The top three least trusted professions are politicians, car salespeople, and advertising executives.
Where do today’s clergy rank in our list of trusted or mistrusted officials? They are below doctors, teachers, and law enforcement. However, they are seen as more trustworthy than politicians, car salespeople, and journalists.
Ideally, followers of Jesus should be some of the most trusted people in the world.
When our words are unreliable, even in sworn testimony, we disregard God’s design for truthfulness. This tarnishes our ability to be witnesses to God’s transformative power in our lives.
One of my friends said it quite well. His frequent refrain was, “Don’t talk about it, be about it.”
He also lived by a creed that he learned while part of a biker club, which was, “If you say you’re gonna stand on something, then you must stand on it.”
Jesus would have agreed with my friend. He talked about not using oaths to cover up dishonesty, but rather to use plain speech to give glory to God.
“Again, you have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but carry out the vows you have made to the Lord.’
“But I say to you: Do not swear at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God,
“Or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King.
“And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black.
“Let your word be ‘Yes, Yes’ or ‘No, No’; anything more than this comes from the evil one” (Matthew 5.33-37).
Oaths typically invoke God as the guarantor of a person’s word, making it a serious matter to break them. This is considered a misuse of God’s name.
You shall not make wrongful use of the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not acquit anyone who misuses his name (Exodus 20.7).
Using God’s name, or a substitute, to manipulate someone for personal gain violates the third commandment. God’s name represents his character, which is inherently just and righteous. By manipulating someone in this way, we demean God’s name by acting in opposition to those very qualities.
Jesus said this about how the devil is the father of dishonest speech.
“You are from your father the devil, and you choose to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks according to his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies” (John 8:44).
While followers of Jesus may stumble, dishonesty is a particularly troubling misstep. It aligns them not with Christ, but with the forces of evil. Worse yet, they cloak this deceit with religious language, creating a hypocritical facade.
A Heart Change
Last week, I said a few things I regretted. I wasn’t trying to be dishonest, just playful, but the words came out poorly. Reflecting on those moments, I realized the problem wasn’t what I said, but the underlying desire for attention and approval.
As Jesus said, “The good person out of the good treasure of the heart produces good, and the evil person out of evil treasure produces evil, for it is out of the abundance of the heart that the mouth speaks” (Luke 6:45).
When Isaiah had an experience of the Lord’s glory, he spoke about his unclean lips. The problem wasn’t that he didn’t need to wipe his mouth; what he needed was a heart that was reflected in the way he spoke.
And I said, “Woe is me! I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, yet my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts! (Isaiah 6.5)
The Book of Isaiah reads like a powerful sermon. It reveals God’s longing for each person to experience a transformation like Isaiah’s. God desires to reshape our inner being, aligning our hearts with His own.
However, this transformation requires honesty. We can’t expect a new heart if we play fast and loose with our words. We must be truthful and allow God to work within us.
YouTube Discussion
Rudy Ross and I discussed this passage on YouTube today. It can be found on the Bob Spradling channel.
Real Voices 