COMMANDS OF CHRIST

KEEP YOUR WORD

Let your yes be yes and your no be no
MATTHEW 5:33-37

MATTHEW 5:33-37
33Again,

you have heard that the ancients were told, YOU SHALL NOT MAKE FALSE VOWS, BUT SHALL FULFILL YOUR VOWS TO THE LORD. 34But I say to you, make no oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, 35or by the earth, for it is the footstool of His feet, or by Jerusalem, for it is THE CITY OF THE GREAT KING. 36Nor shall you make an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. 37But let your statement be, Yes, yes or No, no; anything beyond these is of evil.

WHY IS KEEPING YOUR WORD IMPORTANT?

Proverbs 18:21

death and life are in the power of the tongue

Tongue has the power to separate and to restore.
Matthew 12:36-37

But I tell you that every careless word that people speak, they shall give an accounting for it in the day of judgment. 37For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.
36

Every words are so important, God makes every person accountable for every word.

The command of Jesus to reject any hint of lying or deception is vital for every disciple, because the very nature of God is truth, and those who represent Him must live and speak truth.
Proverbs 12:22

Lying lips are an abomination to the LORD, But those who deal faithfully are His delight.
22

In Scripture, two accounts of lying reveal important insights into the nature and consequences of not being completely truthful.
ABRAHAM AND SARAH

ANANIAS AND SAPPHIRA

ABRAHAM AND SARAH

They agreed to lie about their relationship as husband and wife and instead tell people they were brother and sister. Their lie produced plagues and distress in the households of Pharaoh and of King Abimelech. What they did seems to go unpunished, except for the rebukes of Pharaoh and Abimelech. They even acquired valuable gifts under the false pretenses of their lies.

ANANIAS AND SAPPHIRA

In comparison, the lie of Ananias and Sapphira seems insignificant. Their lie did not bring them money; they were not as generous as they wanted people to imagine that they were with the money they were giving to the work of the Lord. For their lie, God brought them immediate death. Why did God seem so lenient with Abraham and Sarah and so strict with Ananias and Sapphira?

SIMILARITIES BETWEEN ABRAHAM AND SARAH AND ANANIAS AND SAPPHIRA

Both were believers in the Lord. Both left their lands for a better country. Both lied to protect their futures. Both lacked faith for complete honesty.

Both agreed beforehand to tell a lie. Both were reproved for their lies.

CONTRASTS BETWEEN ABRAHAM AND SARAH AND ANANIAS AND SAPPHIRA ABRAHAM AND SARAH - Lived before the Law. ANANIAS AND SAPPHIRA
- Lived after the Law was given. - Founders of the nation of Israel. - involved in founding the Church. - Affected the whole Body of - Affected the whole nation of Christ with their lie. Israel with their lie. - looked forward for the death of - looked back on the death of Christ. Christ.

Why were there two different consequences of lying?

How did God judge Abraham and Sarah? Why did God judge Ananias and Sapphira so swiftly?

Why were there two different consequences of lying?

An initial reading of both accounts of lying might lead to the conclusion that God was lenient with Abraham and Sarah and harsh with Ananias and Sapphira. THIS IS NOT TRUE Because both were severely punished for their deceptions. In some ways Abraham and Sarah received the greater punishment, because the iniquity of their deception was passed on to their children and grandchildren for generations after them.

How did God judge Abraham and Sarah?

It does not appear that Abraham and Sarah repented for their lie. They failed to warn their descendants not to follow their example. - Isaac and Rebekah told the same lie to King Abimelech The deception practiced by Isaac was then practiced by Jacob. Jacobs deception was multiplied through his family.
The iniquity of Abraham and Sarah followed after them and became more and more destructive with each generation. The longer a lie continues unjudged, the more destructive it becomes.

Why did God judge Ananias and Sapphira so swiftly?

1. Ananias and Sapphira acted presumptuously against the Lord and despised His Word. - they were looking for the same kind of public praise and admiration that Barnabas received when he sold his property. - their sin affected the entire group of believers. - it would have been a tragedy in the early Church if public praise had been given to one who earned the praise deceitfully. 2. Gods swift and severe punishment of Ananias and Sapphira sent a clear message to every believer that He required His Church to be pure and filled with believers who were dedicated to holiness.

swear not at all?

Jesus simply telling us that promising to do something without intending to do it comes of evil. This type of willful and planned deception is simply an application of the evil of the master of deceiver, Satan. It is a clear form of lying, and Jesus traces all lying to the devil. God keeps every promise He made, that is why He hates those who made promises to Him and failed to keep them. And this hinders Him to bless His people.
The worst kind of lying is making promises that you cannot fulfill. John Wanamaker

What constitutes lying?

It is a premeditated use of words, attitudes, or actions to deceive another person. It is knowingly propagating/promoting a falsehood. It is violating the trust and confidence that was given by other people. It involves not only misinterpretation of the facts but the inclusion of half-truths. Story: Si Pedro at ang kalabaw
John 8:44
44You are

of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.

Truth and Light are synonymous with God in the same way darkness and deception are related to Satan. God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all. Satan is of the darkness and the source of all deception.
Let us all be accountable to our words. The powerful functioning of the Church takes place when each member speaks the truth in love. Doing what we say we will do means planning how to fulfill a promise , not planning how to make an excuse. We please God when we wisely fulfill the vows we make to Him. Let us all keep our word.

Affirmations for Keeping Your Word

I will tell the whole truth I will consider how my words will be received before I speak them. I will not make promises I cannot keep. I will verify all the facts before I speak. I will speak words of life to others. I will give honest praise to those around me. I will speak truth in my heart. I will uphold truth in the Body of Christ.