Righteous in Speaking the Truth, Also in Oaths
Minister: | Rev. Ronald Van Overloop |
Date: | 2/21/2016 AM |
Text: | Matthew 5:33-37; Lord's Day 37 |
Psalters: | 11, 72, 24, 65 |
- What’s condemned.
- Man can communicate, convey thoughts and ideas, and respond, both to God and to each other.
- Sin drastically changed this wonderful gift, making man a natural liar with the instinct to lie.
- Oaths and vows arise because of man's great proneness to lie, to be distrustful, and to be inconsistent.
- In our text Jesus continues to contrast His concept of righteousness (heart) with the outward show of the Pharisees (Mt. 5:20f)
- The Pharisees said the third commandment applied only to oaths made to God – not to those not mentioning God’s name.
- Jesus condemns their oaths.
- Man can communicate, convey thoughts and ideas, and respond, both to God and to each other.
- Jesus’ instruction (as in the previous instructions of God’s law) does not condemn the thing itself, but its mis-use.
- First, Jesus’ “swear not at all” is not absolute (prohibit all oaths) but relative.
- Scripture commands us to swear by the name of God on certain occasions (Deut. 6:13).
- Scripture does not condemn the many examples of those who swore – examples we may follow.
- Jesus condemned the mis-use of oaths introduced by the Pharisees (Matt. 5:33-37).
- Sometimes oaths are necessary to settle controversies and put an end to strife (I Kings 8:31,32; Heb. 6:16).
- Oaths and vows do have a lawful place in the believer=s life: marriage, baptism, confession of faith, ordination into office.
- First, Jesus’ “swear not at all” is not absolute (prohibit all oaths) but relative.
- Oaths ought not be the norm for a Christian.
- First, God's people should so speak the truth that vows are not often necessary: "yea, yea; Nay, nay" (Matt. 5:37).
- As disciples of the Truth, let our whole life be lived in the consciousness that He is present as our witness.
- “Of evil” (37b) means that anything beyond yes and no is because of the fall (evil). Sin makes oaths necessary.
- Let us be diligent to perform the vows we have made.
- First, God's people should so speak the truth that vows are not often necessary: "yea, yea; Nay, nay" (Matt. 5:37).