Matthew 5 – Part 18 – SO WHAT YOU’RE SAYING IS THAT GOD CAN’T MAKE UP HIS MIND?
Occasionally I meet Christians who say “God is telling me to go and do this or that” and then the next minute God seems to have changed His mind. I remember one guy who made God look like He didn’t know how to make up His mind at all! One day it was “God wants me to do this.” and the next day it was something totally different. That’s not the unchangeable God I know and read about in the Bible.
So what I really want to talk about is OATHS AND SWEARING!
Jesus chooses to teach some radical principles to His disciples up on the mountain. Who can question that He knew what He was doing. And so far, I’ve got to admit, it is all applicable to me as a Christian leader.
Jesus spoke about Oaths and Swearing. He says in Matthew 5:33-37 (NLT) “You have also heard that our ancestors were told, ‘You must not break your vows; you must carry out the vows you make to the Lord.’ But I say, do not make any vows! Do not say, ‘By heaven!’ because heaven is God’s throne. And do not say, ‘By the earth!’ because the earth is His footstool. And do not say, ‘By Jerusalem!’ for Jerusalem is the city of the great King. Do not even say, ‘By my head!’ for you can’t turn one hair white or black. Just say a simple, ‘Yes, I will,’ or ‘No, I won’t.’ Anything beyond this is from the evil one.”
He says don’t go making promises and assurances that you may not be able to keep or being profane in your language by bringing God’s name into it. Just let your yes be yes.
So let me get this straight - Don’t make promises but keep them anyway. Have the character to do the right thing anyway and speak in a way that is straightforward.
I guess Jesus is thinking of the 3rd commandment as He teaches this principle. Exodus 20:7 (NLT) says, “You must not misuse the Name of the Lord your God. The Lord will not let you go unpunished if you misuse His Name.” Leviticus 19:12 (NLT) makes this even clearer - “Do not bring shame on the Name of your God by using it to swear falsely. I am the Lord.”
Now these passages from the Old Testament don’t say “DON’T MAKE AN OATH” but they do encourage us not to make an oath and not keep it. Numbers 30:2 (NLT) says “A man who makes a vow to the Lord or makes a pledge under oath must never break it. He must do exactly what he said he would do.” but Jesus says “DON’T MAKE OATHS AT ALL!” What, doesn’t Jesus trust us? What happens if I go to court and have to swear on the Bible to tell the whole truth? Somehow I think Jesus knows that I am capable of stretching the truth, of exaggerating and just plain lying at times.
Annanias and Sapphira dropped dead after lying to God about giving all their land to the Church. In Acts 5:4 (NLT) Peter says to them “The property was yours to sell or not sell, as you wished. And after selling it, the money was also yours to give away. How could you do a thing like this? You weren’t lying to us but to God!”
Jesus says vows and swearing aren’t necessary. He simplifies the law to the basics.
God is the only one who is really capable of keeping an oath. Hebrews 6:17 (NLT) says “God also bound himself with an oath, so that those who received the promise could be perfectly sure that he would never change his mind.”
Lord, thankyou that I can trust in You to come through with what You have promised. Help me to honour Your Name in the way I speak.
God bless you Church as you “Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.” (Colossians 4:6 (NIV))
Pastor Ross
Showing posts with label Swearing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Swearing. Show all posts
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Matthew 5 – Part 17 – WHAT IS SO WRONG WITH SWEARING? EVERYONE DOES IT!
Matthew 5 – Part 17 – WHAT IS SO WRONG WITH SWEARING? EVERYONE DOES IT!
Why is the F*** word and and the Sh** word used so freely today? Jesus doesn’t directly include this in what He says about oaths in Matthew 5 but it is there by way of application and other passages enlarge on this area of sin, so I am taking a detour. The spirit of what Jesus is saying in Matthew 5:33-37 is “watch how you speak. Don’t use God’s name as a swearword because God says there are consequences to doing that. It is unnecessary and it is so dishonouring to God. In fact speak and act with integrity.”
My mother speaks of times when her mother would wash her mouth out with soap in an effort to get across the filthiness of the way her children cursed or used their words to lie about things. Imagine the fuss if we were to bring that back into practice! Sometimes when I hear young people speak to eachother I’d love to give it a try.
Listen to what Romans 3:10-18 (NLT) says,
“As the Scriptures say,…“Their talk is foul, like the stench from an open grave. Their tongues are filled with lies.” “Snake venom drips from their lips.” “Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.” … “They have no fear of God at all.””
People who constantly say “Oh my God” still make me cringe as they bring God into the conversation in the most unGodly ways, and “Christ” is just a swearword or curse or slangword. I so find that so difficult to listen to.
