BE STRONG IN OUR INTEGRITY
Be Strong in Your Integrity
Text: Joshua 7
Over the past several weeks in our Wednesday evening study through Joshua, we have been looking at what it means to Be Strong.
We have learned about being strong in God's presence, because He promised Joshua, "I will be with thee." We have learned about being strong in God's direction, trusting Him even when His instructions don't make sense to us. Last week we saw the importance of being strong in our obedience as the children of Israel marched around Jericho, trusting God to do what only He could do.
Each of these lessons has reminded us of one important truth: God's ways are not our ways. Many times His plan seems unusual, but His plan is always right. Throughout the book of Joshua, God continually says, "If you will obey Me, I will bless you." God has never failed His people, and He never will.
As we come to Joshua chapter 7, however, we find a different story. Jericho has fallen. The walls are down. The victory has been won. Yet before Israel can move forward, one man's hidden sin brings the entire nation to a halt.
This chapter teaches us another essential truth for the Christian life:
Be Strong in Your Integrity.
Integrity Is Proven in Private Obedience
Joshua 7 opens with a startling statement:
"But the children of Israel committed a trespass in the accursed thing..." (Joshua 7:1)
God had given very specific instructions concerning Jericho. Everything was to be destroyed except the precious metals that were to be placed in the treasury of the Lord. No one was to take personal possessions from the city.
One man chose to ignore God's command.
Achan saw a beautiful Babylonian garment, silver, and gold. He coveted them, took them, and buried them beneath his tent.
Notice something important: Achan looked like everyone else on the outside.
He crossed the Jordan.
He marched around Jericho.
He shouted when the walls fell.
He appeared to be just another faithful soldier.
The problem was not his public actions. The problem was his private heart.
Integrity is not demonstrated by what we do when everyone is watching. Integrity is revealed by what we choose when no one else knows.
James reminds us that temptation begins within our own hearts. It grows from desire to sin, and sin eventually brings death (James 1:14-15).
Our hearts cannot be trusted apart from God's leadership. Jeremiah tells us that "the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked."
Achan's downfall did not begin when he picked up the treasure. It began long before that in a heart that had drifted away from complete obedience.
A.W. Tozer wisely said:
"What we are before God is what we are—and nothing more."
That is true integrity.
Integrity Is Never Just Personal
One of Satan's greatest lies is convincing us that our sin only affects us.
Joshua sent only a few thousand soldiers to conquer the small city of Ai because it appeared to be an easy victory. Instead, Israel suffered a humiliating defeat, and thirty-six men lost their lives.
Joshua fell before the Lord, confused and heartbroken.
God's response was direct:
"Israel hath sinned..." (Joshua 7:11)
Notice that God did not simply say, "Achan has sinned."
The entire nation suffered because one man chose disobedience.
Our lives are more connected than we often realize.
A father's choices affect his family.
A mother's testimony influences her children.
A church member's testimony impacts the entire congregation.
A believer's witness affects how the lost view Christ.
Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians 5:6 that "a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump."
Sin never stays isolated.
Billy Graham once said,
"When wealth is lost, nothing is lost. When health is lost, something is lost. When character is lost, all is lost."
Integrity matters because people are always watching.
Integrity Brings Sin Into the Light
God instructed Joshua to gather the nation.
The tribes were examined.
Then the families.
Then the households.
Finally, the guilty man stood before everyone.
God already knew who Achan was.
This process was not for God's benefit.
It was for the people.
Joshua looked at Achan and said,
"Give... glory to the LORD God of Israel, and make confession unto him..." (Joshua 7:19)
That may sound unusual, but Joshua was calling Achan to agree with God.
Real confession is simply agreeing with God about our sin.
Proverbs 28:13 reminds us:
"He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy."
The tragedy is that Achan confessed only after he was caught.
How much better it would have been to confess immediately.
As New Testament believers, we enjoy an incredible blessing. The Holy Spirit lives within us, constantly convicting, correcting, warning, and guiding us.
When He speaks, we should listen.
When He convicts, we should confess.
