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    How many times have we heard someone say “I swear…� How many times have we said the same ourselves? In our modern culture, the words “I swear…†often merely connotate sincerity, and often that sincerity is feigned or untrue.
    As Christians, we forget that our oaths can place us at risk. Jesus himself warned us in Matthew 5:33-37 that ‘swearing’ by, for, or against anything bears the taint of sin. How is that so? Because even when we swear that we are going to do something good or God-pleasing, how often are we able to carry through? More often, we ‘swear’ because we want to emphasize or inflict our will on others.
    Instead, as Christians we should let our words stand on their own merits. If what we say is true and worthwhile, it needs no backing up by oaths or affirmations. When what we say is true and worthwhile, its affirmation is its truth and worth, and when we are proven truthful and worthy, then we witness to our Savior and the truth of the Gospel that compels us to let our ‘yes be yes and our no be no’.
DLH
