Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Evening Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/ev/ev19960121.htm

MATTHEW: JESUS AS ISRAEL'S MESSIAH AND HIS MESSIANIC KINGDOM
Part VII: Discerning True Kingdom Righteousness From Mere Religiosity
C. Christ's TRUE Righteousness As Contrasted With Religiosity's Bankrupt "Morality"
3. Contrasting TRUE Avoidance of Lying With Religiosity's False Concept
(Matthew 5:33-37)
  1. Introduction
    1. When Jesus presented the Messianic Kingdom, he addressed a post exilic Jewish community that had a strict psychological allegiance to the Mosaic Law.
    2. However, the best of man's righteousness is inadequate, for all have sinned and come short of God's glory according to Romans 3:23. Well, since Paul counters Israel's belief that Israel was really upright, did Jesus agree with Paul? If so, how could Israel or any religious group in Christendom today fail to be upright?
    3. Matthew 5:33-37 shows us the spiritual bankruptcy of all men when it comes to the sin of lying!
  2. Contrasting TRUE Avoidance Of Lying With Religiosity's False Concept, Mtt. 5:33-37.
    1. Jesus reported that the Mosaic Law condemned the sin of making an oath or a promise and not following through on it, Matthew 5:33 with Leviticus 19:12; Numbers 30:12; Deuteronomy 23:21.
    2. To understand Christ's concern, we examine the practices of the Pharisees as follows:
      1. At the least provocation, the Pharisees would make oaths in order to convince their hearers that they meant what they said, Bible Knowledge Commentary, New Testament, p. 31.
      2. They would swear by heaven or by the earth or by Jerusalem or by one's own head but NOT BY GOD'S NAME in seeking to get people to believe their statements. That way, they could back out of their oaths once they had manipulated their hearers to their advantage, claiming "that since God Himself had not been involved" in back ing up their oaths "their oaths were not binding," Ibid. with Mtt. 5:34-36.
    3. Jesus saw this as a form of lying because such oaths intentionally misled others. Accordingly, He addressed the problem directly:
      1. Since it was impossible for a man to manipulate heaven, earth, Jerusalem or by one's head, but since God Himself was sovereign over these, by making an oath by these items, it was as though one was using God's Name in making such oaths, and they were binding before God, Mtt. 5:34-36.
      2. Besides, "that oaths were used at all emphasized the wickedness of man's heart" as there should be no need to have to convince a hearer that the speaker was telling the truth by taking an oath. His speech should be so truthful at all times that he merely speaks and it is believable at ANY time, 5:37.
      3. Thus, if one says "yes" or "no", his "yes" should be believable as a "yes" and his "no" as a "no" in all matters as certified by the quality of his lifestyle, Mtt. 5:37; Ibid.!
Lesson: (1) To be totally righteous, a man's word should be so truthful on all issues that his simplest statements are treated as fully true. (2) Also, the very fact that every person has at some time or another pulled back on former promises or a ssertions due to false motives shows that, like the Pharisees, all men are liars, cf. Romans 3:4. Thus, we need Christ's salvation from this condemning sin of deceit, Ro. 3:19f, 23-26!

Application: (1) As believers who are saved, our speech should always be simply candid and unpretentious. (2) We should labor not to be overly persuasive, but simply say "yes" or "no" on delicate matters. (3) When our credibility is questioned, R ESIST the temptation to go overboard on DEFENDING ourselves as that very effort is born out of a manipulation misrepresentation! Rather, state the case simply and directly, and let the facts and our lives speak volumes for us.