“SWEARING” (Mt 5:33-37)
April 23rd,2003
Int. "Ortegay Gasset who once said in the 1950's, that the barbarization of a people's language portends the decline of that people's values and integrity."
I. WE SHOULD GUARD AGAINST THE UNDESIRABLE SPEECH OF THE WORLD.
A. CHRISTIANS SHOULD AVOID THE SPEECH OF THE WORLD FOR SEVERAL REASONS.
1. (Mt 12:36) “But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.”
a. Profanity is “ ignorant man’s way of expressing himself.”
2. F. B. Meyers said: “Speech has burned with the vehemence of Demosthenes, flashed with the eloquence of Cicero, trembled with the pathos of Chrysostom, thundered with the emphasis of Luther, rung with the high note of Pitt, glittered with the brilliance of Sheridan, and poured like a torrent from the lips of Burke.”
3. (James 3:10-11) "Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be. {11} Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter?"
4. (Prov 23:7) "For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: ....”
5. (Psa 12:4) "Who have said, With our tongue will we prevail; our lips are our own: who is lord over us?"
6. (James 3:2) "For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body."
7. Thomson's The Land and the Book : he says, pp. 191-192, " This people are fearfully profane. Everybody curses and swears when in a passion. No people that I have ever known can compare with these Orientals for profaneness in the use of the names and attributes of GOD. The evil habit seems inveterate and universal."
8. Taking an oath in God’s name can be another way of “Taking His name in vain.”
B. CONSIDER SOME ERRONEOUS VIEWS CONCERNING SWEARING.
1. The Rabbi's seem to believe that idle swearing was alright as long as God's name was left out.
2. To refute this error, Jesus gave three examples of “Swear not at all!”
a. We are not to swear by heaven..(Vr. 34); for Heaven is God’s Throne. (Isa 66:1)
b. We are not to swear by the earth,(Vr. 34) for it is God’s footstool. (Isa 66:1-b)
(1) (Ps 110:1) “The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.
c. We are not swear by Jerusalem,(Vr. 34) for it is the city of the Great King.
(1) David was king here and it no doubt refers to where our Lord ministered.
II. WE SHOULD GUARD AGAINST THE UNGUARDED SPEECH OF THE CHRISTIAN
A. CONSIDER THE HISTORY OF SWEARING IN ANCIENT ENGLAND.
1. Swearing on the Gospel was first introduced in A. D. 528
2. It was introduced into Judicial proceedings about 600 A. D.
3. Profane swearing was made punishable by fine to a laborer of 1 shilling or about 12 cents.
4. An affirmation by the Quakers was accepted instead of an oath in 1596 A. D.
5. Indulgence was extended to other dissenters in Scotland in 1855 A. D.
6. Augustine said: "They do no less sin who blaspheme Christ now in heaven, than the Jews who crucified Him on earth."
B. CONSIDER SOME WAYS IN WHICH WE FAIL TO GUARD OUR SPEECH.
1. Simon Peter fell prey to this problem.
a. (Mat 26:74) "Then began he to curse and to swear, saying, I know not the man . And immediately the cock crew."
Ill. For some reason, fishermen on the coast where I grew up were the worst men in the world at cursing and swearing.
2. Simon Peter was a converted man, but: “(1 Cor 10:12) "Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall."
3. Our flippancy in ordinary life-how unthinkingly and unblushingly we Christians use such swearing expressions as:
a. " bless my soul ", " good heavens ", and even “good Lord.” “Oh, God!” etc.
4. David prayed for protection against bad speech.
a. (Ps 141:3) “Set a watch, O LORD, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips.”
5. A school boy once wrote to a friend soon after his conversion and said: " I hardly ever swear now; and when I do, they are only quite mild words ".I think he was somewhat satisfied with such progress in the Christian life; but the Scriptures say: " Swear not at all ".
