WEEK 6 ¤ KEEPING YOUR WORD MATT 5:33-37

oaths

Matthew 23:16-22 16 “Woe to you, blind guides! You say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it means nothing; but anyone who swears by the gold of the temple is bound by that oath.’ 17 You blind fools! Which is greater: the gold, or the temple that makes the gold sacred? 18 You also say, ‘If anyone swears by the altar, it means nothing; but anyone who swears by the gift on the altar is bound by

Matthew 23:16-22 that oath.’ 19 You blind men! Which is greater: the gift, or the altar that makes the gift sacred? 20 Therefore, anyone who swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it. 21 And anyone who swears by the temple swears by it and by the one who dwells in it. 22 And anyone who swears by heaven swears by God’s throne and by the one who sits on it.

say one thing and do another Matthew 15:8 “These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.” ‘lip service’ hypocritical lying: deception, spinning, embellishment

making a commitment and then not following through writing a check with your mouth that you can’t or won’t cash spoken hastily

2 Corinthians 8:10-12 10 And here is my judgment about what is best for you in this matter. Last year you were the first not only to give but also to have the desire to do so. 11 Now finish the work, so that your eager willingness to do it may be matched by your completion of it, according to your means. 12 For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what one does not have.

making a commitment and then not following through writing a check with your mouth that you can’t or won’t cash spoken hastily when we do not do what we say we are going to do, we nullify our witness

Ecclesiastes 5:4-7 4 When you make a vow to God, do not delay in fulfilling it. He has no pleasure in fools; fulfill your vow. 5 It is better not to make a vow than to make a vow and not fulfill it. 6 Do not let your mouth lead you into sin. And do not protest to the temple messenger, “My vow was a mistake.” Why should God be angry at what you say and destroy the work of your hands? 7 Much dreaming and many words are meaningless. Therefore, stand in awe of God.

“simply…” let your ‘yes’ be ‘yes’ and your ‘no,’ ‘no’ don’t be something you’re not! it’s not enough to just mean well (at first)! do you have integrity? 1 John 2:6 Whoever claims to live in Him must walk as Jesus did.

making an oath before God to yourself Job 31:1 “I made a covenant with my eyes not to look lustfully at a girl.”

making an oath before God to yourself What have you said to yourself and to God that you were going to do? What have you said to yourself or to your spouse you were going to do? What have you said to yourself, to someone else, or about something else you were going to do?