When we ignore His voice, we grieve the very One who is trying to help us walk in fellowship with God.
Integrity Restores Fellowship With God
The consequences of Achan's sin were severe.
Sin always carries consequences.
Yet the beautiful ending of the chapter is not simply judgment.
It is restoration.
Once sin was removed from the camp, God immediately spoke again:
"Fear not, neither be thou dismayed... I have given into thy hand the king of Ai..." (Joshua 8:1)
What a picture of God's grace!
God is holy.
God is just.
But God is also merciful.
When His people deal honestly with sin, fellowship is restored.
The same God who promised His presence in Joshua chapter 1 renewed that promise after repentance.
Our God is not looking for reasons to reject His children.
He desires restored fellowship.
First John 1:9 reminds us that if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
What an amazing Savior!
Final Thoughts
Integrity does not mean we never fail.
Every believer stumbles.
Every Christian battles temptation.
Integrity means that when we fail, we refuse to stay there.
We confess.
We repent.
We make things right.
Abraham failed, yet he returned to God.
David committed terrible sins, yet Psalm 51 records one of the greatest prayers of repentance in all of Scripture.
God used both men because they humbled themselves before Him.
One illustration has always stayed with me.
A father once told his son to hammer a nail into a fence every time he lost his temper. Later, he instructed him to remove a nail each time he gained victory over his anger.
Eventually, every nail was removed.
The father then pointed to the fence and said, "The nails are gone, but the holes remain."
God forgives completely.
Sometimes, however, the consequences of our choices require time to heal.
That is why integrity is so valuable.
It keeps us walking closely with the Lord before those holes are ever made.
As we close, remember that Achan had to bear the judgment for his own sin.
You and I do not.
Jesus Christ became a curse for us (Galatians 3:13). He bore the punishment that we deserved so that we could receive forgiveness, grace, and eternal life.
If there is hidden sin in your life today, don't bury it like Achan.
Bring it to the Lord.
Confess it.
Forsake it.
Walk in fellowship with Him once again.
May we all determine to be men and women who are strong in our integrity, living lives that honor Christ both publicly and privately.
Text: Joshua 7
Over the past several weeks in our Wednesday evening study through Joshua, we have been looking at what it means to Be Strong.
We have learned about being strong in God's presence, because He promised Joshua, "I will be with thee." We have learned about being strong in God's direction, trusting Him even when His instructions don't make sense to us. Last week we saw the importance of being strong in our obedience as the children of Israel marched around Jericho, trusting God to do what only He could do.
Each of these lessons has reminded us of one important truth: God's ways are not our ways. Many times His plan seems unusual, but His plan is always right. Throughout the book of Joshua, God continually says, "If you will obey Me, I will bless you." God has never failed His people, and He never will.
As we come to Joshua chapter 7, however, we find a different story. Jericho has fallen. The walls are down. The victory has been won. Yet before Israel can move forward, one man's hidden sin brings the entire nation to a halt.
This chapter teaches us another essential truth for the Christian life:
Be Strong in Your Integrity.
Integrity Is Proven in Private Obedience
Joshua 7 opens with a startling statement:
"But the children of Israel committed a trespass in the accursed thing..." (Joshua 7:1)
God had given very specific instructions concerning Jericho. Everything was to be destroyed except the precious metals that were to be placed in the treasury of the Lord. No one was to take personal possessions from the city.
One man chose to ignore God's command.
Achan saw a beautiful Babylonian garment, silver, and gold. He coveted them, took them, and buried them beneath his tent.
Notice something important: Achan looked like everyone else on the outside.
He crossed the Jordan.
He marched around Jericho.
He shouted when the walls fell.
He appeared to be just another faithful soldier.
The problem was not his public actions. The problem was his private heart.
Integrity is not demonstrated by what we do when everyone is watching. Integrity is revealed by what we choose when no one else knows.
James reminds us that temptation begins within our own hearts. It grows from desire to sin, and sin eventually brings death (James 1:14-15).
Our hearts cannot be trusted apart from God's leadership. Jeremiah tells us that "the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked."
