Would Your Integrity Win?

How confident are you in your righteousness?  Could you stand before God and ask him to weigh your integrity with accurate scales?  

The thought of that terrifies me.  Not that I'm hiding some awful sin, but what will God think of the way I treat my husband or how I spend my time?  I don't want God measuring me, sifting the good from the bad - no way!

But Job asked God to do just that.  And even more, he asked that if God found anything, for just punishment!  Talk about a bold righteousness!

Job 31:6-8
Let Him weigh me with accurate scales,
And let God know my integrity.
7 If my step has turned from the way,
Or my heart followed my eyes,
Or if any spot has stuck to my hands,
8 Let me sow and another eat,
And let my crops be uprooted. 

If only I could be so bold and confident in my righteousness!  After all, "An honest man is so far from dreading a trial that he desires it rather, being well assured that God knows his integrity and will approve it, and that the trial of it will be to his praise and honour" (Henry, emphasis added).  We should desire a trial with God if we are truly righteous - it could only bring about good!

It is easy to let our hearts follow our eyes - from coveting our neighbors Mercedes to lusting after the girl next door - "commonly sin enters by the eye into the heart" and our society is a VERY visual society (Wesley).  And they don't leave anything to the imagination.  It's hard to walk through the mall without seeing images of women scantily clothed.  Let's face it, if you see something, it makes you want it all the more!  For instance, if we go to a restaurant, 10 times out of 10, my husband will pick the entree that has a picture over the entree that doesn't.  We are driven by what we see. And sometimes when we let that instinct take over in can be very, very destructive.

Fact of the matter is, in today's world it is incredibly difficult to remain righteous through-and-through.  But that isn't an excuse.  If we fall into the world's trap and start lusting after anyone but our spouse, or we become envious to the point of hurting others, we always have the option of repentance - "Those that deal much in the world may perhaps have a blot come upon their hands, but they must wash it off again by repentance and restitution, and not let it cleave to their hands" (Henry).

As long as unrighteousness does not 'stick to our hands,' as long as we repent of any sin, we remain righteous in the eyes of God.  As long as we repent, we should not be afraid of being 'weighed on accurate scales' by God Himself.  

I challenge you today to examine your life - past and present.  Is there anything that you haven't repented of?  Any sin that you haven't asked forgiveness for and turned your back on?  If so, write these things on a piece of paper, and cross each sin off one by one as you bring them before God and repent.  He will forgive you, guaranteed, all you have to do is ask.  If God were to weigh you on His scale today - would your integrity win?  Or would your sin?