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May turn in your Bibles to Matthew 
chapter 5 as we continue our exposition of this gospel. According to Matthew, we find 
ourselves in the Sermon on the Mount, specifically Jesus instruction 
concerning the law and the prophets. We have seen that he is not altering 
it. He is not distorting it, he is 
not even strengthening or heightening it, but rather he is clearing 
away the misinterpretation of the scribes and the Pharisees 
and setting forth the truth as God had always intended it to 
be. Matthew chapter 5, I'll pick 
up reading in verse 17. Do not think that I came to destroy 
the law or the prophets. I did not come to destroy but 
to fulfill. For assuredly, I say to you, 
till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by 
no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. Whoever therefore 
breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches men 
so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven. But whoever 
does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom 
of heaven. For I say to you that unless your righteousness exceeds 
the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no 
means enter the kingdom of heaven. You have heard that it was said 
to those of old, you shall not murder, and whoever murders will 
be in danger of the judgment. But I say to you that whoever 
is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of 
the judgment, and whoever says to his brother, Raka, shall be 
in danger of the counsel. But whoever says you fool shall 
be in danger of hellfire. Therefore, if you bring your 
gift to the altar and there remember that your brother has something 
against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go 
your way. First, be reconciled to your 
brother and then come and offer your gift. Agree with your adversary 
quickly while you're on the way with him, lest your adversary 
deliver you to the judge. the judge hand you over to the 
officer and you be thrown into prison. Assuredly, I say to you, 
you will by no means get out of there till you have paid the 
last penny. You have heard that it was said 
to those of old, you shall not commit adultery. But I say to 
you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed 
adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you 
to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you. For it is more profitable 
for you that one of your members perish than for your whole body 
to be cast into hell. And if your right hand causes 
you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you. For it is more profitable 
for you that one of your members perish than for your whole body 
to be cast into hell. Furthermore, it has been said, 
whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of 
divorce. But I say to you that whoever divorces his wife for 
any reason except sexual immorality causes her to commit adultery. 
And whoever marries a woman who is divorced commits adultery. 
Again, you have heard that it was said to those of old, you 
shall not swear falsely, but shall perform your oaths to the 
Lord. But I say to you, do not swear 
at all, neither by heaven, for it is God's throne. nor by the 
earth, for it is his footstool, nor by Jerusalem, for it is the 
city of the great king. Nor shall you swear by your head, 
because you cannot make one hair white or black, but let your 
yes be yes and your no, no. For whatever is more than these 
is from the evil one. Amen. Well, let us pray. God, 
thank you for the word of God. Thank you for this opportunity 
to study to apply ourselves to the scripture, to hear the voice 
of the living God. And we pray that is precisely 
what we would hear. I pray, God, that your spirit 
would guide and lead us and instruct us, that you would just help 
us to be conformed to Christ, help us to be those men identified 
in this passage as those who take seriously the truth. We 
just ask that you would forgive us of our sins. As we come to 
this Sermon on the Mount, we are always reminded of how far 
short we fall of your holy standard and how appreciative we are, 
how thankful we are for the Lord of Glory, even Jesus Christ, 
our Savior. And it's in his name that we 
pray. Amen. Well, we have been considering 
this Sermon on the Mount, as I said, several, several weeks 
ago. There are general principles. 
The Lord Jesus sets forth his relation to the Old Testament 
in verse 17. Do not think that I came to destroy 
the law or the prophets. I did not come to destroy, but 
to fulfill. He highlights the abiding validity 
of God's law in verse 18, and then he gives specific warnings. 
He cautions man against antinomianism, that is, taking away from the 
law or teaching others to take away from the law. He also highlights 
the error of legalism. Remember, we saw that antinomians 
and legalists both have as a common enemy, yes, the grace of God, 
but also the law of God. So having given these particular 
cautions, and then encouraging our righteousness to exceed that 
of the scribes and the Pharisees, those legalists. He then goes 
on to set up six examples or six, what men have called antitheses 
or contrasts between what the Pharisees were doing in terms 
of their teaching and interpretation and how the law of God was intended 
to be. That is what Jesus is doing here. Calvin says we must not imagine 
Christ to be a new legislator who adds anything to the eternal 
righteousness of his father. We must listen to him as a faithful 
expounder that we may know what is the nature of the law, what 
is its object, and what is its extent. Remember, the law is 
good if one uses it lawfully. It is an unlawful use to take 
the law and try to be saved by it. In fact, do not leave from 
this place this morning saying, I need to try harder. I need 
to be better. I need to do more. I need to 
be more accurate in my truth telling. I need to be more faithful 
in my marriage. I need to be more upright in 
terms of my heart, with reference to my anger to others. Be all 
those things to be sure, but do not set your acceptance with 
God upon law-keeping. That is to unlawfully use God's 
law. This sermon is designed to describe 
the ethics of the kingdom, but in the language of J. Gresham 
Machen, he says the Sermon on the Mount, like all the rest 
of the New Testament, really leads a man straight to the foot 
of the cross. You cannot neglect that. We are 
saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, 
and not by our works of the law. Paul says, therefore, by the 
deeds of the body, no flesh will be justified in God's sight. 
