Integrity, the state of being whole and undivided, is something to which every Christian man should aspire. Having integrity means you’re driven by truth rather than expediency and by conviction rather than personal comfort or convenience. You possess integrity when your beliefs are consistent with Scripture, and they shape your relationships and daily conduct. Integrity is also the basis of trust. A measure of your personal integrity is the trust you’ve earned from others.

Integrity means you’re driven by truth rather than expediency and by conviction rather than personal comfort or convenience.

If there was one man who exemplified the power of integrity, it’s Joseph. His story takes up about one third of Genesis, so apparently, the Holy Spirit wants us to learn much from this great stalwart of the faith. Here are five great tests of Joseph’s integrity which he passed with flying colors. Joseph’s integrity was:

1. Unshaken by Adversity

Adversity is the road test of integrity; where the rubber meets the road. Over the years I’ve seen it over and over—in hospitals and funeral homes—people going through extreme difficulties, and it was the crucible of testing that the integrity of their faith was revealed.

Joseph knew adversity. He lost his mom as a teenager. He faced isolation and loneliness, not quite fitting in with the likes of his half-brothers who resented him and his coat. A lot of commentators say he was a tattletale since he “brought his father the report of his brothers’ evil ways.” However, it was more likely motivated by a concern for the family business and loyalty to his father.

Yet, because of his integrity, Joseph would not allow himself to be a victim of circumstance. He never judged God by the difficult situations he faced. By faith, he hung on to his dreams and believed the Lord had a plan for his life.

2. Unspoiled by Prosperity

The Lord was with Joseph in all that he did and made whatever he did prosper. Eventually, he gained the trust of his employer and enjoyed the benefits of his hard work. You could say he became wealthy.

Look, there’s nothing wrong with wealth as long as you understand every good thing comes down from above. However, I have seen Christians become wealthy, and they begin to make their own rules. In other words, their lifestyle begins to alter their integrity more than their integrity affects their lifestyle. Not Joseph: he never allowed his success to get between him and God.

3. Unmoved by Temptation

One of the greatest tests of Joseph’s integrity came in the form of sexual temptation. While at work, the boss’s wife came on to him. Potiphar’s wife was persistent in her advances, and it would have been easy for Joseph to give in. But he never did!

We can only imagine how Hollywood would change this script. In contending with certain sins there’s only one thing to do. RUN! Charles Spurgeon once said, “the wings of a dove may be of more use than the jaws of a lion.” No believer is exempt from temptation. Flesh is flesh. We are all weak in ourselves. This was an incredible temptation to a young man, in a strange land, with no one to answer to but God. But in every temptation, God provides an escape route. (1 Corinthians 10.13) Joseph may have lost his coat, but he retained his integrity.

4. Undaunted by Injustice

Coming face to face with the inequities and injustices of life is where personal integrity often begins to falter. The stark reality of bad things happening to good people shakes the faith of many. Human suffering has been described as the question mark that’s been turned like a fishhook into the human heart. The great American mantra has become, “that’s not fair.” Joseph could have imagined integrity doesn’t matter, and that doing the right thing gets you nowhere.

In this regard, we see Joseph’s likeness to Jesus, who became the object of the greatest injustice in the history of this world. They took a perfect man, who had done nothing wrong but went about doing good—healing the sick, raising the dead, feeding the hungry—and they spit in His face, beat and mocked Him, and then nailed Him to a cross. But He never wavered!

The stark reality of bad things happening to good people shakes the faith of many.

Joseph was unjustly hurled into prison and the only thing he could do in that dark and dismal place was hang on to his dreams. By faith, he believed God had a plan and purpose for it all, and that a sovereign God was still on the throne even when his world had been turned upside down. Joseph, like David, believed “The LORD will work out his plans for my life—for your faithful love, O LORD, endures forever. Don’t abandon me, for you made me.” (Psalm 138.8)

5. Unlimited by Time and Space

As Joseph came to the end of his life and was about to make his exodus from this world, his integrity was still intact. He had the unique perspective of age that looks not only behind but also ahead to the future. Because he had lived a life of integrity, he had no remorse, no resentment, and no regrets.

Time had demonstrated that clinging to the promises of God kept his integrity strong. When every other ruler in Egypt was spending his fortune on a lavish sarcophagus, Joseph was looking forward to the promised land. And over 400 years later in Exodus 13, Moses took the body of Joseph, and at the end of Joshua when Canaan has been conquered, old Joshua buries Joseph in Shechem.

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The power of personal integrity is ultimately displayed in Christ-like character. You cannot find a more Christ-like figure in all of Scripture than Joseph. He was the special son, rejected by his brothers, betrayed for silver, falsely accused, thrown into a prison from which he eventually was exalted to the right hand of the majesty of Egypt. He was given a name above every name, that at the name of “Zaphnath-Paaneah,” every knee in Egypt would bow and confess that he was lord over all Egypt!

Joseph wed a Gentile bride and was eventually reconciled to his brothers. Through him, both Egypt and the nation of Israel were saved and sustained. At any point in his life you can see the glorious reflection of God’s only Son, our Savior Jesus Christ. It’s in the tests of life your personal integrity is revealed. How would you face these same tests?