Integrity MUST ALWAYS be one of your top concerns as a Christian. I have written about related topics in the past but I am writing about this today because it is so important to obey in the Christian life. If you do not have integrity in your dealings with others, your Christian witness will become useless. Even though I wasn't a Christian my entire life, I am proud to say that I have lived my entire life with absolute and complete integrity.
Pastor’s Creed
Pastors, live your life according to a very strict Pastor’s Creed which has stood me well over the course of time. These are the Biblical aspects of the Pastor’s Creed given by the Apostle Paul to Titus in Titus 1:5-9:
"An elder must be blameless, the husband of but one wife, a man whose children believe and are not open to the charge of being wild and disobedient. Since an overseer is entrusted with God's work, he must be blameless -- not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain. Rather he must be hospitable, one who loves what is good, who is self-controlled, upright, holy and disciplined. He must hold firm to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it." [Titus 1:5-9]
In Apostle Paul’s day and age, the reference to being the husband of one wife was meant to discourage polygamy which was common among the Pagan and Roman cultures of the day. In today’s day and age it is not generally applied to keep those capable Pastors out of the pulpit who are divorced or widowers who choose to re-marry, but it is meant as a refrain that all Pastors and elders are to refrain from polygamy, from adultery, from fornication or from sexual sin or immorality of any kind. “Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.” [1 Peter 1:15-16]
To give you an example, I follow a very well defined Moral Creed:
1. I do not, and have never done illegal drugs.
2. I do not. and have never smoked. (I am not judging or disparaging anyone who does.)
3. I partake of alcohol very sparingly, on a few special occasions throughout the year. (I am not judging or disparaging anyone who likes to drink on a regular basis)
4. I do not, and have never stolen anything. I may have borrowed something and returned it later, but have never actually stolen from anyone.
5. I do not, and have never used prostitutes, or had one night stands.
6. I do not watch pornography or visit houses of commercial adult sexual entertainment.
7. I do not gamble. I confess to occasionally buying a lottery ticket when the prize money gets into the hundreds of millions of dollars. However, I have never counted on any lottery gains for my livelihood. I figure if God chose to Bless me with abundance, he could use the lottery to do so. I have thus far only been disappointed though as I have never won any significant amount of money from the lottery. :-(
8. I try my very best not to lie. (wait, do white lies count? Just kidding)
9. I make every effort to try not to gossip.
10. I make every effort to try not to curse or use swear words.
11. I make every effort to follow the law of the land, but where the law of the land and the law of God conflict, (example, abortion) I follow the law of the God of the Bible.
12. My brothers and sisters in Christ are my family and my loyalty to them and to the Church of Christ supersede my loyalty to my own biological or adoptive family and friends.
13. I never miss weekly Church Service, in-person or online unless I am very ill or in the hospital. Since 2007 I have missed weekly Church services only once due to illness.
14. I always partake of the Holy Communion when offered.
15. I pray on my knees daily to My Lord and Savior Jesus Christ who bled and died on the Cross for our sins at Calvary 2000 years ago.
16. I tithe a very good amount of my annual take home pay to the various Churches I attended.
17. I remain completely faithful to my sweetheart who I love and adore.
Pastor’s Creed
Pastors, live your life according to a very strict Pastor’s Creed which has stood me well over the course of time. These are the Biblical aspects of the Pastor’s Creed given by the Apostle Paul to Titus in Titus 1:5-9:
"An elder must be blameless, the husband of but one wife, a man whose children believe and are not open to the charge of being wild and disobedient. Since an overseer is entrusted with God's work, he must be blameless -- not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain. Rather he must be hospitable, one who loves what is good, who is self-controlled, upright, holy and disciplined. He must hold firm to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it." [Titus 1:5-9]
In Apostle Paul’s day and age, the reference to being the husband of one wife was meant to discourage polygamy which was common among the Pagan and Roman cultures of the day. In today’s day and age it is not generally applied to keep those capable Pastors out of the pulpit who are divorced or widowers who choose to re-marry, but it is meant as a refrain that all Pastors and elders are to refrain from polygamy, from adultery, from fornication or from sexual sin or immorality of any kind. “Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.” [1 Peter 1:15-16]
To give you an example, I follow a very well defined Moral Creed:
1. I do not, and have never done illegal drugs.
2. I do not. and have never smoked. (I am not judging or disparaging anyone who does.)
3. I partake of alcohol very sparingly, on a few special occasions throughout the year. (I am not judging or disparaging anyone who likes to drink on a regular basis)
4. I do not, and have never stolen anything. I may have borrowed something and returned it later, but have never actually stolen from anyone.
5. I do not, and have never used prostitutes, or had one night stands.
6. I do not watch pornography or visit houses of commercial adult sexual entertainment.
7. I do not gamble. I confess to occasionally buying a lottery ticket when the prize money gets into the hundreds of millions of dollars. However, I have never counted on any lottery gains for my livelihood. I figure if God chose to Bless me with abundance, he could use the lottery to do so. I have thus far only been disappointed though as I have never won any significant amount of money from the lottery. :-(
8. I try my very best not to lie. (wait, do white lies count? Just kidding)
9. I make every effort to try not to gossip.
10. I make every effort to try not to curse or use swear words.
11. I make every effort to follow the law of the land, but where the law of the land and the law of God conflict, (example, abortion) I follow the law of the God of the Bible.
12. My brothers and sisters in Christ are my family and my loyalty to them and to the Church of Christ supersede my loyalty to my own biological or adoptive family and friends.
13. I never miss weekly Church Service, in-person or online unless I am very ill or in the hospital. Since 2007 I have missed weekly Church services only once due to illness.
14. I always partake of the Holy Communion when offered.
15. I pray on my knees daily to My Lord and Savior Jesus Christ who bled and died on the Cross for our sins at Calvary 2000 years ago.
16. I tithe a very good amount of my annual take home pay to the various Churches I attended.
17. I remain completely faithful to my sweetheart who I love and adore.
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