Losing Credibility One Empty Promise at a Time

Our credibility is determined by the trustworthiness of what we say.

Little White Lies (5:33-36)

• Jesus paraphrased Old Testament teaching (Lev. 19:12; Num. 30:2; Deut. 23:21; Zech. 8:17) regarding the importance of empty or misleading promises.
• We can easily justify misrepresenting the truth in order to support an agenda.
• Jesus condemned the use of God’s throne, God’s creation, God’s people, or God’s child to fortify our words.
• No matter where we are, our words never escape the observation of God.

Simply Truthful Statements (5:37)

• Bold assertions are unnecessary for the truthful person.
• The disciple’s life should be so marked with integrity that nothing more than a simple statement is required.
• If we need more backing for our words, we reveal them to be unfortunately untrustworthy.

Distinctly Christian Applications

• Accept that every media outlet has mastered the art of filtering the truth.
• Realize that our culture accepts inconsistencies as long as it supports the favorable reality.
• Christians must distinguish themselves as reliable in a time obsessed with fabrications.
• If you ruin your credibility on trivial issues, you forfeit the opportunity to speak into significant matters.