Welcome to another day the Lord has made that we should rejoice and be glad in. (Psalms 118:24)

Today let’s honor and learn from the harmonious integrity of Jesus Christ our Lord.

In today’s scripture, John 8:54‭-‬58 (NLT), we see an example of Jesus’ integrity…
Jesus answered, “If I want glory for myself, it doesn’t count. But it is my Father who will glorify me. You say, ‘He is our God,’ but you don’t even know him. I know him. If I said otherwise, I would be as great a liar as you! But I do know him and obey him. Your father Abraham rejoiced as he looked forward to my coming. He saw it and was glad.” The people said, “You aren’t even fifty years old. How can you say you have seen Abraham?” Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, before Abraham was even born, I Am!”

And in Philippians 2:5‭-‬11 (NLT)
we see how Jesus modeled integrity, by staying true to His purpose…
You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross. Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Consider…
In today’s scriptures we see where Jesus demonstrated integrity about who He was and His purpose here on earth. He was honest about who He was, God in flesh; whose He was, the Son of God; and what He was sent here to do, die to give eternal life to all who believe in Him.

Jesus was both…

• Son of God, ruler of everything, and Son of Man, who came to serve rather than be served
• The Good Shepherd, and sacrificial Lamb of God
• Savior to the sinner, and righteous judge of the self-righteous
• Lord of all creation, and humble sin propitiation
• King of kings, and obedient Son who died a criminal’s death
• The Head of, and broken body for His church
• The Way to those who follow, and the stumbling block who choose their own way

The point of this brief list of contrasts, is to show that Jesus maintained harmonious integrity in who and whose He was, and what was He sent to do.

2 Corinthians 5:21 (NLT) explains Jesus’ harmonious integrity this way…
For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.

I’ve always loved and cited this verse, however today the Holy Spirit made my eyes scan up and read verse 19, which says…
For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. – 2 Corinthians 5:19 NLT

WOW! 😲 All those years, I’ve missed reading the short and sweet synopsis of the Gospel message! God reconciling the world through Christ 💝

As I made my way back down, to my beloved verse, the Holy Spirit pointed out the sandwiched verse, which communicates God’s purpose for leaving Christ followers here on earth…
So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!” – 2 Corinthians 5:20 NLT

That’s when it hit me, God wants us, His Kingdom ambassador-citizens, to bring others back to Him, by sacrificially living in such a way that makes our Heavenly Father appealing. (Matthew 5:13-16)

That requires us to live with harmonious integrity like Jesus, always remembering…

• Who we are, new people in Christ…My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. – Galatians 2:20 NLT
• Whose we are, obedient children of God…For you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus. And all who have been united with Christ in baptism have put on Christ, like putting on new clothes. – Galatians 3:26‭-‬27 NLT
• And why we’re here, to please God…So I beg you, brothers and sisters, because of the great mercy God has shown us, offer your lives as a living sacrifice to him—an offering that is only for God and pleasing to him. Considering what he has done, it is only right that you should worship him in this way. – Romans 12:1 ERV

When we live new, adopted and sacrificially, we’re living in harmonious integrity 🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾

Today’s song is…
More Like Jesus

Blessings 4HG (1 Corinthians 10:31)