Today our paragraph topic is: (Concerning oaths).
Again today Christ continues to modify what has been taught in the past by referring to the Ten Commandments. He tells us that we undoubtedly have heard of the saying, "Thou shalt not swear falsely, but fulfill thy oaths to the Lord." He gives us the root of the issue by telling us to retrace the saying to it's origin by not swearing at all. He tells us that we should not swear by heaven because it is not ours but is the throne of God. We should not swear by the earth because we do not own it either and it is the footstool of God. We should neither swear by the Holy City of Jerusalem because it is the city of the Great King, and we should not swear by our heads because we do not control it nor can we make it change.
In whatever we do, we should not seek to seal ourselves with ultimate pledges. We do not own or control anything. We do not have the power to make ultimate decisions and therefore should not swear by anything. Christ tells us to let our Yes be Yes and our No's be No's and this should be the extent of our pledges or decisions. In these examples he tells us that in our mistaken identities we make pledges through our swearing as though we are the ultimate authority in the matter. Where, in all sincerity, we do not have any authority. All authority belongs to God. But Satan would have us believe that we have authority. He would have us think that we can make ultimate decisions that bind us to rules that change our lives. And by doing so, we put ourselves in the position of God and bring destruction upon our heads.
Christ tells us to simply let our Yes be Yes and our No's be No's and to do nothing else. This is sufficient to deal with whatever situation we encounter. And if this is not enough then it is beyond ourselves to say otherwise. The devil wants to have us make a commitment that is not ours to make. I swear by Almighty God, for example, that I will avenge my wife's rape and murder, is a commitment that is not ours to make. First, God is the judge of all evil committed on this earth and he alone will exact vengeance. It is his position to commit to a pledge of revenge and not ours. But the devil would have us believe that through our blind anger and rage, we have the right and the privilege to exact our sense of justice upon others.
Our hearts belong to God and not to Satan, but this is what Satan wants from us. He wants our hearts to be clouded with rage and revenge, and lust, and passion, and all kinds of abominations that offend God. He would cloud our hearts and lock our minds, such that we are lost from God's love and mercy. We were created in the image and likeness of God and we are his children. Yet Satan would turn us away from God for his own pleasure and lead us in the way of darkness that ultimately condemns us to an eternity of pain and suffering in the lake of fire.
Thank you Father for your infinite patience in not allowing me to die without coming to know you. Thank you Father for your mercy in forgiving me of my sins so that I am no longer offensive to you but am now justified, having been washed in the blood of Christ and having been brought back to life through the gift of the Holy Spirit. Thank you Father for your justice in having sent your son, Christ Jesus, to die for me so that I might have eternal life. Thank you Father for your love that I might know the love that you have for me and that I might know the true gift of who I am in your sight.
Thank you Christ for your sacrifice in your death on the cross. Thank you Christ for the suffering that you endured to save me and mankind from a life of damnation. Thank you Christ for removing your crown of glory and taking on the humble being of man, to come to earth to teach me and guide me in the ways of the Father. Thank you Christ for your love of mankind, to give us examples of how we should live and how we should love and how we should serve each other. Thank you Christ for all the things that you do for me each day that guide me, that protect me, that provide for me, that shows your love for me. May I learn to show that same love to others that they may know you and give you the praise and honor and the glory. Amen.
Again today Christ continues to modify what has been taught in the past by referring to the Ten Commandments. He tells us that we undoubtedly have heard of the saying, "Thou shalt not swear falsely, but fulfill thy oaths to the Lord." He gives us the root of the issue by telling us to retrace the saying to it's origin by not swearing at all. He tells us that we should not swear by heaven because it is not ours but is the throne of God. We should not swear by the earth because we do not own it either and it is the footstool of God. We should neither swear by the Holy City of Jerusalem because it is the city of the Great King, and we should not swear by our heads because we do not control it nor can we make it change.
In whatever we do, we should not seek to seal ourselves with ultimate pledges. We do not own or control anything. We do not have the power to make ultimate decisions and therefore should not swear by anything. Christ tells us to let our Yes be Yes and our No's be No's and this should be the extent of our pledges or decisions. In these examples he tells us that in our mistaken identities we make pledges through our swearing as though we are the ultimate authority in the matter. Where, in all sincerity, we do not have any authority. All authority belongs to God. But Satan would have us believe that we have authority. He would have us think that we can make ultimate decisions that bind us to rules that change our lives. And by doing so, we put ourselves in the position of God and bring destruction upon our heads.
Christ tells us to simply let our Yes be Yes and our No's be No's and to do nothing else. This is sufficient to deal with whatever situation we encounter. And if this is not enough then it is beyond ourselves to say otherwise. The devil wants to have us make a commitment that is not ours to make. I swear by Almighty God, for example, that I will avenge my wife's rape and murder, is a commitment that is not ours to make. First, God is the judge of all evil committed on this earth and he alone will exact vengeance. It is his position to commit to a pledge of revenge and not ours. But the devil would have us believe that through our blind anger and rage, we have the right and the privilege to exact our sense of justice upon others.
Our hearts belong to God and not to Satan, but this is what Satan wants from us. He wants our hearts to be clouded with rage and revenge, and lust, and passion, and all kinds of abominations that offend God. He would cloud our hearts and lock our minds, such that we are lost from God's love and mercy. We were created in the image and likeness of God and we are his children. Yet Satan would turn us away from God for his own pleasure and lead us in the way of darkness that ultimately condemns us to an eternity of pain and suffering in the lake of fire.
Thank you Father for your infinite patience in not allowing me to die without coming to know you. Thank you Father for your mercy in forgiving me of my sins so that I am no longer offensive to you but am now justified, having been washed in the blood of Christ and having been brought back to life through the gift of the Holy Spirit. Thank you Father for your justice in having sent your son, Christ Jesus, to die for me so that I might have eternal life. Thank you Father for your love that I might know the love that you have for me and that I might know the true gift of who I am in your sight.
Thank you Christ for your sacrifice in your death on the cross. Thank you Christ for the suffering that you endured to save me and mankind from a life of damnation. Thank you Christ for removing your crown of glory and taking on the humble being of man, to come to earth to teach me and guide me in the ways of the Father. Thank you Christ for your love of mankind, to give us examples of how we should live and how we should love and how we should serve each other. Thank you Christ for all the things that you do for me each day that guide me, that protect me, that provide for me, that shows your love for me. May I learn to show that same love to others that they may know you and give you the praise and honor and the glory. Amen.
