Telling the Truth in the Kingdom of God
Matthew 5:33-37
June 30, 2019 AM
Pastor Craig Ledbetter
Bible Baptist Church, Ballincollig, Cork, Ireland
I. Introduction (Matthew 5:33-37)
A. Most people do not know WHY they are asked to swear in a Court of Law.
1. "Do You Swear to Tell the Truth, the Whole Truth and Nothing But the Truth?"
2. People today mock and reject it like it does not matter. Like it is offensive!
B. Do you know what happens if someone in court does not swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?
1. Then they are not permitted to testify. And there are some times you NEED to have your say – to defend your name, your family against a lawsuit, to bring someone to court who has abused you
2. If YOU are ever sued, and you refuse to promise out of fear of God to tell the truth, then you will be regarded as a liar, and will lose your case! THAT is how the court has to see you. The judge and the jury needs to know that you are willing to be prosecuted for lying!
3. If you have been subpoenaed to testify, or are subject to a material witness order, and refuse to be sworn, then you can be found in contempt of court, and in jail.
C. Shame on you if you do not think it is important to publically promise before God to tell the truth!
1. You obviously neither respect the seriousness of a Courtroom
2. Nor the importance of telling the truth
3. Nor the consequence of telling a lie!
D. Jesus in Matthew 5-7 is teaching about the Characteristics of the Kingdom of God
1. Jesus challenges what they already believed and accepted as true, and called them to a better, deeper understanding
2. In Chapter 5 explodes six big myths about:
a. Murder and Anger (Matt 5:21-26)
b. Adultery and Lust (5:27-30)
c. Divorce (5:31,32)
d. Oaths and Promises (5:33-37)
e. Retaliation (5:38-42)
f. Loving Your Enemies (5:43-48)
E. Jesus taught NOT the replacement of God’s laws (which required you to swear to tell the truth and keep your promises), but the purpose and depth of those laws for everyday living – which by the time of Jesus, and especially in OUR day, have been twisted and misunderstood.
F. Here is a warning, I am going to hit at some vulgar speech this morning to wake you all up to the ways we talk, so that we get ashamed of it, and instead talk like we live in the Kingdom of God, and not of this world!
II. Background (Matthew 5:33-37)
Main Scripture
1. Mat 5:33 Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths:
2. Mat 5:34 But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God's throne:
3. Mat 5:35 Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King.
4. Mat 5:36 Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black.
5. Mat 5:37 But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.
A. Tradition and Culture said
1. Do not “forswear” yourself – do not falsely swear
2. And, Do what you promise you will do
B. What’s the problem?
1. Nothing – both were clear commands in Scripture
a. 3rd Commandment
1) Exo 20:7 Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.
2) "Don't use the Lord's name to make a promise unless you are going to keep it."
3) That is swearing!
b. 9th Commandment
1) Exo 20:16 Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.
2) We simply that to “Thou shalt not lie”
3) But it means to not falsely say anything against your neighbout – especially in court!
c. Deu 6:13 Thou shalt fear the LORD thy God, and serve him, and shalt swear by his name.
d. Num 30:2 If a man vow a vow unto the LORD, or swear an oath to bind his soul with a bond; he shall not break his word, he shall do according to all that proceedeth out of his mouth.
2. Jesus did not say it was wrong to swear by God’s name. No
3. But Jesus WAS focusing on how swearing had taken the place of just telling the truth
4. No need to constantly swear that you are telling the truth
5. The problem was not with making promises – it was, and is that people always made promises with no intention to keep them
C. Jesus continues… “But I Say unto you…”
1. No more swearing at all – common swearing
2. Just tell the truth - ALWAYS
3. Just do what you say you will do
4. And by the way, don’t do what you promise you won’t do
5. All without constant swearing and making a scene
D. Word Meanings
1. Common meaning of Swearing
a. Most people think it means saying a bad word – the F-word, the S-word, and so on
b. Swear words are Offensive words – upsetting words
c. They are words spoken “for their effect” on the hearer
1) Example of me learning the power that bad words had
2) I didn’t understand the words, but I liked the power they had
3) My mom actually washed my mouth out with soap and rag
d. A swear word is a word full of emotion – not just and empty word, but something that makes what is being said more powerfully heard and believed!
e. Religious words like "Damn" and "Jesus Christ" were really big years ago, but they have basically lost their force. Now it is extreme vulgarity out of everyone’s mouth
f. People who do not believe in any ‘hell’, will still say the word ‘hell’ FOR EFFECT
1) Someone asks, are you going to pay your taxes, and someone responds, “Hell no. or Hell yes.”
