Above all, my brothers, do not swear–not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. Let your “Yes” be yes and your “No,” no, or you will be condemned (James 5:12).
James is reminding us here of something that Jesus said in his Sermon on the Mount. In Matthew 5, Jesus explained, “Do not swear…by heaven, for it is God’s throne, nor by earth, because it is his footstool…or by your head, for you can not even make one hair white or black…”
The point here is that when you swear by something you are using that thing as a guarantee of your actions or your veracity. And…well…you don’t have that right. It’s all God’s. And by all I mean…well…
all.
None of it is yours to control or dictate. Swearing by any of these things is like using someone else’s property to secure a loan, without their permission.
Not a good idea.
So, Beloved, don’t make promises you can’t keep. And don’t lay claim to that which is not yours. “The Earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it.”
Including you
Happy Wednesday, Beloved.
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