Christians can be just as crass as unbelievers at times. I am surprised by young people who see nothing wrong with using language that speaks about the privacy of the sexual act in a such a common way and with such disregard. I am equally surprised at so called mature Christians who speak about excrement in the foulest of ways. How gross is such language and why would we want it to be so common by using it in everyday speech?
Sometimes, if you took away the swearwords, I wonder what kind of vocabulary would be left. Some people would find it difficult to talk at all.
Let me say this to Christians who don’t get it about swearing, and don’t dismiss this as the ravings of an old man - apart from showing no consideration to others, your cursing shows that you have a real problem with what you think is acceptable to God. It shows how thoughtless, insensitive and selfish you are to others. It shows you are unwilling to stand up and be counted when you are called to live as Salt and Light (See my previous blog about what it means to be Salt). You just want to be part of the crowd and blend in with a culture of crude talk. Crass language also shows how hard your heart is towards God and how much disregard you have for what He has to say. It is foolishness and a sure indication of depraved thinking that has no place in your life. You are worth more than this! Cursing certainly doesn’t have it’s basis in anything that is Godly! It is an indication of salt mixed with dirt that has lost all usefulness to God.
There, I’ve said it! And don’t pass it off too quickly! Please. I really care enough about you to say the tough things as well. Look at what God has to say about it in the Bible.
James 3:8-9 (NLT) says “but no one can tame the tongue. It is restless and evil, full of deadly poison. Sometimes it praises our Lord and Father, and sometimes it curses those who have been made in the image of God.”
I am surprised constantly by the way in which we speak to eachother, husbands and wives particularly. James is right, “Who can tame the tongue?” The answer to that is that only Jesus can tame the tongue, if we respect what He says and live our lives in tune with Him.
God bless you Church as you “Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.” (Colossians 4:6 (NIV))
Pastor Ross
Why is the F*** word and and the Sh** word used so freely today? Jesus doesn’t directly include this in what He says about oaths in Matthew 5 but it is there by way of application and other passages enlarge on this area of sin, so I am taking a detour. The spirit of what Jesus is saying in Matthew 5:33-37 is “watch how you speak. Don’t use God’s name as a swearword because God says there are consequences to doing that. It is unnecessary and it is so dishonouring to God. In fact speak and act with integrity.”
My mother speaks of times when her mother would wash her mouth out with soap in an effort to get across the filthiness of the way her children cursed or used their words to lie about things. Imagine the fuss if we were to bring that back into practice! Sometimes when I hear young people speak to eachother I’d love to give it a try.
Listen to what Romans 3:10-18 (NLT) says,
“As the Scriptures say,…“Their talk is foul, like the stench from an open grave. Their tongues are filled with lies.” “Snake venom drips from their lips.” “Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.” … “They have no fear of God at all.””
People who constantly say “Oh my God” still make me cringe as they bring God into the conversation in the most unGodly ways, and “Christ” is just a swearword or curse or slangword. I so find that so difficult to listen to.
Christians can be just as crass as unbelievers at times. I am surprised by young people who see nothing wrong with using language that speaks about the privacy of the sexual act in a such a common way and with such disregard. I am equally surprised at so called mature Christians who speak about excrement in the foulest of ways. How gross is such language and why would we want it to be so common by using it in everyday speech?
Sometimes, if you took away the swearwords, I wonder what kind of vocabulary would be left. Some people would find it difficult to talk at all.
Let me say this to Christians who don’t get it about swearing, and don’t dismiss this as the ravings of an old man - apart from showing no consideration to others, your cursing shows that you have a real problem with what you think is acceptable to God. It shows how thoughtless, insensitive and selfish you are to others. It shows you are unwilling to stand up and be counted when you are called to live as Salt and Light (See my previous blog about what it means to be Salt). You just want to be part of the crowd and blend in with a culture of crude talk. Crass language also shows how hard your heart is towards God and how much disregard you have for what He has to say. It is foolishness and a sure indication of depraved thinking that has no place in your life. You are worth more than this! Cursing certainly doesn’t have it’s basis in anything that is Godly! It is an indication of salt mixed with dirt that has lost all usefulness to God.
There, I’ve said it! And don’t pass it off too quickly! Please. I really care enough about you to say the tough things as well. Look at what God has to say about it in the Bible.
James 3:8-9 (NLT) says “but no one can tame the tongue. It is restless and evil, full of deadly poison. Sometimes it praises our Lord and Father, and sometimes it curses those who have been made in the image of God.”
I am surprised constantly by the way in which we speak to eachother, husbands and wives particularly. James is right, “Who can tame the tongue?” The answer to that is that only Jesus can tame the tongue, if we respect what He says and live our lives in tune with Him.
God bless you Church as you “Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.” (Colossians 4:6 (NIV))
Pastor Ross
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