I Cross My Heart and Hope to Die

Matt. 5:33-37

 INTRODUCTION

1. Every day, countless people by homes, purchase cars, apply for credit, swear under oath, and sign contracts.
2. Day in and day out people make promises, vows, or oaths, and sometimes make them without any thought of actually keeping them out.
3. Let me ask you, Are you a man or woman of your word?

BODY

1. You have heard that it was said…
2. Jesus is not correcting the Law of Moses, but a misapplication of it.
3. The scribes and Pharisees were saying, as long as you did not swear an oath to God, you were not required to keep it.
4. The problem was they looked for ways to go around God’s law.
5. So oaths were about HOW the oath was stated.
6. The way it was said determined if it had to be fulfilled or not.

“Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘Whoever swears by the temple, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the temple, he is obliged to perform it.”— Matt. 23:16ff

3. If your oath was on the temple only, you would not be required to keep it.

BUT, if your oath was on the GOLD of the temple, then you would be required to do it.

1. Jesus is teaching that oaths are not needed.
2. He is teaching to carry out whatever YOU have said.
3. Do not make a promise that you have no intention of keeping.
4. But I say to You…
5. Here Jesus stresses that it is not about swearing to do something, it is about doing it.
6. Every man’s word should be his bond!
7. People should know, if we say “yes” WE WILL DO IT!
8. Disciples of Jesus do not need to “swear” by or upon anything.
9. EVERY promise you make automatically involves God.

CONCLUSION

1. You should be as good as your word.
2. Don’t make a promise you have no intention of keeping.
3. Let your yes be yes and your no be no.
4. Simply put, say what you mean; mean what you say.
5. Anything more than this comes from the devil.
6. And even if it hurts keep your word—Psalm 15:4
7. We should be of such a character that it is not necessary for us to say “I swear or I promise.”
8. We never have to cross our heart and hope to die, a simple yes or no will do.

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Thanks for watching and goodbye.