2) What’s wrong with just No, or Yes?
g. Swearing in a sentence usually makes what is being said more serious
1) The question, “What is going on” doesn’t seem powerful…
2) But, What the H is going on?
3) Or worse, What the F is going on?
4) THAT makes people listen up
h. My mother called it having a “potty mouth”
i. And Jesus says it is totally unnecessary!
2. Official meaning of To Swear
a. To affirm or express a solemn declaration, with an appeal to God that what you are saying is absolutely true. To swear to the truth of a statement
b. To emphatically promise with an oath that God will judge you if you are not telling the truth.
3. Speaking truth used to be important
a. During an engagement, to betroth means to pledge your “troth” – your “truth” – that you had no deception towards your future spouse
b. We expect truth from our Garda when they accuse us of wrong doing – that they are absolutely sure about what they say I have done wrong
c. We expect it of our children when we ask where they have been
d. We expect it of our neighbours when we find them in our back garden
e. We expect it of our Doctors when we ask their opinions about what’s wrong with us
f. A truthful person is very rare today – very rare indeed
g. It is rare that you can trust anyone to always tell the truth
4. Meaning of Forswear
a. Means to tell a lie while swearing that you are telling the truth
b. To swear that you are telling the truth, and yet are lying
c. To make a promise that you don’t care if you keep it or not!
d. The modern word is to perjure yourself – to wilfully tell an untruth or make a misrepresentation under oath.
e. It is £serious enough that you could face jailtime or a stiff fine – just for lying when you have promised to tell the truth!
E. What were people doing then and now – especially Christians?
1. Comfortably Lying While Swearing
a. My Dad used to say, Lying was the worst thing of all wrongs!
b. Saying things they knew were lies, and then swearing that they were the “God’s honest” truth
1) Mat 26:72 And again he [PETER] denied with an oath, I do not know the man.
2) Mat 26:74 Then began he to curse and to SWEAR, saying, I know not the man. And immediately the cock crew.
c. Today, most Christians are more worried about getting people to believe what they are saying than just saying what is true.
1) “I swear it”
2) “I swear that I am telling the truth”
3) “I swear I wasn’t with those boys”
4) “I swear I didn’t touch the wallet”
5) “I swear I was just out on the green”
6) If you feel like you always have to swear that you are telling the truth, then you probably are NOT telling the truth
d. Yet, modern Psychological Studies show that people actually BELIEVE people who swear and say filthy vulgar words in their conversations more than people with clean vocabularies!
e. Strange! Wasn’t always that way! Listen to how Christians viewed swearing just 100 years ago (by a Bible commentator named Albert Barnes):
1) “Profane swearing is ALWAYS the evidence of a depraved heart. To trifle with the name of God, or with any of his works, is itself most decided proof of depravity.
2) “No man is believed any sooner in common conversation because he swears to a thing. When we hear a man swear to a thing, it is pretty good evidence that he knows what he is saying to be false, and we should be on our guard.
3) “It is no mark of a gentleman to swear. The most worthless and vile. the refuse of mankind, the drunkard and the prostitute, swear. Why should a Christian swear in normal conversations?
4) “Profaneness does no one any good. Nobody is the richer, or wiser, or happier for it. It helps no one’s morals or manners.
5) “God will not hold the profane swearer guiltless.
6) AMEN!
2. And Making Promises That They Never Intended to Keep
a. “I’ll pray for you”
b. “I’ll be right there”
c. “I’ll never do that again”
d. “I’ll follow Jesus”
e. “I will stay pure until marriage dad”
f. “I’ll read my Bible from now on, every day!”
g. “I won’t hang around with so and so – I know they are only trouble”
h. “I’ll be careful what I watch on the movie channel”
i. All the while SWEARING that they would keep those promises, so that people would believe them more!
