"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. - Matthew 5: 33-37 (ESV)
A subject not spoken of enough, oaths. The solemn word of a Christian. What is the standard Jesus is setting here and do we consider this at all in our walks? I love what Matthew Henry has to say about this often forgotten portion of Scripture:
"There is no reason to consider that solemn oaths in a court of justice, or on other proper occasions, are wrong, provided they are taken with due reverence. But all oaths taken without necessity, or in common conversation, must be sinful, as well as all those expressions which are appeals to God, though persons think thereby to evade the guilt of swearing. The worse men are, the less they are bound by oaths; the better they are, the less there is need for them. Our Lord does not enjoin the precise terms wherein we are to affirm or deny, but such a constant regard to truth as would render oaths unnecessary."
Wow, talk about a profound truth. The worse men are, the less they are bound by oaths; the better they are, the less there is need for them. The final teaching for this devotional has less to do with oaths than it does about the content of our integrity. What is our word worth? A constant regard for the truth would render oaths unnecessary! Far too often however we do not regard the truth with the solemnity it deserves. I watch every day as Christians post, tweet, or repeat absolute falsehoods in the name of their politics, their church, and even their Savior. Job once had some friends who were acting as if the truth was malleable as long as they convinced themselves what they were saying was in defense of the Lord. Here was his answer:
Will you speak falsely for God and speak deceitfully for him?Will you show partiality toward him? Will you plead the case for God?Will it be well with you when he searches you out? Or can you deceive him, as one deceives a man?He will surely rebuke you if in secret you show partiality.Will not his majesty terrify you, and the dread of him fall upon you?Your maxims are proverbs of ashes; your defenses are defenses of clay. - Job 13: 7-12 (ESV)
Read these admonitions carefully beloved. God does not need us to lie on His behalf. He does not need us to slant our testimony and cheat on His behalf. We will not be able to deceive Him as we might be able to deceive man. I have witnessed the utter depravity of man lying and slanting testimony against pastors and ministers to achieve what their carnal hearts desired. Used by Satan as a tool to undo the works of God. The maxims they offered in their defense were mere proverbs of ashes, blown away by the wind. Defenses of clay, holding no form or substance. While I used to hold resentment these verses have taught me to pity them for they have lost the majesty of the Lord. It no longer terrifies them as it ought to. God does not need us to be deceitful on His behalf. When we think we are doing it for Him we must realize we are only doing it to feed our own carnality. Oaths are for people who know their word means nothing. Let it not be the case with you.
Chapter Five of Matthew's Gospel is so rich with theology because these are the actual words and teachings from Jesus Himself. They are not easy beloved because they grate against the world we live in and in many cases, against the church we attend. I offer none of them as points I have mastered but rather as teachings I must be mindful of every day if I am to grow in my walk with the Lord. I pray they continue to minister to you, even if they might bite back a little bit into our flesh. Better to know and repent than to turn a blind eye until we stand before Him to give account. Blessings from the Mount.
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