Ref to Matt 5:33-37
The big idea: do not swear!
It’s a command, it is not the way Christian should live. Don’t live this way, keep it simple and be meaningful about your words.
It doesn’t mean that Christians should not take a n oath. It says you should be careful about your oaths
Leviticus 19:12
Deut 23:21-23
What James was alluding to was how the Jewish culture at the time were making oaths. Don’t take God’s name in vane. Don’t swear falsely! Its ok to swear an oath but don’t use God’s name.
So over time the swear of oaths became trivial and part of daily conversation. That was the problem. The trivial nature of the oaths swear, everyday comments became small time, flippancy of swear using God’s name.
So why does James want us to understand this?
- Oaths really cheapen reverence to God. If you are going to make a promise, make it and keep it. God is holding you accountable to it. If we don’t mean what we say with the promises, we are reducing the reverence of God.
- Swearing is still profaning God’s name. The trivial use of it is profaning
- Cheapening the strengthening of the oath. If you are using all the time, it is cheap, reduces what it means. Flippant.
- Opportunity to live the outward life, looking good for other people. Its not about an outward life but the promise to God and how you live your life.
Instead, let your yes be ‘yes’ and your no be ‘no’. It’s a command, not just an idea. As a follower of Christ it means that you have integrity, promise keepers. Mean what you say and say what you mean.
So what does this mean for us as Christians?
What does it mean to keep our word? Can a no become a yes?
A rash no can be changed to yes – changing and growing for the no to become a yes.
Marriage vows are a yes, a promise to God.
What if we can’t make up our mind between a no and yes?
Ref to James 1:7-8 – an unstable man
If you are a waffle, learn to stick to an answer, grow into the answer you give, a yes or no, commit to it and believe that God will work through that in you. Pick one…
Some of us have a hard time saying no, we want to mean no but we have a hard time to stick to it.
Mean your no and mean your yes, even when its hard to.
What if you say yes but mean no?
That is passive aggressive. Why do you have a hard time to say no when you mean no and not yes? So what’s going on inside of you? You are having a hard time being honest with yourself. What’s the struggle?
Can we respect when we get a no from our spouse, or kids? Can we respect that kids as they grow, are different. When we go against that, not respecting them, it strains the relationship, it can fracture it.
So how do we learn to respect people when they say yes or no that is not the answer we want? Are you a person of integrity, respecting the no and the yes?
James is trying to sober us that integrity is very important. You are making a promise to the living God and He will judge us on what we say and do accordingly. Were you a person of integrity?
James is also telling us that God knows the promises we made, what we swear on oath and James is warning us on how we are doing on these promises. What promises have you made that you have not fulfilled?
Take it to the Lord the promises that you have not fulfilled, confess these and He gives us the power to mean what we say.
God keeps His word!
In Genesis 3 is said He would send someone to fix the problem of sin and throughout the OT He promises He will send someone…He keeps His word and that is why He is so faithful to follow.
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