F. This is NOT what God wants any Christian, any church, or any society to get comfortable doing
II. Message - What Christ Said That God Expects of Us in the Kingdom of God
A. Swear Not At All
1. He is talking to the common people, about their daily lives – not to the judges and government
a. Do not ever use swear words
b. And do not use God’s name vainly – for no real reason – only to show off
c. Just quit saying “I swear” in ANY sentence you make!
2. The Problem with Swearing
a. Constantly abused
1) There is a time and a place for swearing, vowing, affirming, calling God to be your witness
2) Like in a Marriage Ceremony
3) Like in Court where someone’s word is going against someone else’s
b. Mainly used for effect amongst people in general – not in court
1) A swear word is a word full of emotion – not empty, but makes what is being said more powerfully heard and believed!
2) People don’t just answer Yes or No
3) They seem to feel like they have to say “Hell no. And Hell yes”
4) There is only extreme vulgarity out of everyone’s mouth
c. It is even generally expected by everyone – like honking is expected in NYC
1) Swearing was a constant thing that people expected, instead of your word just being true
2) If someone just said Yes or No, or said they would do something, people didn’t listen, and certainly didn’t think they really really meant it like the guys who swore did!
3) If you are NYC, people just live with and expect every car to honk while driving
4) If you are not honking, no one respects you
5) And so people expect everyone else to constantly swear when they are talking
6) If you are not swearing and using curse words while speaking, no one pays attention to you!
3. Just Tell the Truth Anyway - Even if no one pays attention to you
a. Eph 4:22-25 That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another.
b. Prov 12:22 Lying lips are abomination to the LORD: but they that deal truly are his delight.
c. John 8:44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.
d. Col 3:8-10 But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:
e. One day, your boss, your parents, your wife, your neighbours, your friends will stop and notice your trustworthiness and will trust you with the world!
B. Not All Swearing is Wrong
1. Swearing in general is wrong (James 5:12)
a. Jas 5:12 But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but let your yea be yea; and your nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation.
b. James is quoting Jesus
c. Do not make rash promises or vows to other people outside of a courtroom
d. Do not just constantly swear by heaven, neither by the earth
e. Just let your yes mean yes, and your no, mean no
f. Because, whatever addition you make to your words or promises comes from evil intentions, and tends to cover up a sin you are hiding!
2. When Jesus says, “Swear not at all” He means in general conversations – when you are not needed to in a Court, or when making covenants and serious agreements – as I will show you in Scripture
3. But there is a Proper Use of Swearing
a. Just like not all anger is wrong, and not all killing is wrong – there is a time for all
b. JW’s and some Christians refuse to swear at all in any court – that is weird. Very superficial reading of Scripture
c. Swearing, and Solemnly Promising something is sometimes right and a good thing to do
1) When making an oath, or a vow - An oath is very Scriptural
a) When taken in the fear and name of God
b) And made by the reliance upon the living God
c) And when used for the confirmation of anything in order to put an end to strife or argument between two parties in a Courtroom
2) God himself, and the Lord Jesus Christ, and angels, and good men, are shown in Scripture swearing that what they are saying is true
a) Rev 10:5,6 And the angel which I saw stand upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his hand to heaven, And [THE ANGEL] sware by him that liveth for ever and ever, who created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are therein, that there should be time no longer:
b) God Has Sworn throughout the Bible – Promised many things with an Oath – and then KEPT His promises
(i) Exo 6:8 And I will bring you in unto the land, concerning the which I did swear to give it to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob; and I will give it you for an heritage: I am the LORD.
(ii) Jer 32:22 And hast given them this land, which thou didst swear to their fathers to give them, a land flowing with milk and honey;
(iii) Isa 45:23 I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear.