Note: Just as the Scriptures say: “ Let him that stole, steal no more "; so let him that used to swear, swear no more. “
6. Lying speech is an abomination to the Lord. (Prov 3:22)
III. LET US STRIVE FOR THE UNSOPHISTICATED SPEECH OF THE KINGDOM
A. CONSIDER OUR LORD’S INSTRUCTION FOR COMMUNICATIONS. (Vr. 37)
1. Let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: (Vr. 37)
B. THERE ARE OCCASIONS WHERE WE ARE TO TAKE AN OATH.
1. (Deu 6:13) "Thou shalt fear the LORD thy God, and serve him, and shalt swear by his name."
2. Paul repeatedly made affirmations under the solemity of an oath.
a. (2 Cor 1:23) "Moreover I call God for a record upon my soul, that to spare you I came not as yet unto Corinth."
b. (1 Th 2:5) "For neither at any time used we flattering words, as ye know, nor a cloak of covetousness; God is witness:"
3. Our Lord answered the High Priest's adjuration, which was the Jewish mode of taking an oath. (Mat 26:63-64) "But Jesus held his peace. And the high priest answered and said unto him, I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God. {64} Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven."
4. We find an angel swearing: (Rev 10:5-6) "And the angel which I saw stand upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his hand to heaven, {6} And sware by him that liveth for ever and ever, who created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are therein, that there should be time no longer:"
5. We find God Himself introduced as swearing: (Gen 22:16) "And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the LORD, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son:"
6. (Isa 45:23) "I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear."
7. (Jer 49:13) "For I have sworn by myself, saith the LORD, that Bozrah shall become a desolation, a reproach, a waste, and a curse; and all the cities thereof shall be perpetual wastes."
8. (Jer 51:14) "The LORD of hosts hath sworn by himself, saying, Surely I will fill thee with men, as with caterpillars; and they shall lift up a shout against thee."
9. (Psa 89:3) "I have made a covenant with my chosen, I have sworn unto David my servant,"
10. (Psa 89:35) "Once have I sworn by my holiness that I will not lie unto David."
11. (Psa 110:4) "The LORD hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek."
C. CONSIDER SOME ILLUSTRATIONS OF CAREFULNESS AGAINST SINNING AGAINST GOD.
1. Ill. A woman told her husband that only one out of their three sons was his. The dying father bequeathed all his wealth to his real son. The Executors set his corpse against a tree and gave the three sons a bow and arrows, telling them that he who could shoot nearest the father's heart should have the whole of the estate. Two sons shot as near as they could to his heart, but the third refused to shoot at all. The Executors judged him to be the true son and gave him the estate. Such are the true children of God; but such as are lost and not sons care not to shoot curses and oaths at God."
2. Ill. A "Cheap" Practice: "Traveling on a train with a salesman, Peter McKensie asked him, "Are you paid anything for swearing as you do?" "No," was the startled reply, "I do it for nothing." "Nothing?" cried the famous preacher. "You work cheap! You throw aside your character as a gentleman, inflict on your friends, break the Lord's commandments, and endanger your own soul--and all for nothing! You certainly work cheap---TOO CHEAP!"
3. Yes, swearing is not only a "cheap" practice in many ways, but it is also a terrible sin which grieves the heart of God!
Conclusion: Frederick the Great's most famous general, Von Zealand, was a Christian, while the king himself was a scoffer. One day the monarch was making some of his course jokes about the Savior, interspersing his remarks with swearing and blasphemy. Those around him laughed, but it was too much for Von Zealand. Rising he said, "Sir, you know I have fought for you in 38 battles and won them all. I am an old man, and I shall soon have to go into the presence of One greater than you--the Lord Jesus Christ Whom you are blaspheming. My king, I cannot stand to hear my Savior spoken about in this manner. I love Jesus, so please, please do not misuse His name."
Frederick the Great with a trembling voice replied, "I beg your pardon, General Von Zealand, I beg your pardon!" Ashamed and crestfallen, the king never forgot that humbling moment.
Paul said in: (Col 4:6) "Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man."
A CARELESS word may kindle strife;
A CRUEL word may wreck a life;
A BITTER word may hate instill;
A BRUTAL word may smite and kill.
A GRACIOUS word may smooth the way;
A JOYOUS word may light the day;
A TIMELY word may lessen stress;
A LOVING word may heel and bless.
--The Banner of Soverign Grace Truth. April, 95