Do you swear to tell the truth?

Deception and dishonesty plague our world

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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

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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