Let your 'yes' be 'yes': The final challenge from James

So, we have finally come to the end of our wander through the letter of James, spotting our respectable sins – those insidious ones that reveal our spiritual double-mindedness.

Well – I thought we’d come to an end then I spotted one we’d missed from James 5v12 which is a bit ironic because he starts with the words “Above all else…”.

“Above all else” must mean this is a big deal. James then, nearly word for word, repeats Jesus’ command from Matthew 5v34-37. James says in v12: “Above all, my brothers and sisters, do not swear – not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. All you need to say is a simple ‘Yes’ or ‘No’. Otherwise you will be condemned.”

Now it seems James, like Jesus, is condemning the common Jewish practise of the time – when people made an oath to convince someone they were telling the truth or would keep their promise.

The modern equivalent might be “I swear on my life…”, or “I swear on me muvver’s grave…”.

Again, as we have seen repeatedly in this letter – the issue seems to be the importance of our words and their power. It’s all about TRUTH. Our simple “Yes” or “No” should be completely binding. Anything else is deception – which, if the Garden of Eden is anything to go by, is the ultimate symptom of spiritual adultery.

When our words cannot be trusted, we are imitating the “Father of all lies” (John 8v44). That just isn’t an option for us. Honesty should be the absolute norm for the Christian if they are imitating Christ, the Word of Truth. So, we should be known as those who speak the truth; who keep their word and can be trusted.

Jimmy Cliff famously sang “Let your yeah be yeah and your no be no now.” And although it’s terrible grammar we sort of know how he feels. We hate being lied to – because lying is destructive to others and oneself, ultimately undermining trust and integrity. Yet, as ever, although we hate it when people lie to us or prove they cannot be trusted, many of us find it very easy to be flexible with the truth when it suits us: when it gets us out of a fix or stops us from looking bad in front of others – like when we are late for a meeting (because we were disorganised or lazy) and blame that non-existent traffic queue…

So, here’s the challenge: listen to yourself this week – try and spot how often you are tempted to be ambidextrous with the truth. Then do the opposite – speak plainly and honestly. Be like Jesus.

Well – now it is the end of our trawl through James’ letter. It’s not a comfortable read, is it? But we do need to have our respectable evangelical bubble burst.

If I committed adultery or beat my children, there would rightly be a reaction in my local church. However, day by day, week by week, my walk with Christ is being eroded by the deadly disease of two-faced adulterous pride – these respectable sins that lurk like cancer. And I don’t hear a peep from my Christian brothers and sisters. Why?

Because we see it in each other, and we hate it, but we don’t want to burst people’s little bubble of pride because they might burst ours back.

I don’t challenge my fellow Christians because I don’t want to be challenged back on how I cope with suffering; how I treat the poor; how I use my words; how I speak to my husband or children; what I do with my money; how I map out my life; or when I lie or exaggerate – that’s my business!

Well, God says (through James), “No, it’s my business!” In fact, he says it’s every Christian’s business. James ends his letter with this challenge:

“My brothers and sisters, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring that person back, remember this: whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins” (James 5v19-20).

We need some serious heart surgery from the master surgeon if we are to survive. Let’s ask the Lord by His Spirit to show us our own respectable sins, and let’s love each other enough to hold each other accountable for the way we speak and act toward one another, for Jesus’ sake.