For by the law is the knowledge of sin. It has a lawful purpose. 
It has a lawful function. But when we try to earn our acceptance 
with God through law keeping, we will fail and we will fail 
miserably. Well, having said that, I want 
to introduce this next antithesis or contrast. It focuses in on 
the third commandment. Jesus has already dealt with 
the 6th commandment. He has dealt with the 7th commandment 
and some further application of the 7th commandment. As we 
saw last week, unlawful divorce breaks the 7th commandment. It 
puts a man or a woman in the position of committing adultery 
and therefore is condemned. And now Jesus focuses on the 
sanctity of truth. And specifically, he deals with 
rash, frivolous and sinful oath-taking. While the 9th commandment certainly 
is relevant, it is more than likely that it's the 3rd commandment 
that is in particular view. You have heard that it was said 
to those of old, you shall not swear falsely, but shall perform 
your oaths to the Lord. Thomas Watson on the 3rd commandment 
says this, there is no one member of the body that breaks forth 
more in God's dishonor than the tongue. You probably all admit 
that, wouldn't you? Let me just repeat that. Everybody needs to be on board. 
There is no one member of the body that breaks forth more in 
God's dishonor than the tongue. We have this commandment, therefore, 
as a bridle for the tongue to bind it to its good behavior. We need to think twice before 
we speak once in the language of Charles Bridges. We need to 
bridle our tongue in the language of James. We need to govern its 
use. We need to make sure our oaths 
and our vows are consistent and we're able to carry them out. 
Solomon in Ecclesiastes says it's better not to vow than to 
vow and to break it. Better to keep your big mouth 
shut than to promise something and not carry through with it. 
Well, this morning, as we consider the third commandment, specifically 
with reference to oath-taking, we'll do it under two considerations. 
First, the contrast, and secondly, the corrective. The contrast 
and the corrective. Notice the contrast. Jesus uses 
that same convention. Again, you have heard that it 
was said to those of old, and then in verse 34, but I say to 
you, there is a biblical doctrine of oath-taking. And while verse 
thirty-three does not appear verbatim in the Old Testament, 
it certainly summarizes the Old Testament's teaching on this 
matter of oath-taking. Consider the following verses, 
Exodus 20, verse 7. You shall not take the name of 
the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless 
who takes his name in vain. Leviticus nineteen and verse 
twelve, and you shall not swear by my name falsely, nor shall 
you profane the name of your God. I am the Lord. Numbers thirty 
and verse two. If a man makes a vow to the Lord 
or swears an oath to bind himself by some agreement, he shall not 
break his word. He shall do according to all 
that proceeds out of his mouth. You see, this verse 33 accurately 
summarizes the biblical teaching or the biblical data on oath-taking. You say, well, what's the antithesis 
or what's the contrast? We'll see that in just a moment. Suffice it to say, this is absolutely 
accurate with reference to oath-taking. Deuteronomy 6.13, you shall fear 
the Lord your God and serve him and shall take oaths in his name. The usefulness of an oath. Why 
would we use an oath? An oath is a promise from man 
to man invoking God as the witness. A vow is a promise directly made 
to God himself. It's more religious and vertical 
in its orientation. But an oath is from man to man, 
and it is a solemn and a good thing used properly, as we will 
see as we move through our exposition. Our confession summarizes it 
this way. A lawful oath is a part of religious 
worship, wherein the person swearing in truth, righteousness, and 
judgment solemnly calls God to witness what he swears and to 
judge him according to the truth or falseness thereof. Again, an oath is man-to-man 
before the Lord as witness. A vow is before God himself and 
to God himself, and so Jesus is focusing primarily here on 
oath-taking. The way that we call God or whatever 
to witness before men that we are speaking the truth. So, everybody's 
on board so we understand. Now, let's look at the Pharisaic 
perversion of oaths. When we get to verse 34, and 
Jesus says, But I say to you, do not swear at all. We have 
to ask the question, is this a universal prohibition? Does 
this mean you cannot swear an oath? Was my son Micah in sin 
when he had to raise his hand and swear an oath that he would 
uphold the Constitution of the United States of America? Was 
he in sin doing that? Is it wrong to be a witness in 
a criminal matter or in a civil matter and in the courtroom raise 
your hand and solemnly swear before God on oath that you will 
