The Virtues of Character & Integrity

 

What is the difference between character and integrity?

 

[I respond based upon what I have learned listening to Dr. Chuck Missler in a two-session video presentation entitled Manifesto of Our King. Missler is a non-denominational, Biblical expositor extraordinaire. He has an engrossing and enlightening approach to unraveling the intricacies of Scripture and in demonstrating their timeless significance.]

 

Character = Integrity + Wisdom

“Character is what you are when no one is looking.”

 

Character defines what we are; integrity defines what we do (and wisdom, how or in what manner we do what we do).

 

The character of a true Christian is portrayed in the Beatitudes and the Similitudes given to us by Jesus in the opening part of His Sermon on the Mount. (Matt. 5:1-16).

Matt. 3-10    The eight Beatitudes ("be-attitudes");

Matt. 11       The reaction we can expect from the world;

Matt. 12       How to interpret that reaction.  

Matt. 13-16  The Similitudes express how we role model in the world who and what Christians are made of.

 

This Sermon is one of four places in the Bible wherein Jesus presents long homilies. The Sermon on the Mount was directed not to the masses, but to at His disciples, to those who were already believers. 

 

Blessed are…

The poor in spirit <= Our attitude toward ourselves whereby we feel our need, viz., how weak and sinful we are without Christ, and we admit our human frailty.

=> for theirs is the kingdom of heaven;

 

They who mourn <= Our attitude toward sin, viz., having a true sorrow for sin; God hates sin. Sin breaks God’s heart. (Micah 7)

=> for they shall be comforted;

 

The meek <=Our attitude toward others is that we are not defensive, we are and always remain “teachable,” viz., we have nothing to prove (Psalms 37)

=> for they shall inherit the earth [“land”];

 

They which hunger and thirst after righteousness <= Our attitude toward God; we receive His righteousness by faith because we ask for it, viz., that the things of the spirit of God are “spiritually discerned” (1 Cor. 2:14)

=> for they shall be filled;

 

The merciful <= We have a forgiving spirit and love others, viz., we forgive because we are the beneficiaries of so much forgiveness by our Father; you reap what you sow (Luke 16)

=> for they shall obtain mercy;

 

The pure in heart <= We keep our lives and motives clean; holiness is happiness to us, viz., we have a singleness of purpose devoted to God—to the truth within and no substitutes—i.e., not the world

=> for they shall see God (Psalm 51:6 and John 1:18);

 

The peacemakers <= We should bring peace between people and God, and between those at odds with each other, viz., in spiritual warfare we must put on our “Christian armor” (Eph. 6) to guide us, e.g., compromise with evil is NOT peace (Gal. 5:19-21)

=> for they shall be called the children of God;

 

They which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake <= All who live “godly” lives will suffer persecution, viz.,will be  “accused falsely for my sake” (2 Tim. 3:12)

=> for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

 

These eight Beatitudes are eight virtues comprising the essence of our being as Christians. They characterize what we know as inward righteousness, out of which our conduct arises.

 

Integrity implies conduct; how we comport ourselves in the world; our actions are products of our belief and discipline, which reflect back upon the nature of our character. And so what we do also defines who we are.

 

Moreover, how we act in our doing, i.e., having that “backbone” of exercising integrity (what we do), must also be tempered by Wisdom, defined as fear of the Lord steeped in the knowledge of the holy (Proverbs 9:10).

 

Character = Integrity + Wisdom

The entirety of the Sermon on the Mount can be thought of as The Manifesto of Our King, Jesus. A true king is one who is kingly in both the temporal and spiritual spheres. (Judaic law prohibited Levite priests from being appointed or otherwise holding secular positions.) There are three “kings” mentioned in the Bible:

• Melchizedek (the Old Testament “pre-figuration” of Christ);
• Jesus Christ Himself; and,
• His Church (diligent Christians)  

The Sermon on the Mount is “the Law of Jesus,” viz., His Manifesto, which is the superseding New Covenant. Jesus did not set aside but fulfilled the Old Covenant of Moses. Your salvation does not accrue because of your ability to fulfill Matthew 5,6, and 7, but because Jesus did—and you can appropriate His achievement to your benefit by simply receiving it.

 

In like way, the Passion of Christ was not a tragedy—it was an achievement that can be appropriated for your benefit.

 

Today, we are at the interval; between the Miracle of our origin and the Mystery of our destiny. With Jesus dwelling in our hearts, each of us can be a king among pilgrims in a simulated universe heading outside of our time domain.
 

Our relationships according to the New Covenant of Jesus are summed up in the following table (for further study):

                                 

Relationships of Our King’s Subjects

                   “being”

        To Self (Matt. 5:1-16)

                   “doing”

      To the Law (Matt. 5:17-48)

      To God (Matt. 6)

      To Others (Matt. 7)