HOST: Michael Whitworth
“Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn.’ But I say to you, Do not take an oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. And do not take an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil.
“Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’.” Such a simple concept, but so lacking in our world today. In Jesus’ day, the Jews were accustomed to making vows or taking oaths in the name of things closely related to God. But in some cases, they felt no obligation to keep those vows or to be truthful in their oaths. In so doing, they were in essence profaning the name of God. Jesus’ solution to this problem was to simply speak truthfully, for if one always tells the truth, there is no need for an oath. In our world today, as children of God, we honor our Father by being people of integrity, character, and honesty. Those around us should know confidently that our word is our bond and that our “yes” means “yes” and our “no” means “no.” This is God’s desire for us.
How does our honesty (or lack thereof) reflect upon God?
Don’t forget to pray and have a great day!
