April 15 Daily Devotional

Scripture for Day 105—James 5:12

¹² 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.

Devotional:

How does James 5:12 fit into the flow of thought in James? Throughout the epistle, God has encouraged patient endurance in the midst of trials. In this immediate context, he has just reminded you of the Second Coming to encourage you to patiently endure and persevere. He warns that suffering can occasion the temptation to compromise and so become polluted by the world. In the very next verse, he says that the right response in such circumstances is prayer. "Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise" (v. 13).

And so, the context shows a likely reason for Christians to be swearing oaths. In times of trial, you will be tempted to try to strike bargains with God, swearing to do one thing or other if only God will deliver you. We even have a name for this—"foxhole religion." The unconverted young Martin Luther, for example, vowed to become a monk when a bolt of lightning struck near him in 1505.

God has been saying, "Be patient in your suffering. Remember that the Lord is returning. Remember the example of the prophets. Remember the perseverance of Job. Remember the Lord is full of compassion and mercy." Now he says, "Above all, don't fall into swearing as if you can manipulate God by your oaths. Instead, speak honestly and directly, and rely on God in prayer."

In other words, it again boils down to the issue of faith. In times of trial, will you trust and follow God? Will you lose your life for his sake? Or will you try to save yourself by making promises to God in order to get him to do what you want? It's unbelief to distrust God's compassion and mercy and so want to strike bargains. And that contradicts the gospel—to try to strike a bargain with God is to put your trust in your doing rather than resting only in the perfect doing and dying of Jesus Christ.

How then does James 5:12 apply? It has to mean more than don't ever say bad words; don't ever use oaths or vows; don't ever tell lies; always keep your word. Of course, all of these are true. And all of these are important. But here God cuts to the heart of an even deeper issue—the difference between genuine faith and counterfeit faith.

He is saying, "Don't let suffering pressure you into unbelief." Don't try to impress God or others or manipulate God or others as if what really counts is what you do. If you are resting in God's free grace in Christ, then you don't need to impress anybody, and you can be completely honest and transparent. Christians should be marked by integrity. You should be the same person on the inside and the outside, no matter whom you are with. Integrity flows from wholehearted reliance on grace. Unbelief shows itself in bargaining, manipulating, and trying to impress.

Instead of swearing, pray! That's what faith does. And that leads naturally to v. 13—"Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray."

Click here for background on the author of Are You For Real?: Meditations in the Epistle of James for Secret or Family Worship.