36. And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. 37. Simply let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No'; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.
What became more important for Jesus than saying an oath or not, should not make any difference. Everything you promise is heard by God. We are accountable for every word that comes from our mouth, whether it be it exaggerations, little white lies, oaths with fingers crossed, or outright lies and deceptions. Our lives should be such that we would be even above the suspicion of lying. Every word uttered is in the presence of Almighty God. Life cannot be divided into compartments some of which God is involved and others in which He is not. God is in all our lives. We are not to be people using one set of language in church and another outside. I had been convicted of the Holy Spirit man times for my sins of the tongue.
The Spirit within us is the Spirit of truth. A man's word should never need an oath to guarantee the truth of anything he may say or promise, but his character should make an oath completely unnecessary.
I have close acquaintance that lied so much I do not believe most of what he says. I listen to his stories and forget them afterwards because I cannot believe any of them. This is a matter of personal integrity.
Teddy Roosevelt had a hired hand that found some cattle that got on his ranch property. He was going to brand them since they hadn't been branded yet in North Dakota. Roosevelt fired him on the spot and said “The one who will steal for me, will also steal from me. The one who lies for me will also lie to me.”
The Amish are known for hard honest work and never cheating or lying. They are hired out because they are honest to keep their word. They are above suspicion of evil. Ought not that to be the way for all Christians?
I read an article entitled, “Here Comes a Church Member; Watch Your Wallet!” The article went on to explain how fellow Christians expect discounts and special arrangements financially because of church contacts. Many are poor in paying their bills and break their word.
One of my favorite stories in the O.T is the passage in II Kings 12:15 “They did not require an accounting from the workers, because they acted with complete honesty.” Read the story.
There is freedom in truth telling because you never have to cover up anything you’ve said.
There is within the life and the heart of the kingdom people, desires to be above suspicion and to live life no one need ever to question our word. Being trustworthy brings honor to Jesus. So honor God in word, thought, and actions. Remember, the Devil is the Father of lies.
Application: Let your yes be yes and your no be no. Be a person of integrity.
Prayer: Lord, strengthen me with wisdom to always live out my life through words and deeds in complete honesty.