(iv) Luk 1:67 And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost, and prophesied, saying,
(v) Luk 1:68 Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people,
(vi) Luk 1:72 To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant;
(vii) Luk 1:73 The oath which he sware to our father Abraham,
(viii) Heb 6:13,14 For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he sware by himself, Saying, Surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee.
c) Listen to the Apostle Paul in the Book of Romans:
(i) Romans 9:1,2 I say the truth in Christ [I swear to Christ], I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost, That I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart. For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh
(ii) Romans 1:9 For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers;
(iii) 2Cor 1:23 Moreover I call God for a record upon my soul, that to spare you I came not as yet unto Corinth.
d. Swearing is a necessary part of establishing a covenant – a proper, publicly verifiable agreement (Hosea 10:4)
1) Hos 10:4 They have spoken words, swearing falsely in making a covenant: thus judgment [FROM GOD] springeth up as hemlock [WEED] in the furrows of the field.
2) Can you imagine conducting a wedding, and asking the two people to just live happily ever after? That would be stupid. That would not be a marriage!
3) They need to solemnly promise / vow to make the other person happy for the rest of their lives – now THAT would be a marriage!
4) And it is a covenant, between them AND God!
e. Swearing in a courtroom is not wrong (Hebrews 6:16)
1) Heb 6:16 For men verily swear by the greater [POWER]: and an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife.
2) That’s in this dispensation – after Christ came!
3) Swearing is used to get a witness to promise they are telling the truth in COURT, and that they accept punishment by the court AND by God if they are telling a lie!
4) Lev 6:1-5 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, If a soul sin, and commit a trespass against the LORD, and lie unto his neighbour
a) in that which was delivered him to keep,
b) or in fellowship,
c) or in a thing taken away by violence,
d) or hath deceived his neighbour;
e) Or have found that which was lost,
f) and lieth concerning it, and sweareth falsely;
g) in any of all these that a man doeth, sinning therein:
h) Then it shall be, because he hath sinned, and is guilty, that he shall restore that which he took violently away, or the thing which he hath deceitfully gotten, or that which was delivered him to keep, or the lost thing which he found, Or all that about which he hath sworn falsely; he shall even restore it in the principal, and shall add the fifth part more thereto, and give it unto him to whom it appertaineth, in the day of his trespass offering.
5) 2Ch 6:22,23 If a man sin against his neighbour, and an oath be laid upon him to make him swear[ IN COURT], and the oath come before thine altar in this house; Then hear thou from heaven, and do, and judge thy servants, by requiting [PUNISHING] the wicked, by recompensing his way upon his own head; and by justifying the righteous, by giving him according to his righteousness.
f. When you or I make a Promise, it is just YOU saying words.
g. By Swearing by God’s name invites GOD as your witness that you are telling the truth, and is sometimes necessary to do
1) Deu 6:13 Thou shalt fear the LORD thy God, and serve him, and shalt swear by his name. When needed
2) Deu 10:20 Thou shalt fear the LORD thy God; him shalt thou serve, and to him shalt thou cleave, and swear by his name.
h. Swearing is Serious and for Extreme Cases – not for everyday speech
1) Because swearing in Court FALSELY is perjury – a wilful lie before a judge
a) Lev 19:12 And ye shall not swear by my name falsely, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am the LORD.
2) We all know about Insurance Fraud – lying to make money off of other people
3) God Himself will judge false swearing – and so should every earthly judge
a) Ex 20:7 Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.
b) Deut 5:11 Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain: for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.
c) Mal 3:5 And I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against false swearers, and against those that oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger from his right, and fear not me, saith the LORD of hosts.
d) Zech 8:17 And let none of you imagine evil in your hearts against his neighbour; and love no false oath: for all these are things that I hate, saith the LORD.
i. JW’s evidently don’t know the Scriptures, and won’t do what God does
#1 So, Swear Not At All
C. #2 And Do What You Promise
1. Too many people loosely throw out their promises to others, and do not keep them.
a. Whether it is through failing to arrive on time
b. Or not completing something they were supposed to
c. A lack of conviction in keeping one’s word is horrible quality to have.
d. It has affected everything from people committing to church, to family, to marriage
2. I find fewer and fewer people making any promises at all – SHAME
a. “Well, you’ll see me when you see me Pastor”
b. “Well, something else came up – see ya!”
c. I have very few people that I can actually count on to keep their word, and to be where I need them, when I need them.
d. Christians have NO commitment to anything except maybe sports, and to their job
e. “Till death do us part” is nothing more than words instead of a vow before God”
f. Christians are separating as fast as lost people
g. Christians church hop like pregnant rabbits
h. No wonder people have no shame, and don’t get under conviction, and get saved, and get married – they never make any lasting decisions
3. When people say that your word is your bond that means that your word should be like gorilla glue. Nothing should break it.
a. There is a huge importance in keeping your word.
b. Making promises and not keeping them is a LIE and is one of the WORST things you can do.
c. Whatever comes out of your mouth should be the truth and if you say that you are going to do something then you should do it otherwise you should not say it.
d. What people fail to realize is your word is one of the most important things you have. If no one can believe you, or trust you then what does that say about you as a person?
