Let Your Word Be True
33 “Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn.’ 34 But I say to you, Do not take an oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, 35 or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. 36 And do not take an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. 37 Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil.
Matthew 5:33–37
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Let Your Word Be True
Our Lord Jesus teaches us that our words matter. We are tempted to manipulate the truth, exaggerate our promises, or use impressive words to make ourselves more believable. But such speech reveals the sinful heart. God does not merely hear the words we speak in church; He hears every word spoken at home, at work, and in conversation with our neighbor. The Christian therefore seeks to speak truthfully and simply. Our “yes” should mean yes, and our “no” should mean no. We do not need elaborate promises to make ourselves trustworthy. The Second Commandment reminds us that God’s name is not to be used for lying or deception. Yet our speech often fails this standard. Thanks be to God that our salvation does not depend upon the perfection of our words. Christ, who always spoke the truth, bore our sinful words to the cross. There He died for our lies and empty promises and gives us His righteousness. In Him, we are forgiven and taught to speak truthfully in love.
Matthew 5:33–37
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Let Your Word Be True
Our Lord Jesus teaches us that our words matter. We are tempted to manipulate the truth, exaggerate our promises, or use impressive words to make ourselves more believable. But such speech reveals the sinful heart. God does not merely hear the words we speak in church; He hears every word spoken at home, at work, and in conversation with our neighbor. The Christian therefore seeks to speak truthfully and simply. Our “yes” should mean yes, and our “no” should mean no. We do not need elaborate promises to make ourselves trustworthy. The Second Commandment reminds us that God’s name is not to be used for lying or deception. Yet our speech often fails this standard. Thanks be to God that our salvation does not depend upon the perfection of our words. Christ, who always spoke the truth, bore our sinful words to the cross. There He died for our lies and empty promises and gives us His righteousness. In Him, we are forgiven and taught to speak truthfully in love.
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2026
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February
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March
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