Nothing but the Truth
Matthew 5:33-37
Pastor Dan Erickson
April 23, 2023

Do you swear to tell the truth?

Deception and dishonesty plague our world


OATH KEEPING AND TRUTH TELLING

Jesus points out how oaths were abused

Jesus wants us to simply tell the truth (James 5:12)

SHOULD WE EVER TAKE AN OATH?

Jesus’ objection is not to oaths, but to deceit

Oaths by God, the Apostle Paul, and Jesus (Hebrews 6:13-17; 2 Corinthians 1:23)

JESUS WANTS US TO SPEAK THE TRUTH

But our “yes” doesn’t always mean yes

“Lord, I am a liar sometimes. I need your forgiveness” (1 John 1:9)

BE MORE DILIGENT IN TELLING THE TRUTH

We should be willing to confess our sins and failures to others (Colossians 3:9a; James 5:16a)

We should make sure we are honest in our dealings with other people

We need to speak the truth to our “post-truth” world


May the Lord give us the courage to speak the truth in a clear, creative, and compelling way, for His glory and for the good of the world