tell the truth? the whole truth and nothing but 
the truth. Is Jesus making a universal prohibition 
against oath-taking? I don't think so for two reasons. One, because the context does 
not allow that interpretation. Notice, he says, do not swear 
at all, neither. He qualifies what he means by 
swearing. He speaks to pharisaic misinterpretation. He speaks to a practice common 
of the people of his own day. Again, we'll get to that in more 
detail in just a moment. But with reference to oath taking, 
if Jesus prohibits it universally in this passage, he himself is 
guilty of violating this very passage. Matthew 26, verses 63 
and 64. You may turn there. Again, a lot of confusion on 
this issue of oath-taking. People have read this as a universal 
prohibition, and therefore any oath-taking is necessarily sinful. Though the oath-taking that Jesus 
condemns is necessarily sinful, but oath-taking in and of itself, 
prescribed by God, spoken to by the Word, is not necessarily 
sinful. Notice in Matthew 26, verse 63. 
Verse 62, And the high priest arose and said to him, Do you 
answer nothing? What is it these men testify 
against you? Jesus kept silent. The high priest 
answered and said to him, I put you under oath by the living 
God. Tell us if you are the Christ, 
the Son of God. Notice he doesn't cite Matthew 
534 and say, Well, I've already spoken to this issue. You can't 
put me under oath because it's unlawful always to not engage 
in oath taking. That's not what he does. He takes 
the oath. Right? See that? It is as you said. Nevertheless, 
I say to you, hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at 
the right hand of the power and coming on the clouds of heaven. 
God himself, according to the book of Hebrews, testifies by 
oath. Hebrews six, verse thirteen, 
for when God made a promise to Abraham because he could swear 
by no one greater, he swore by himself, saying, Surely blessing, 
I will bless you and multiplying. I will multiply you. And so after 
he had patiently endured, he had obtained the promise for 
men and each swear by the greater and an oath for confirmation 
is for them an end of all dispute. Thus God, determining to show 
more abundantly to the heirs of promise the immutability of 
his counsel, confirmed it by an oath that by two immutable 
things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have 
strong consolation who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the 
hope set before us. You see, it's not always wrong 
to take an oath, is it? If the Lord Jesus Christ was 
put under oath and says and testifies, it is as you said. And if God 
himself swears by an oath, again, not to vindicate his holy character, 
but to accommodate to depraved men, that's why God swears an 
oath in that particular instance. It's not necessarily a wicked 
thing or an evil thing. I would argue as well, the mighty 
angel of Revelation 10 in verse 5 is a reference to Jesus Christ 
swearing an oath. The Apostle Paul swears oaths. Romans chapter 1. Romans chapter 
1. Again, I just want you to see 
this so that you don't make the mistake that verse 34 is a universal 
prohibition against ever taking an oath. Jesus speaks to a very 
particular abuse that was going on at his time and continued 
on. In fact, the Babylonian Talmud 
that would be written later has a whole section devoted to this 
issue of oath-taking. They got very detailed, and basically 
it became subterfuge. It became a way of lying, and 
that acceptably. He's not banning oath-taking. 
He is banning wicked oath-taking. He's not banning solemn swearing 
with reference to specific issues, he is banning the kinds of abuse 
that men will engage in just to cover themselves. Romans 1.9, 
For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel 
of his Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always. 
In my prayers. Second Corinthians one in verse 
twenty three. Second Corinthians one twenty 
three. Moreover, I call God as witness against my soul. You 
see, Paul obviously didn't interpret Matthew five thirty four as a 
universal prohibition and neither should we. We need to think properly 
with reference to this matter concerning the Sermon on the 
Mount Philippians chapter one in verse eight Philippians chapter 
one. Verse eight, for God is my witness, 
how greatly I long for you all with the affection of Jesus Christ 
and first Thessalonians, chapter two, verses five and then ten. First Thessalonians, two, five, 
for neither at any time did we use flattering words, as you 
know, nor a quote for covetousness. God is witness. It's not wicked 
in and of itself. If you're called to be a witness 
in a civil court and they ask you to affirm by or to swear 
by oath, you're not sinning if you do that. You're sinning if 
you lie under oath to be sure. That's perjury. That's wicked. 