Achan's downfall did not begin when he picked up the treasure. It began long before that in a heart that had drifted away from complete obedience.
A.W. Tozer wisely said:
"What we are before God is what we are—and nothing more."
That is true integrity.
Integrity Is Never Just Personal
One of Satan's greatest lies is convincing us that our sin only affects us.
Joshua sent only a few thousand soldiers to conquer the small city of Ai because it appeared to be an easy victory. Instead, Israel suffered a humiliating defeat, and thirty-six men lost their lives.
Joshua fell before the Lord, confused and heartbroken.
God's response was direct:
"Israel hath sinned..." (Joshua 7:11)
Notice that God did not simply say, "Achan has sinned."
The entire nation suffered because one man chose disobedience.
Our lives are more connected than we often realize.
A father's choices affect his family.
A mother's testimony influences her children.
A church member's testimony impacts the entire congregation.
A believer's witness affects how the lost view Christ.
Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians 5:6 that "a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump."
Sin never stays isolated.
Billy Graham once said,
"When wealth is lost, nothing is lost. When health is lost, something is lost. When character is lost, all is lost."
Integrity matters because people are always watching.
Integrity Brings Sin Into the Light
God instructed Joshua to gather the nation.
The tribes were examined.
Then the families.
Then the households.
Finally, the guilty man stood before everyone.
God already knew who Achan was.
This process was not for God's benefit.
It was for the people.
Joshua looked at Achan and said,
"Give... glory to the LORD God of Israel, and make confession unto him..." (Joshua 7:19)
That may sound unusual, but Joshua was calling Achan to agree with God.
Real confession is simply agreeing with God about our sin.
Proverbs 28:13 reminds us:
"He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy."
The tragedy is that Achan confessed only after he was caught.
How much better it would have been to confess immediately.
As New Testament believers, we enjoy an incredible blessing. The Holy Spirit lives within us, constantly convicting, correcting, warning, and guiding us.
When He speaks, we should listen.
When He convicts, we should confess.
When we ignore His voice, we grieve the very One who is trying to help us walk in fellowship with God.
Integrity Restores Fellowship With God
The consequences of Achan's sin were severe.
Sin always carries consequences.
Yet the beautiful ending of the chapter is not simply judgment.
It is restoration.
Once sin was removed from the camp, God immediately spoke again:
"Fear not, neither be thou dismayed... I have given into thy hand the king of Ai..." (Joshua 8:1)
What a picture of God's grace!
God is holy.
God is just.
But God is also merciful.
When His people deal honestly with sin, fellowship is restored.
The same God who promised His presence in Joshua chapter 1 renewed that promise after repentance.
Our God is not looking for reasons to reject His children.
He desires restored fellowship.
First John 1:9 reminds us that if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
What an amazing Savior!
Final Thoughts
Integrity does not mean we never fail.
Every believer stumbles.
Every Christian battles temptation.
Integrity means that when we fail, we refuse to stay there.
We confess.
We repent.
We make things right.
Abraham failed, yet he returned to God.
David committed terrible sins, yet Psalm 51 records one of the greatest prayers of repentance in all of Scripture.
God used both men because they humbled themselves before Him.
One illustration has always stayed with me.
A father once told his son to hammer a nail into a fence every time he lost his temper. Later, he instructed him to remove a nail each time he gained victory over his anger.
Eventually, every nail was removed.
The father then pointed to the fence and said, "The nails are gone, but the holes remain."
God forgives completely.
Sometimes, however, the consequences of our choices require time to heal.
That is why integrity is so valuable.
It keeps us walking closely with the Lord before those holes are ever made.
As we close, remember that Achan had to bear the judgment for his own sin.
You and I do not.
Jesus Christ became a curse for us (Galatians 3:13). He bore the punishment that we deserved so that we could receive forgiveness, grace, and eternal life.
If there is hidden sin in your life today, don't bury it like Achan.
Bring it to the Lord.
Confess it.
Forsake it.
Walk in fellowship with Him once again.
May we all determine to be men and women who are strong in our integrity, living lives that honor Christ both publicly and privately.
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