Introduction: When Words Don’t Mean Anything Anymore
We’re living in a time when people’s words have lost their weight. Promises are cheap. Vows are broken. Swearing has become a substitute for honesty. “I swear I’ll do this. I swear I’ll do that.”
But in this passage from the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus goes beyond the letter of the law and digs deep into the heart of integrity.
Let’s read the words of our Lord in full:
Matthew 5:33–37
Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths: But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God’s throne: Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King. Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black. But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.
I. Stop Swearing—Start Speaking Truth (v.33–34)
Jesus starts with what they already knew:
Matthew 5:33
Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths:
This is a reference to passages like this:
Leviticus 19:12
And ye shall not swear by my name falsely, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am the LORD.
Numbers 30:2
If a man vow a vow unto the LORD, or swear an oath to bind his soul with a bond; he shall not break his word, he shall do according to all that proceedeth out of his mouth.
Jesus doesn’t contradict the Old Testament—He clarifies it. The Jews had developed a system of oath loopholes: if you swore by heaven, it didn’t count; if you swore by the gold of the temple, maybe it did.
The Pharisaical Loophole System
By Jesus’ day, the scribes and Pharisees had twisted the spirit of the Law. Rather than upholding truthfulness in all speech, they created a technical system of oaths—essentially legal tricks—to determine which oaths were binding and which ones you could break without guilt.
They developed a hierarchy of oaths, like:
- Swearing by the temple — not binding
- Swearing by the gold of the temple — that was binding
- Swearing by the altar — not binding
- Swearing by the gift on the altar — binding
This is exactly what Jesus rebuked in another passage:
Matthew 23:16–18
Woe unto you, ye blind guides, which say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor! Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold? And, Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever sweareth by the gift that is upon it, he is guilty.
In other words, they created a system where people could technically lie—so long as they didn’t swear by the “right” thing. It was dishonest at the core, designed to let people sound serious without being held accountable.
But Jesus cuts through the hypocrisy right here in the chapter we are studying.
Matthew 5:34
But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God’s throne:
Don’t swear by heaven, Jesus says—it’s not yours to swear by. Heaven is God’s throne. It’s not yours to swear by.
II. God Owns It All—So Don’t Use It to Back Your Lies (v.35–36)
Matthew 5:35–36
Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King. Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black.
Why does Jesus give this list?
Because everything we’re tempted to swear by belongs to God.
- You can’t swear by the earth—it’s God’s footstool.
- You can’t swear by Jerusalem—it’s His city.
- You can’t swear by your own head—you don’t even control the color of your hair!
God is showing us here that we don’t have much authority. And we don’t. God has the authority. And he tells you not to use his things to back your lies.
“I swear on my life that I will pay you back. I swear on this. I swear on that.” Don’t swear. Don’t tell lies. Because that’s what this will lead you to do. Usually people who say “I swear I will do this” are the ones who don’t do it. Imagine swearing on your life to do something, and you don’t do it. Not a good thing especially when God is hearing these things.
Psalm 24:1
The earth is the LORD’S, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.
You see, swearing is trying to borrow God’s credibility to back up your shaky word.
III. Mean What You Say. Say What You Mean. (v.37)
Now, Jesus gives us the solution to all of this. Don’t swear you’re going to do this or that. You don’t need to add extra to anything.
Matthew 5:37
But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.
God doesn’t want you to sound holy—He wants you to be honest.
You don’t need to say, “I swear on my life,”
or “God as my witness,”
or “Cross my heart and hope to die.”
Just say yes and mean yes. Say no and mean no. Do you see how things get so simple with God. When you say yes, do it. When you say no, do it. That’s it. And people will see this and know that your yes means yes and your no means no. God will see that too.
This is a commandment from God.
Anything beyond yes and no is coming from a place of evil—a desire to deceive, impress, or manipulate.
Proverbs 10:19
In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin: but he that refraineth his lips is wise.
IV. The Heart Behind the Mouth
Jesus is not just cleaning up our vocabulary—He’s fixing our character.
Matthew 12:34
O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.
You don’t fix your speech by just avoiding “bad words.”
You fix it by letting Jesus cleanse your heart.
A mouth that lies, flatters, or exaggerates reveals a heart problem.
James 5:12
But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but let your yea be yea; and your nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation.
V. Practical Application: Let’s Get Real
Let me make this plain:
- If you say you’ll be there at 6—be there.
- Are you coming? Yes—make it true.
- If you say you’ll pray for someone—do it.
- If you say you believe in Jesus—live like you do.
Christians shouldn’t be known for dramatic speech—we should be known for dependable character.
Ecclesiastes 5:5
Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay.
Don’t make vows you won’t keep. Understand this. When you agree to death do us part in marriage, you better be serious.
Marriage is a sacred covenant, not a casual contract—and your vow to love, honor, and stay faithful isn’t just to your spouse—it’s to God.
Conclusion: Speak Like a Child of the King
We represent a God who cannot lie.
Titus 1:2
In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;
So let’s speak with integrity, not intensity. Let’s speak with truth, not theatrics.
Let’s speak with faithfulness, not flattery.
Colossians 3:9
Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds;
Let’s be men and women of our word. Let our “yes” carry weight. Let our “no” stand firm. Let our hearts be clean—and our mouths reflect it.
Call to Action
Ask yourself today:
Does my word reflect the Word of God?
If not, it’s time to get honest with the Lord—right where you are.
You don’t need a stage. You don’t need a ceremony.
You need repentance of heart and a commitment to walk in truth.
Let God clean your mouth by cleaning your heart.
Isaiah 6:7
And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged.
Speak clean. Live clean.
Let your word be enough—because Jesus is more than enough.
His truth doesn’t need embellishment. His people don’t need theatrics.
The world has heard enough empty promises—it’s time they heard honest Christians.
So from this day forward—no swearing, no flattery, no manipulation.
Just a clean heart, a clean mouth, and a “yes” or “no” that honors God.
Think about it. Would you rather hear a bunch of dramatic stories, empty promises, and ‘I swear to God’—only to be let down? Or would you rather have someone look you in the eye, say ‘Yes,’ and then actually follow through?
I’m tired of the excuses, the lies, and the showmanship. I just want people to say what they mean and mean what they say. A simple ‘Yes’ or ‘No’—backed by integrity—is worth more than a thousand fancy words that go nowhere.
“Let’s stand together in truth. When we say ‘Yes,’ we mean it. When we say ‘No,’ we stand by it. No games. No gimmicks. Just honest words from honest hearts.”
Let’s pray.
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