4. Hundreds of years ago a man was only as good as his word, people would take their promises very seriously as failing to would jeopardize their honour.
a. Banks used to give loans to people on the basis of their church membership
b. NOT showing favouritism, but trust in the fact that the bankers knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that if a person was a bona fide member of the Methodist Church, or the Baptist Church, that THAT Church membership meant something, and that those Christians were drilled to never lie, and to always keep their promises and pay their debts
c. The world needs to see Christians who take their promises more seriously than their own comfort
1) Psa 15:1 A Psalm of David. LORD, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill?
2) Psa 15:4 In whose eyes a vile person is contemned; but he honoureth them that fear the LORD. He that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not.
5. We hate it when people won’t keep their word to us, so we must understand that others hate it when we don’t keep ours.
a. If you want to earn people’s respect, and make many friends… learn to keep your promises.
b. Keeping your word sets you above the crowd, it shows people that you respect them enough to follow through with what you promised.
c. When someone doesn’t adhere to an arranged schedule (coming in late to work, to school, to church), they are telling us that they do not respect us, as they could not be bothered to keep their promises.
6. God expects us to keep our promises and to tell the truth – full stop!
a. Num 30:2 If a man vow a vow unto the LORD, or swear an oath to bind his soul with a bond; he shall not break his word, he shall do according to all that proceedeth out of his mouth.
b. Lev 5:4 Or if a soul swear, pronouncing with his lips to do evil, or to do good, whatsoever it be that a man shall pronounce with an oath, and it be hid from him; when he knoweth of it, then he shall be guilty in one of these.
D. Anything Else You Might Say, Comes from Satan – doesn’t help
1. When you are asked a question, just tell the truth, and answer Yes, or No.
a. No excuses
b. No explaining unless asked
c. No swearing that you are telling the truth
d. Just be someone that always tellss the truth
e. You ought to hurt inside when you lie or exaggerate
f. The Holy Spirit in you is the SPIRIT OF TRUTH
1) John 4:24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
2) John 14:16,17 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
3) John 15:26 But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:
2. Constant Swearing that you are telling the truth actually is you just covering lies, and is from Satan
3. Constantly using filthy language to spice up your language is from hell!
a. Jer 23:10 For the land is full of adulterers; for because of swearing the land mourneth; the pleasant places of the wilderness are dried up, and their course is evil, and their force is not right.
b. Hos 4:2 By swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery, they break out, and blood toucheth blood.
c. Hos 10:4 They have spoken words, swearing falsely in making a covenant: thus judgment springeth up as hemlock in the furrows of the field.
III. Conclusion
A. Tell the truth – be honest in everything – even to the point of being exposed as wrong
B. Why? Because of Revelation 21:8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.
C. Never cover a lie with swearing
1. You will get into MORE trouble for swearing, and then for lying, than what you actually did that you were trying to cover up
2. Pro 28:13 He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.
3. God will not hold you guiltless
D. When asked in Court to swear that you are telling the truth…
1. THANK GOD for the opportunity to swear by God’s name – Good and God honouring
2. Then do it – go ahead and place your hand on that bible and swear by God
3. And then tell what you know as truth in yes, or No
4. Do not ever be afraid to tell the truth
E. When you are asked by someone to promise to do something, or when you are asked if you are telling the truth, or even if you are asked if you are lying, just say YES, or NO and let that be it.
F. Have you trusted our faithful God?
1. God swears to keep His word - To keep His promises
2. To forgive YOUR unfaithfulness and lying lips – by converting your soul
G. He will save anybody who is honest with Him about their sin