A Life of Integrity

Scripture: James 5:12: But above all, my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath. But let your “Yes” be “Yes,” and your “No,” “No,” lest you fall into judgment.

Introduction: Someone suggested the top ten lies told in America: 10) Your table will be ready in a minute. 9) One size fits all. 8) This will hurt me more than it hurts you. 7) I’m sorry I’m late; I got stuck in traffic. 6) The check is in the mail. 5) This offer is limited to the first 50 callers. 4) It’s not the money; it’s the principle of the thing. 3) I need just five minutes of your time. 2) I’ll start my diet tomorrow. 1) I’m from the IRS and I’m here to help you. Our culture doesn’t place much value on integrity, but Scripture does. James helps us sort out what characterizes a life of integrity:

1. Avoid the Use of Fine Print (v. 12a). Verse 12 is James’ final exhortation concerning worldliness: in this case, worldliness as expressed by our tongues. James has already dealt with the tongue at length in previous verses, but as he concludes his discussion on worldliness, he again returns to a sin of the tongue. In this case he particularly refers to the abuse of oaths. Let’s take a closer look at this idea of oath taking:

A. The Use of Oaths in Biblical Times. In an era before written contracts, oaths served to bind agreements between people. An oath is simply an affirmation attached to a statement designed to give it the certainty of truth, designed to call as witness some independent person or thing to testify to the validity of our words or actions. An oath, in and of itself, was useful, even encouraged in the Old Testament (see Deuteronomy 10:20; 23:21; Exodus 22:10–11; Numbers 30:2). Paul used a form of an oath on several occasions (see Romans1:9; 1 Corinthians 1:23; Philippians 1:8). This form of oath taking isn’t condemned by James.

B. The Abuse of Oaths in Biblical Times. Unfortunately, by the time of the New Testament the biblical teaching on oaths had suffered tremendous abuse. Some rabbis taught that an oath was not binding if it omitted God’s name. The Pharisees began to use other terms, terms that Jesus referred to in Matthew 5:34. Instead of appealing to the name of God, they would say, “Heaven is my witness” or, “Earth is my witness” or “I swear by Jerusalem.” Appealing to a substitute for God (heaven, earth, or Jerusalem) was like adding fine print into the oath as means of lying and deceiving others. This form of oaths is condemned by Scripture.

C. The Use and Abuse of Oaths in Modern Times. Some religious groups avoid taking oaths in court. However, this type of oath is not condemned by Scripture. In fact, Jesus subjected Himself to an oath at His own trial (see Matthew 26:63–64). Pastor and theologian Geoff Thomas commented: “I would urge you if you are going to appear in court that you do choose to take an oath rather than make a civil declaration. I feel it is sad that some people reject the God of the Bible before whom they are going to say some solemn words. For the Christian it is an honor to appeal to the living God before who knows whether his words are true. Bring him praise. He is your God. You know Him as your Father even if you are the only one in the court who does so.” The abuse of oaths is still in the form of fine print. Have you ever been victimized by high interest rates hidden by fine print? Are you using fine print? Making promises with your fingers crossed? Calling in to work sick when you’re only sick of working? Are you making excuses based on any half-truth? This may be normal in our society, but Scripture calls us to a life of integrity.

2. Apply the Practice of Plain Speaking (v. 12b). James is exhorting us to be so truthful in our speech that we don’t need an oath. We should be people who “say what we mean and mean what we say,” because deception is dangerous: James concludes this verse to say, “(Speak truthfully) lest you fall into judgment.” The word of a Christian should be so trustworthy, so beyond question, that his “yes” always means “yes,” and his “no” means “no.” Imagine the testimony Christians would hold if they were known for their honesty in the midst of such a fine print, deceptive culture! A woman once entered a butcher’s shop and asked for a chicken. The butcher only had one left, so he brought it out and placed it on the scale; it weighed two pounds. The woman said, “I was hoping for one a little bigger.” The butcher returned to the freezer, pretending to get another, but brought the same chicken back and placed it on the scale, pushing down a little with his thumb so that it weighed three pounds. The woman said, “Perfect, I’ll take them both!”

Conclusion: Some people say integrity is “what you are when no one is watching.” The key to living a life of integrity is to understand that there is never such a time. Integrity is “what you are when only God is watching,” for we can never escape the Lord’s presence (Psalm 139:7–12). We are to avoid deception and to speak plainly and truthfully. If we live this way, surely we will boldly stand out in the midst of the fine print of our deceptive culture. There once was a little boy who watched his father mow the grass each Saturday, eager to be big enough to push the mower himself. Finally, the big day came, and under his dad’s supervision, he began to mow. The young boy didn’t know the exact boundaries of his yard and mowed a crooked path into the lawn of his perfectionist neighbor. Frightened, the boy turned off the mower and looked to his father. His dad swiftly marched him next door, saying, “If you try to hide it, waiting until he sees, he’s going to be angry. Tell him what you did and apologize.” The boy quivered in his speech as he confessed and apologized, but the neighbor looked surprised and said, “OK, that’s all right.” Many times throughout his life, the same young man remembered and practiced the principle he learned that day. He often kept his testimony strong by immediately admitting his faults rather than hiding them. We should all learn to follow the “next-door neighbor principle.”