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MATTHEW 5:33-42
Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn.’ But I say to you, Do not take an oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. And do not take an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil.
"You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you.
Yes or No. Simple language is what we need to use. Our word is to be simple so that there is no need for others to question what we mean or our intent. Sometimes people swear solely to convince others that they are being truthful. We should never need to do that. Just tell the truth, be simple and reliable in what we say.
Wow. The life of a Christian is supposed to be different. Everyone will eventually encounter someone who is abusive to us without just cause. How do we respond? By not retaliating against them. How do we respond to those who beg from us? We give to them. How do we respond to those who want to borrow from us? By letting them borrow. We will no doubt be mistreated in these acts. However, God is greater than men and can repay us for our obedience.