The Importance of Truth-telling

Dear Church Family,

In the adult Sunday school class this past Sunday, we reviewed the vows which officers (ministers, elders, and deacons) take at their ordination, as well as the vows of church membership. One of the things that we discussed was how many today do not take seriously the oaths or vows that they make. Unfortunately, this lack of solemnity regarding the promises that we make can even sometimes creep into the church.

Yet, as Christians the Word of God commands us to always speak the truth (e.g., Ephesians 4:25), and God declares that “Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, But those who deal faithfully are His delight” (Proverbs 12:22). The importance of speaking the truth – especially when making binding promises – is so important that the Westminster Assembly devoted an entire chapter to the topic.

Of Lawful Vows and Oaths

The Westminster Confession of Faith, chapter 22 (“Of Lawful Vows and Oaths”), describes both oaths and vows as a part of religious worship, but makes a distinction between the two. In an oath, a person calls upon God to witness and to judge what he promises to others (WCF 22.1; e.g., 2 Corinthians 1:23). In a vow, a person makes a solemn promise to God (WCF 22.5; Psalm 66:13-14). We may not always recognize this distinction between oaths and vows, and sometimes this distinction is not always very clear. Still, the distinction between oaths and vows provide helpful categories as we think about the importance of truth-telling. A detailed study of this chapter of the confession would be too much for the present context, but here are some of the main points as the Confession summarizes the teaching of Scripture regarding oaths and vows.

First, let’s consider oaths, calling upon God to bear witness and judge the promises that we make to others. When declaring an oath we are to swear only by God’s name, with holy fear and reverence (WCF 22.2; Deuteronomy 6:13). By swearing by God’s name, we must consider the weightiness of the solemn act of making an oath and so we ought to never swear ‘with our fingers crossed,’ or to that which is sin, or to do that which we are unable to perform (WCF 22.3. To do so would be a direct violation of the third commandment to not take the name of the LORD our God in vain (Exodus 20:7). Finally, oaths ought to be made in plain and common speech, without equivocation, or mental reservation (WCF 22.4). Thus, even if oaths are painful or made to unbelievers, if it is not sinful, then they ought to be kept (Joshua 9:1-20).

Second, let’s consider vows, making a solemn promise directly to God. Vows to the Lord are binding and to made with care (WCF 22.5); therefore, it is better to not make a vow than to make a vow and not pay it (Ecclesiastes 5:1-5). Vows ought to be made to God alone, voluntarily, out of faith and conscience of duty, and for the purpose of giving thanks or obtaining what we want (WCF 22.6). In the book of Judges, Jephthah’s vow that if the Lord gave him victory over his enemies that he would sacrifice the first thing that came out to greet him when he returned home (Judges 11:30-40), is an example of a rash vow with tragic consequences; Jephthah treated God like a vending machine and paid dearly for it. Finally, vows cannot be sinful or concern those things which would contradict a life of faithfulness, things like Roman Catholic monastical vows of celibacy, poverty, or regular obedience (WCF 22.7).

Conclusion

We live in a culture in which marketers make all sorts of statements, often with the sole purpose of getting people to buy their product regardless of whether or not it is true. Politicians conduct polls and make promises often in order to procure votes rather than based on what they believe to be true. Spouses break their promises of fidelity based only on a whim. And, social media is awash with scams and false information. In such a world, it is a radical thing for believers to be adamant truth-tellers and take seriously their oaths and vows. Therefore, let us speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15), and let our statements be “Yes, yes” or “No, no” (Matthew 5:37).

The Lord be with you! 

Pastor Peter M. Dietsch