A man's word was his bond

Like most of you, I’ve been listening to the seemingly never-ending news coverage of the negotiations with Iran over the nuclear situation.  During my watching of these news reports, I began developing some thoughts for an editorial lesson for us to consider and I’ll present it to you here today.

A while back I did a lesson with the topic being personal responsibility and accountability and today’s will sort of continue on in that train of thought.  What I’m going to talk about, and hope that you’ll consider, is the Christian’s obligation to truth. 

Yes, we have the obligation to believe, to obey, and to teach THE TRUTH, but what I’m referring to here is our obligation to speak truthfully in all things.  To let our “yea be yea and our nay be nay.” 

There was time in the not too far distant past when a man’s (person’s) word was his bond.  They made deals, they entered into contracts, they “negotiated” with others with those things being consummated on the basis of their word.  Why?  Because they considered their word to be a sacred thing.

But alas, the world has changed in that regard, hasn’t it?  And not for the better I might add.  Anymore, anything of importance must be done “in writing.”  Our affairs are no longer negotiated based on the integrity of our speech.  Plus, if it’s really important, we have to engage a lawyer to “draw it up.” 

That just shows me how sad a state we’ve come to, in regards to our personal trustworthiness, when we have to get lawyers involved.  And these sorts of negotiations can range anywhere from property purchases to estate planning to marriage proposals.  What a sad state of affairs.

Did you ever stop to think that if everyone believed, lived and was guided by the laws of God, that there wouldn’t be a need for lawyers, mediators and people occupying those types of positions.  The reason I say that is because if all of us were truly followers of, and true children of God, then everyone would live up to their word. 

Christ taught a great lesson on this subject in His sermon on the mount.  You’ll recall there that Jesus was outlining the new law, the new covenant that was soon to come into existence.  And that it would supercede the Law of Moses which was designed to bring the Messiah to the world.  (Mt. 5:17)

But, the precepts of honesty and truthfulness have always been part of God’s plan for man’s behavior.  Especially within the realm of our topic today.  Look at what the Law stipulated in this regard: “If a man vows a vow to the Lord, or swears an oath to bind himself by a pledge, he shall not break his word.  He shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth.  (Num. 30:2 ESV)

Now look again at what Christ said in Matt. 5:37 “But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.”    In other words, what we say is what we do.  Both in the old Covenant and the new, God says we are to keep our word.

And that teaches us something else too, doesn’t it?  That we should be careful, be prudent, in the affairs to which we commit ourselves.  It’s always the best policy to not promise (vow) than to make one and then fail to keep it.

I cited Matt. 5:37 a moment ago and I’d like you to take note of some inspired words of Solomon found in the 5th chapter of Ecclesiastes.  The first thing I’ll point out is from verse 2 where we read: “Be not rash with our mouth nor let your heart be hasty to utter a word before God....”   And know that everything we say is “before God.”  (Matt. 12:35)

But, I ask you, doesn’t Solomon’s warning in Ecclesiastes dovetail perfectly with what Christ said in the last part of Matt. 5:37 “....for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil?”  The correlation is pretty easily seen to me.

To add to this particular thought of our lesson, Solomon also says there in Eccl. 5 and verse 4, and I paraphrase, that a false-promiser is a “fool” in the eyes of God.  Wouldn’t you just hate to be looked upon by God as being a “fool?”

In closing our thoughts today I want to make something clear.  I’m not saying that we shouldn’t make promises.  That we shouldn’t commit to something.  I’m saying that “The Word” teaches us that we should always take care and caution in the vows/promises we make.  The things to which we commit ourselves.

That we should do the best we can to make sure it’s the right and proper thing to do, and then be faithful to our commitment to our word.  As Solomon says, to do otherwise is foolish in the eyes of God.

Ron Covey