Devote yourself to integrity!
1.Be faithful toward your spouse
2.Be honest toward your associates
3.Be resilient toward your offenders
4.Be loving toward your enemies

Discussion questions available here.

Be Perfect, Like Your Father!

You have heard it said… but I say to you…

• Jesus’ authority
• Focus on heart, to transform desires and attitude
• Define righteousness that exceeds the Pharisees’

Devote yourself to integrity!

1. Be faithful toward your spouse

God’s design for marriage is life-long (Matt 19:3-10, Mal 2:16)

• Remarriage after divorce is adultery (Matt 5:32, 19:9, 1 Cor 7:11)
• Even if your spouse is not a believer (1 Cor 7:12-13)
• Even if your spouse commits adultery
• Unless your marriage is illegitimate

Do the hard work in marriage.  The rewards of marriage come with faithful endurance!

2. Be honest toward your associates

Oaths called God to witness truthfulness and avenge lying (Lev 19:12, Num 30:2), but…

• Technicalities used for self-serving (Matt 23:16-22)
• Intent to deceive (Jer 17:9, Rom 3:13)

How are you indirect and deceptive?

3. Be resilient toward your offenders

Leave the justice to the government (Lev 24:19-20, Deut 19:21)!

• The judge discerns (Deut 19:17-18)
• Societal order kept, justice not overcompensated

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good!   -Romans 12:21

• Surrendering rights for the gospel
• Letting the Holy Spirit bring conviction (Rom 12:20)

4. Be loving toward your enemies

Precedent for love (Lev 19:18) but not hate!

• Hatred is the pattern of the world
• Love is the design of the Father
• Set apart by beautiful character (5:3-10) and “salty” living (5:13)
• Being transformed as we both pray and act