That's terrible. But the act of oath-taking in and of itself 
is not sin, is not wicked, and Paul manifests that. Verse 10, 
you are witnesses, and God also. How devoutly and justly and blamelessly 
we behave ourselves among you who believe. So, going back to 
Matthew 5, what is Jesus condemning? He narrows it down, he tells 
us, he highlights specifically, verse 34, But I say to you, do 
not swear at all, neither by heaven, for it is God's throne, 
nor by the earth, for it is his footstool, nor by Jerusalem, 
for it is the city of the great king, nor shall you swear by 
your head, because you cannot make one hair white or black. 
You see, what the Pharisees and what the scribes and what others 
had done was to swear by the creature rather than by the creator. You say, what do you mean? We 
do that sort of thing, too. I swear on my dead father's grave. That's what they were doing. 
I swear by heaven. So that if I am not telling the truth, I'm 
not in direct conflict with God himself. I swear by earth. Again, it adds the solemnity 
of a solemn vow or oath, but it's meaningless in so far as 
they're concerned. I swear by the city of Jerusalem 
that what I'm saying is true. I swear by my own hair, by my 
own head, that what I am saying is true. Jesus says, don't you 
realize that these creaturely things have a God word focus, 
first and foremost, If you swear by heaven, you need to realize 
that's God's throne. You're not off the hook. If you 
swear by earth, you're swearing by God's footstool. Again, you're 
not off the hook. If you're swearing by Jerusalem, 
you're swearing by the city of the great king. Again, you're 
not off the hook. If you swear by your own head, 
God is sovereign over your head. He turns your hair black or he 
turns it white. I think the white refers to wisdom, 
and the black refers to you. Just a bit of an aside here. Several years ago, my hair was 
gray. You know, it still is. And someone asked me, did you 
dye it that way? I understand the desire to dye 
your hair black, but who dyes their hair gray? I have yet to 
meet that person. I thought that was a peculiar 
question. Did he imply that I was trying to look wiser? I don't 
know. I don't get it. I don't understand. 
Do you see the frivolous orientation of the Pharisees? I swear by 
heaven, not by God, because I'm really telling you a lie, but 
I want to make it sound good. I want to make it sound like 
it's a legit oath, but I want to hedge my bets as well. I want 
to swear. I want to make you think that 
I'm telling the truth, so I'm going to do it by earth. Jesus 
says, no, these creatures all have a God word reference. But 
as well, they had imbibed the practice of swearing oaths in 
everyday things. You shouldn't swear an oath every 
time you open your mouth. You ever meet those people who 
say, I'm going to tell you something, I'm not lying. Why would you say that? What's 
your deal? What are you trying to protect? 
What are you trying to hide? This gets at the root of what 
Jesus is addressing. You don't need to swear oaths 
about everything. Christian conduct in the kingdom 
of Jesus is about letting your yes be yes and your no be no. 
It's about speaking the truth accurately. You don't have to 
buttress it. You don't have to swear an oath. 
You don't have to couch it in all this flowery language. You're 
a kingdom citizen. Speak the truth in love and leave 
it at that. That's precisely what was not 
going on among the people of his time. A detailed system had 
been implemented, wherein the creature was substituted for 
the creator in oath-taking, which reduced the solemnity of the 
oath and basically legitimized oath-breaking. As well, the oath 
became commonplace. Instead of being used for serious 
matters, Instead of being used in the criminal court as a witness, 
it became used in everyday conversation. May I suggest it's an odd way 
for a husband and wife to conduct themselves when the husband calls 
and says, what time will dinner be ready, honey? And she says, 
I swear by heaven and sire, it'll be ready at 530. When I was a kid, we did it this 
way. I swear on a stack of Bibles. As if the multiplication of Bibles 
made our oath more effective. You see what we'll do to hide? You see what we'll do for subterfuge? What we'll do to try and cover 
ourselves? Jesus cuts right to the quick. 
