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LELAND ACKER chreporter@mediactr.com
Integrity is defined as the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles; moral uprightness. If I could take this a step further, I would say that a person who has integrity is a person who is who he is, and is open and honest about it.

Integrity is a pillar of our society, a pillar which is crumbling. This decay is due in large part to the culture of fine print, disclaimers and half truths.

It is also due in part to politicians who make campaign promises and declarations, then do something totally opposite once elected to office. This behavior trickles down into our culture, because the people tend to follow the example of their leaders.

Integrity is not something you can obtain or achieve. It is something you have, something you are. Basically, to having integrity means to be who you are and to be honest about who you really are.

Hebrews 10:23 says, "Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for He is faithful that promised.)"

To "hold fast" means to keep sustained in a specified position, firmly fixed or attached.

A "profession of faith" is the moment you acknowledge with your voice that you have been saved and are a child of God.

To "hold fast your profession of faith" means to keep reminding yourself of your profession of faith. It becomes the basis for who you are. You become who you are, you live it and it comes naturally.

Peyton Manning led the Colts to Super Bowl victory because he is a great quarterback. That is who he is, and that is what his life is built around. He is the Colts' quarterback, even when no one is looking. Tiger Woods wins a lot of golf tournaments because that is who he is.

The child of God does not need to live a miserable life trying to be moral and please God and others. The child of God simply needs to be who he is... a child of God.

When that child of God has God in the center of his life, he will be who he is, and all the morality and good works will come naturally. He will not say one thing and do another.

Better yet, he will not try to justify his mistakes - he will own up to them. Better yet, he will not have to worry about being called a hypocrite, because he won't be one. You see, he will have integrity.

How do you become a child of God? Repent of your sins and trust Jesus as your Savior. How do you let that become who you are? By prayer, Bible study and "not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together." (Hebrews 10:25)