
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