Kingdom citizens. should let their yes be yes and 
their no be no. That does not mean that if you're 
a material witness in a criminal case and they bring you into 
the courtroom and they want you to swear an oath that you're 
going to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the 
truth, that you're not supposed to do that. Of course you're 
supposed to do that. There are times when the oath 
is effective. There are times when the oath 
is necessary. There are times when adjuration, 
being put under solemnity, is a requirement, but not over the 
commonplace things of life. If you're like me, when someone 
pads their language with, I'm not lying, I'm telling the truth, 
you've got to believe me, your mind is probably going the opposite 
direction. John Peel summarizes this way, 
this must not be understood in the strictest sense as though 
it was not lawful to take an oath upon any occasion in an 
affair of moment in a solemn, serious manner and in the name 
of God, which may be safely done. but of rash swearing about trivial 
matters and by the creatures. I swear by heaven. I swear by 
my mother's grave. I swear by the memory of Aunt 
Bessie. I swear by whatever it is. That does nothing before 
God. Albert Barnes says, it appears, 
however, from this passage, as well as from the ancient writings 
of the Jewish rabbis, that while the Jews professedly adhered 
to the law, they had introduced a number of O's in common conversation, 
and O's which they by no means considered to be binding. For 
example, they would swear by the temple, by the head, by heaven, 
by the earth. So long as they kept from swearing 
by the name of Yahweh, and so long as they observed the oaths 
publicly taken, they seemed to consider all others as allowable 
and allowably broken. This is the abuse which Christ 
wished to correct. It was the practice of swearing 
in common conversation and especially swearing by created things. Heaven is God's throne. Earth 
is God's footstool. Jerusalem is the city of the 
great king. And you don't have sovereignty 
over the hair color on your head. God is related in each of these 
areas. Don't do this. Don't use it as 
a cover so that you can lie, so that you can try to add a 
degree of solemnity to your lie. Matthew 23, Jesus condemns the 
same offense, Matthew 23, 16, in the woes pronounced on the 
scribes and the Pharisees. Woe to you, blind guides, who 
say, whoever swears by the temple, it is nothing. But whoever swears 
by the gold of the temple, he is obliged to perform it." Do 
you see the details that have arisen in oath-taking? You swear 
by the temple, it's no big deal. But if you swear by the gold 
in the temple, now you've added solemnity. If you swear by the 
altar, it doesn't matter. So, what do you think people 
did, brethren? They swore by the altar, they swore by the 
temple, they swore by heaven, they swore by earth, they swore 
by the great city, or the city of Jerusalem, they swore by their 
own heads, and they didn't care to break those oaths. Jesus condemns 
that. Not oath-taking lawfully administered, 
lawfully subscribed to, and engaged in properly. Again, we need to 
make sure that we're taking all of Scripture to bear. He says, 
verse 17, fools and blind, which is greater, the gold or the temple 
that sanctifies the gold? And whoever swears by the altar, 
it is nothing. Whoever swears by the gift that 
is on it, he is obliged to perform it. Fools and blind, for which 
is greater, the gift or the altar that sanctifies the gift? Therefore, 
he who swears by the altar swears by it and by all things on it. 
He who swears by the temple swears by it and by him who dwells in 
it. And he who swears by heaven swears by the throne of God and 
by him who sits on it. You can't escape and avoid the 
reference to God in these oaths. Bonson summarizes this way. This 
was a valid scribal effort to avoid reckoning with God in one's 
assertions. They're trying to hedge their 
bets, to put it as clearly and as simply as we can. They wanted 
to pad themselves. They wanted to give the degree 
or the appearance of honesty and solemnity. But if called 
upon, they're broken. Oh, I didn't swear by Yahweh. I didn't swear by God. As if somehow that got them out 
of it. The substitutes for God's name 
would secure emphasis for the person's statement without obliging 
him to the truth, or so the Pharisees thought. Christ makes it clear 
that all these substitutes have an unavoidable God-word reference 
anyway. Furthermore, resort to this kind 
of subterfuge implies that your simple word is not sufficiently 
credible, but rather suspect. I tell you the truth, I'm not 
lying. Dinner will be ready at 530. Plan on eating at 630, brother. Because her yes should be yes 
and her no should be no. And it works the other way, too. 
