"But above all, my brothers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your "yes" be yes and your "no" be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation." James 5:12 ESV
James is full of wise teaching and has been referred to as the Proverbs of the New Testament. Take it on board and live by what he teaches. The author of this book was the brother of the Lord Jesus. Prior to the resurrection, he was a sceptic but everything changed when he saw Jesus risen from the dead.
James 5:12 basically teaches us not to swear by anything or take oaths but to mean “Yes” when we say it & “No” when we say it.
As Christians, we have a huge responsibility to act on our words and our promises. Never be drawn into empty words or promises just to shut someone up because we will be judged according to all we say.
If you say you will do something or be at a certain place, do everything possible to make sure your “Yes” really means “Yes”.
You don’t want a reputation as a utterer of empty words or at the very least—unreliable do you? Next time when you are tempted with “pleasing, hollow words” that hold no water, reflect on the Word of God that is full of truth, meaning, power & is “Yes & Amen”. Imagine if God didn’t mean what He says about you!
May the Lord bless you,
Love from your pastor, Daren.
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