James 5:12 (Devotion)

"But above all, my brothers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your “yes” be yes and your “no” be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation."

James 5:12 is perhaps one of the more peculiar Scripture passages James wrote because of its placement within chapter 5 of his letter. It falls between sectional headings of "patience in suffering" and "the prayer of faith" which should help discern its meaning, yet on the surface it doesn't seem to fit. One could propose that it bridges these two paragraphs, maintaining a pattern of consistency and flow of thought from James to his readers. For it is undeniable that the meaning of James 5:12 in and of itself is integrity of one's word, yet the contextual placement of it has perplexed Biblical scholars since it was first penned. Why would James make this statement now? It is tempting to ignore the context surrounding verse 12 and simply address the point James addresses, for this passage forces a man to look in the mirror and ask himself, "Are my words trustworthy or manipulative and dishonest? Do my words support or contradict my actions? Can I be counted on for what I commit to?" Make no mistake, verse 12 places a spotlight on the integrity of a man's word, which should offer insight to its corresponding verses surrounding.

Noah Webster's 1828 Dictionary defines an oath as "a solemn affirmation or declaration, made with an appeal to God for the truth of what is affirmed. The appeal to God in an oath, implies that the person imprecates his vengeance and renounces his favor if the declaration is false, or if the declaration is a promise, the person invokes the vengeance of God if he should fail to fulfill it." In summary, an oath is a serious declaration to God that requires honesty and sincerity of heart, coupled with a willingness to be held accountable in judgment for the oath's fulfillment. That is why in a court of law, a witness questioned under oath is accountable for the truthfulness of his/her testimony. For the Christian man or woman, an oath made to God (in essence) helps measure spiritual maturity. It reveals whether we trust God unconditionally in the midst of trial, confusion or misunderstanding, and calculates the spiritual weight of character and integrity of our words. In truth, it reveals not only whether we can be trusted to fulfill the commitments we make and stand by the words we speak, but also whether we trust in the sovereignty of God that defies human logic and experiential understanding to preside over the trajectory of our lives, for better or worse according to His divine will.

Let us not misconstrue ourselves into interpreting James' statement as one that abolishes oaths altogether. There is nothing wrong with making an oath with God-honoring intent or being under oath as in a court of law. The important takeaway is that we fulfill our oath to God without reservation, which points to James' exhortation that our “yes” be yes and our “no” be no. Our speech must be resolute with conviction and application so that it can be trusted by others and held accountable by God. Otherwise, we are questionable in our motives and conditional in our respect for God's supreme authority. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that James would conclude his message of patience in suffering by affirming our oath under God to trust His sovereignty in our words and actions. Patience can only be maintained with clear focus on the task at hand to endure trials with complete faith in the sovereignty of God, and that same sentiment holds true in our firmness of speech that establishes our integrity. Moreover, it should also come as no surprise that it points to the prayer of faith which demands that our sincerity of speech not preclude our prayers from being answered. We do not know when we pray whether God will answer yes, no or maybe, but we can be unwavering in our faith of His will and timing as we appeal to His grace and mercy in supplication during times of need.

Inevitably, the risk we take when we are influenced to stray from our word, and more importantly the Word of God, is condemnation. That is a serious warning that echoes the same teaching Jesus gave concerning oaths during His sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:33-37). At that time, the Pharisees were using oaths to give accreditation to their behavior in order to tempt people into believing their intentions were God-honoring, their hearts were pure, and their words truthful. They used oaths to manipulate others rather than to affirm their integrity, and Jesus swiftly admonished that behavior and the use of oaths in such manner when He declared that man not take an oath at all. Jesus' concern, as it always is, focuses on man's heart and his need for clarification and understanding. Hence, man should not be concerned with having to prove the validity of his word at all times if his word is resolute, his intent pure and genuine, and his willingness to be held accountable according to his word universal. In the end, we glean immense wisdom from this teaching as it relates to patience in suffering and prayers offered in faith when we ensure that our "yes" is yes, and our "no" is no. Because more often than not, God will position us in situations and circumstances when this teaching will be applicable and the validity and integrity of our word will be paramount to identifying us to others as followers of Jesus Christ when we exude patience in suffering and offer prayers of faith to God.