The father who says, I solemnly testify I will play in the park 
with you children today. You might go to your friend's 
house. Because he's hedging his bet. Not always, shouldn't make 
that general statement, but that's what Christ is addressing. Notice 
the corrective verse 37. There's a kingdom ethic in the 
origin of falsehood. He highlights verse 37. Let your 
yes be yes and your no, no, for whatever is more than these is 
from the evil one. In normal conversation, you shouldn't 
have to resort to oath taking. Your yes should be yes and your 
no should be no. That should be sufficient. You 
shouldn't have to appeal to heaven. You shouldn't have to appeal 
to earth. You shouldn't have to appeal to Jerusalem. You shouldn't 
have to appeal to the color of your head. You should be able, 
by Jesus' ethic, to say yes and mean it, to say no and mean it. James 5.12 says, But above all, 
my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with 
any other oath, but let your yes be yes and your no, no, lest 
you fall into judgment. simplicity of conversation. Kingdom citizens are marked by 
truth. Kingdom citizens don't have to 
say you really have to believe me. You've got to believe that 
I'm telling the truth. I'm not lying. They shouldn't 
have to say that every other sentence because they speak the 
truth. That marks them, that characterizes 
them, that identifies them. What Jesus emphasized was that 
honest men do not need to resort to oaths. That's the issue. Honest men do not need to resort 
to oaths. That's John's thought. It was 
not that they should refuse to take an oath if required by some 
external authority to do so. You stand before court and they 
ask you to swear that you're going to tell the truth, the 
whole truth and nothing but the truth. Do not appeal to Matthew 
5.34 as the text for why you cannot swear. But when you don't live your 
life in constant oath taking and constant conversational, 
I'll prove it, I've got the... No, let your yes be yes and your 
no, no. For whatever is more than these 
is from the evil one. Multiplying statements or resorting 
to oaths in common everyday speech is an indicator of the depraved 
bent of our hearts. Isn't it? I mean, if we were honest, we 
would have to couch our language. Yes is yes and no is no. Right? The origin of this is the evil 
one. He's the father of lies. We have 
to go overboard when we have to couch, when we have to do 
all of these things. It indicates not identification 
with the righteous one who in his kingdom describes or in his 
kingdom prescribes that we let our yes be yes and our no, no. 
The kingdom of Satan is marked by hedging bets. The kingdom 
of Satan is marked by oath-taking for everyday conversation. You 
shouldn't have to take an oath just to show up on time somewhere. 
You don't have to take an oath to obey the laws of the land. These are common ethics of God's 
kingdom citizens. Calvin says, Christ teaches us 
that it originates in the wickedness of men that they are compelled 
to swear. For if honesty prevailed among 
men, if they were not inconsistent and hypocritical, they would 
maintain that simplicity which nature dictates. If we were just 
honest, we wouldn't feel the need to pad everything. We wouldn't 
have to take oaths for everything. As I mentioned, there are modern 
abuses. I've already mentioned it. Swearing on the stack of 
Bibles. Was I the only kid that did this? Did you all do this 
when you were young? That's folly, isn't it? I mean, 
just think about it. It's not enough to swear on a 
Bible, but a stack of Bibles. He must 
be telling the truth. Because he swore on a stack of 
Bibles. I've got to tell you, if somebody's 
going to lie putting their hand on one Bible, they're going to 
lie putting their hand on ten Bibles. Or swearing on their 
dead, departed grandmother's grave. These are things that men do 
commonly. So it shouldn't surprise you 
that there was a cast of men walking around, making oaths 
and everyday things, swearing by heaven, swearing by earth, 
swearing by Jerusalem, swearing by... It shouldn't surprise you. 
Jesus corrected is not never take an oath, even if it's lawfully 
given. But don't engage in this folly, 
in this foolishness, in this wretchedness. Let your yes be 
yes. and your no-no. The prefacing of our statements 
with, I am not lying, I am telling the truth, you've got to believe 
me, or any such convention does not show our credibility, but 
more often than not shows just the reverse. Why do you have 
to pad what you're going to tell me? Why do you have to call attention 
to your honesty and to your truthfulness? Let your yes be yes. It's that simple. What do we 
learn? Well, we learn at least three 
things. One, the sanctity of truth. Right? Isn't that important? Isn't that what we need? Let 
me just read Numbers 30 verse 2 again. If a man makes a vow 
to the Lord or swears an oath to bind himself by some agreement, 
he shall not break his word. He shall not do according to 
all or he shall do rather according to all that proceeds out of his 
mouth. If he makes a vow to the Lord 
or swears an oath to bind himself by some agreement. This has practical 
application in every area of our lives, doesn't it? has practical 
application in our lives as individuals? Is your yes, yes? Is your no, 
no? Are you duplicitous? Are you 
mixed up? Is there a problem in speaking 
the truth? Is there an issue with the third 
or the ninth commandment? Is it easy to bear false witness? 
Is it easy to be rash in judgment? Is it easy to forget the rules 
of Proverbs 18, the first to plead his cause seems right until 
his neighbor comes and examines him? Or the one who answers a 
matter before he hears it, it is folly to him? Brethren, we 
need to be truth-tellers privately. We need to be truth-tellers with 
reference to our individual relationships. Let our yeses be yes and our 
nos be no. Secondly, where do we see this 
in the family? I don't think it's any accident. 
