrity That Reflects Jesus
Crises don’t just shape us — they reveal us. When life tips your “cup,” whatever’s inside will spill out. For the apostle Paul, that moment came when false teachers accused him of being unreliable because his travel plans had changed (2 Corinthians 1:12–22). The stakes were high. If Paul’s integrity was questioned, his message — the gospel — would be questioned too.
Paul’s defence was not clever arguments or public opinion polls — it was his clear conscience before God. His life was marked by simplicity (single-minded devotion to glorify God) and godly sincerity (nothing hidden, judged in the light of Christ). His conduct was consistent whether in public or private, and his words carried no double meaning.
Integrity comes from the Latin integer — whole, undivided. It means being the same person in every setting. Billy Graham once said his greatest fear was doing anything that would bring dishonour to the Lord. A Barna study found that 85% of Gen Z see hypocrisy in Christians as a key reason they distrust Christianity. It’s clear: integrity matters — for our witness and for our walk.
So how do we keep a clear conscience?
Live in light of Christ’s return (v.14)
Live to glorify Jesus (v.20)
Live in step with the Holy Spirit (v.22)
For a student, this may mean refusing to cheat even when no one’s watching. For a married couple, it could be being transparent about finances or time. For a family, it’s creating a home culture where truth-telling is praised. For the elderly, it’s modelling honesty in every small thing, leaving a legacy of trust.
When we live with integrity, we reflect the trustworthiness of Jesus Himself. Like the moon reflecting the sun, our light is not our own — it’s His.