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Matthew 5:33-37
33 “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.’ 34 But I say to you, Do not take an oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, 35 or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. 36 And do not take an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. 37 Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil.
Watch the Sermon
Summary: This week we will study Jesus' hard teaching concerning our speech. During His seminal Sermon on the Mount, Jesus contradicts the religious teaching of the day that one could be relieved of the responsibility to fulfill one's oaths. Instead, Jesus shows us that all of our promises ultimately appeal to God and so we cannot vow without also having accountability to Him. Instead of using grandiose language to add weight to our speech, our love of the truth should so mark us in such a way that our "yes" really means yes, and our "no" really means no. In our failures to fulfill our promises, we are drawn to worship our unchanging God, for "not one of all the good promises the Lord your God gave you has failed. Every promise has been fulfilled" (Joshua 23:14).
Review & Apply
How would your spouse or children characterize your truthfulness of speech?
What other places in Scripture do you see the importance of godly speech? What are some passages that warn against the power of the tongue?
In what situations are you most tempted to shade the truth? What heart motivations typically provoke you to lie?
What are some "acceptable" lies within our Christian community? What promises do we make that we do not fulfill?
Are there examples of God, Jesus, or others making oaths in the New Testament? How does this not contradict Jesus' teaching in our passage?
Is God's certainty to fulfill His promises a comfort to you?
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