We've got progression in the passage, we've got connection 
in the passage. He moves from unlawful divorce 
and then he speaks about oaths. You stand before God and witnesses, 
you vow to God and you owe to one another that you will be 
faithful to one another, that your heart will not depart, that 
you will not pursue another, that you will maintain fidelity, 
that you will be true to that covenantal arrangement. Are you 
faithful? Is your yes, yes to the bride 
of your youth? Is your yes, yes to the bridegroom 
of your youth? Are you exercising marital fidelity 
as that is a mark of our relationship to the third commandment? You 
know, oftentimes a wedding ceremony, people just think it's all tradition. 
It's just the way we do things. Every step of a wedding has significance. From the father walking the bride 
down the aisle to the husband, the new husband, the bridegroom, 
taking her from him, not violently, there's a transfer of authority. Numbers 30, verse 2, deals with 
oath-taking. It goes on to describe how if 
a woman, under a father's authority, makes a rash oath, he can overrule 
it. If she's now married, her husband 
can overrule it. There's a transfer of authority 
from husband to father. We stand up here and do these 
vows. It's not just because that's what they do in Modern Bride 
magazine. That's what they do on Hollywood 
movies, and everybody gushes and oohs at how wonderful it 
is. It is a vow to God. It is an oath to man. And the 
Church is evidencing a vile disregard for the Third Commandment and 
the Seventh Commandment in this matter of infidelity. It's a 
matter of porneia. It's a matter of allowing your 
heart to be drawn aside to another. Let your yes be yes and your 
no, no. You cannot let that yes be yes. 
Don't get married. Let's talk. Who can accept it? 
Not many people can. So Jesus said, some people struggle 
with that. This till death do us part bit? 
You're kidding me, right? Can we just go to Vegas and rent 
wedding rings and have as many wives or spouses or husbands 
as we want? No, not in the kingdom of Jesus. 
Family relations, family situations, you tell your kid you're going 
to be somewhere, be there. Yes. Yes. No, no. Don't make them to understand 
the third commandment is flexible. It's moldable, it's malleable 
to your busy schedule. What about ecclesiastical commitments? Some denominations, some communions 
require their ministers to swear fidelity doctrinal standards. 
I think that's a good idea. Some men raise their hand and 
swear and affirm that they will uphold the standards of a particular 
denomination, a particular confession. Not saying it's the Bible, but 
saying it's a great summary statement of those things most surely believed 
among us that we believe, summarize and codify. cardinal doctrines 
of the truth. We have to think that when the 
hand is raised, the fingers are crossed with some men. In fact, 
Gary North has a book on how the liberals captured the Presbyterian 
church and the title is Crossed Fingers. You swore fidelity to a body 
of doctrine and you have changed? Then step down. Step down. Doesn't matter about your livelihood, 
doesn't matter about your career, doesn't matter about all that 
stuff. If you have changed and the church isn't going to, do 
not force. Ecclesiastical commitments among 
members. I don't want to bind anybody's 
consciences needlessly. But you know how you have responsibilities 
in the church. We're supposed to pray for one 
another. We're supposed to love one another. We're supposed to 
do certain things. I realize we don't have people 
stand up. I was joking with Ray and Andrea. They must not have 
read that part in our agreement that when they signed on, they 
were here forever. They can't move away. John and 
Brenda did that too. Vile, horrible. Speaking tongue-in-cheek. There are commitments. It's our 
yes, yes and our no, no. Commitments in business dealings. 
Contracts. You tell someone you're going 
to provide a good or service, provide the good or service. 
Do you hate getting jipped or ripped off? You agreed on this 
and that for this and that price. Why am I getting hung out to 
dry? It's because our yes isn't yes and our no isn't no. It's 
because we're going to finagle. We're going to catch you in the 
fine print. We're going to kill you with details instead of being 
men of integrity. What about political matters? 
We accept it as a norm that politicians lie. We accept it as a rule of 
life that lawyers lie. We accept that in total disregard 
to the third and ninth commandment. Why won't you vote for that man? 
Because he's a liar. Well, they all lie. Well, then 
they're not getting my vote. We don't hold their feet to the 
fire. Man can go up and promise anything and do nothing. Well, 
it's just the nature of the program, just the way it is. Politicians 
lie. Well, if you get into politics, 
don't be a liar. Let your yes be yes and your 
no, no. A second way, a second application is that righteous 
man in Psalm 15. That righteous man we read of 
in Psalm 15. What's it say about him? He swears 
to his own hurt and does not change. You know what that means? That means 
you don't swear enough, get down the road and say, wait a minute. This just doesn't work for me. 
He swears to his own hurt. I think there's two beautiful 
examples or illustrations of this, biblically speaking. The 
first is the Old Testament Joshua. Old Testament Joshua made a covenant 
with a group of people named the Gibeonites. They didn't seek 
the Lord in making this covenant with the Gibeonites. Turns out 
they were lied to by the Gibeonites. So what did they say? Well, you 
lied to us, so you've reneged, you've broken, we're not going 
to keep our portion of the vow, our portion of the oath. No, 
they kept it. They upheld it. They remained 
faithful, even to their own hurt. And the new covenant, Joshua, 
he swears his hand in fidelity to all of the obligations and 
the terms of God's holy law, God's holy covenant. The New 
Covenant Joshua says, I will certainly take on myself all 
of the details of this arrangement. He swears to his own hurt and 
he does not change. He's in the garden. He knows 
the cup of God's wrath is there. He's agonizing. He's sweating 
profusely. Drops of blood. His soul is exceedingly 
sorrowful, even unto death. He pleads with the Father, if 
it is possible, let this cup pass from me. But not mine will 
but thine be done. He swore a covenant and he was 
faithful to its obligations. He was faithful to executing 
it, and he is, in my estimation, the man described here in Psalm 
15. He swears to his own hurt and 
does not change. And that brings us, thirdly and 
finally, to consider, as I've already mentioned, Machen's quote. The Sermon on the Mount, like 
all the rest of the New Testament, really leads a man straight to 
the foot of the cross. How many of us haven't said it 
one time or another? I'm telling the truth. I'm not 
lying. See, I'm not up here preaching and saying, you all do this. 
We all do this. You've got to believe me. I'm 
telling the truth. Who of us can say we are rightly 
related to the third and the ninth commandment, always, all 
the time, perpetually, constantly? We all sin. We're all vile. We all hedge. We all seek subterfuge. We all seek camouflage. We all 
hide. We try to make ourselves sound 
better than we are. We need the one who swears to 
his own hurt and does not change. Machen is absolutely right. The 
Sermon on the Mount, like all the rest of the New Testament, 
really leads a man straight to the foot of the cross. where 
he in humble adoration says, Blessed be the God and Father 
of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed me with every spiritual 
blessing in the heavenly places in Christ. Because he sent his 
son, his son who honored the third commandment, his son who 
honored the ninth commandment, his son who honored the first 
and the second commandment, his son who honored the fourth commandment 
and the fifth commandment and the sixth and the seventh and 
the eighth and the tenth. Praise God for Christ, who is 
that righteousness that I so desperately need before I can 
be accepted into God's presence. The Sermon on the Mount, yes, 
defines our conduct. Yes, it describes our normative 
practice. Yes, it tells us what God demands. But it also shows us how far 
short we come. And it casts us back upon the 
mercy and the grace and the forgiveness of Jesus. Again, not to say, 
oh, now I'm forgiven. I can go out and sin again. Praise 
God for Christ. Praise God that he's the man 
described in Psalm 15. Praise God that he alone is the 
one who can ascend into that holy hill of Zion that enters 
into that tabernacle of the Lord. And by virtue of God's covenantal 
arrangement, he brings us with him. We are blessed in him. We are blessed in him. We are 
pardoned and forgiven because of him. We have his righteousness. 
We have our acceptance with God put on solid foundation. Well, brethren, let us, by God's 
grace, take these things to heart. Pray them in. Let our yes be 
yes and our no be no. And praise God for Christ, who 
always spoke truthfully, who always conducted himself in integrity, 
who always executed faithfulness, and who died and rose again on 
our behalf. And if you don't know Christ today, believe on 
him. We're back to John 737. If anyone thirsts, let him come. Let him come and drink. The answer 
for you today isn't clean up your speech. The answer is go 
to the foot of the cross. The answer isn't be more faithful 
in your oath taking. The answer is believe on the 
Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved. Well, let us pray. 
Father, thank you for your Word, and thank you for its clarity 
and its unity. Thank you, Father, that Scripture 
interprets Scripture, and I pray that we would receive your truth 
from this passage, that we would indeed seek to be faithful in 
our speech, faithful in the way that we present ourselves, and 
faithful, Lord God, in the way that we carry out our lives as 
kingdom citizens. Father, for those who do not 
know Christ, God, work in their hearts. Bring conviction of sin. 
and show them that Christ alone saves to the uttermost. And we 
ask in His most blessed name. Amen.