We are now nearing the ending of James' letter, and from this point on, he seems to jump from subject to subject tying up "loose ends." The remainder of the letter addresses issues that are very different from the topics discussed in the previous four chapters. So, if these last few lessons seem a little diverse and different from the rest of the book, it is because James is ending his letter to the Early Church by concisely giving instruction in different areas.

In verse 12 of the fifth chapter, James almost directly quotes Jesus' "Sermon on the Mount." This is interesting because although James was not a believer of his Brother's teachings until Jesus appeared to him after the resurrection, James obviously was present at different events of Jesus' ministry. Of all the great events of Jesus' life, we can be fairly sure of James' attendance of at least four: the wedding in Cana where Jesus performed His first miracle by turning the water into wine (see John chapter 2 and obviously the marriage was one of family friends), the day of teaching when Jesus taught the "parable of the sower," (see Matt 12:47 with chapter 13), the miracles at the Feast of Tabernacles (see John 7) and the Sermon on the Mount (from the above verse in James). James was also with Jesus for many of the early miracles in Galilee (John 2:12). This is important because it teaches us two things: that James was qualified to write scripture because he was an "eyewitness" to the things that were done (II Peter 1:16), and that even witnessing the greatest miracles in the world will not save people and cause them to believe if they will not receive the teaching and the WORDS of Jesus! Martin Luther tried earnestly to get James removed from the Bible because it contradicted his theology, but it is evident that James is inspired of God! James was not just writing ideas that he had been taught by the disciples but was penning the truths that he was taught by Jesus Christ!

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Verse 12 begins by saying "above all things." Obviously the scope of this verse then is vitally important to a Christian's life and must deal with more than simply saying or not saying certain words. A careful study of the context of this teaching will in fact reveal that there is certainly a more serious issue involved than the speech patterns of certain phrases.

The Pharisees had become very proficient in obeying their laws and yet violating the heart of God's commandments. Jesus condemned them for this. The Pharisees were legalists, in that they lived by strict rules and thought that they were saved simply because they fulfilled a set of regulations. The problem with their legalism is that they were constantly finding "loopholes" in the law. The Pharisees had become the masters of justifying their actions according to the rules, but not serving God with their heart.

According to Moses' law, they were not to "swear by God." But the Pharisees would swear by "heaven," or "earth," or "Jerusalem." This is not referring to the use of curse words (we should not use curse words because they are associated with denying Jesus. see Matt 26:74), but to the taking of oaths in order to confirm the truthfulness of your words. To sound like they really meant what they were saying, the Pharisees would say something like "I swear by the heaven that is above us all that what I am saying is the truth." But Jesus taught:

The Pharisees had become skilled at making great sounding promises and using great words, which though they sounded great, the Pharisees thought were not binding seeing as how they did not "swear to God." The Pharisees had missed the point! The law said that they should not "swear to God," so the Pharisees wanted to get as close to the line as they could without not actually breaking the law. Jesus pointed out that actually heaven and earth and Jerusalem were all connected to God and so to swear by those things were just as serious.

Jesus went on to say, that we shouldn't swear by our own head, because we cannot even make one hair white or black. Of course, some people think that they can make their hair white or black today through the use of dyes, but actually they are only changing the appearance of the hair and not the actual color of the hair. Underneath that dye, the hair is still gray or the original color. The dye only serves to temporarily fool themselves and others of their hair color. For example, if a person has naturally dark hair and dyes their hair blonde, their children will inherit the DNA for dark hair despite whatever color their hair appears to be on the outside. Their children will not inherit blonde hair from their parents because of the dye. Jesus was saying that they shouldn't swear by something that they do not have the ability to really, completely change.

In similar fashion to hair dye, the Pharisees were appearing to obey scripture on the outside but yet the inside, or their heart, was unchanged. Jesus addressed this problem again later:

The Law was given by God but was also designed by God to fail. If the Law had been a success, then why did the Jewish people to whom it was given as an entire nation continually turn from serving God? If having a specific law against every possible thing that is wrong was the answer, then why did Jesus come to do away with the law? The Law was designed by God to fail to teach us the futility of trying to serve God by our own strength. It proved that even if man had a clear cut direction to follow, yet on his own and separated from the presence of God, he could not make it. Simply put, the law worked under the premise that if there were rules to govern the outside, the inside would be changed.

Grace, however, works totally different. We can receive the Spirit of God living within us! When a person repents of their sin, they are telling God that they want a change on the inside. When they are baptized in Jesus' name, their past sins are forgiven and are not held accountable by God. This is a cleansing on the inside. When a person receives the precious gift of the Holy Ghost, they are given a "new heart," and the laws of God are written on the inside. The change on the inside then begins to change the outside. That's why Jesus said that you would "know them by their fruits." If a person is changed on the inside, then it will manifest itself on the outside. But you do not change the outside to change the inside, for that will not work. A Godly change deals with the inside of man; his motives and desires and then manifests itself with a changed outside. The prophet Ezekiel prophesied about this new system of grace:

Unfortunately there are many Christians who view the scripture as did the Pharisees: "what is the absolute minimum that I must do to be okay?" That is a legalistic view of scripture. Too many people view the church as a bunch of "cans and can'ts." The church is a place to be "born again." It is a place to have God give you a change of heart, a change of motives, and a different outlook on life! If that inward change is genuine, then the outward changes will come! Our church does not have a dress code or certain rules of lifestyle to attend, but we do stress that you must be "born again of the water and the Spirit!" Once you receive the Holy Ghost and are baptized in Jesus' name, and thus get the inward change, the outward change will follow!

The last line of Jesus' words underlies the warning of James that this is "above all" for Jesus said that they were worshipping in vain, "teaching for doctrines the commandments of men." This means that it is possible to worship God but do so to no avail. How? By not teaching for doctrine what the SCRIPTURES teach! We must base everything that we believe and what we teach and live on the Word of God! Teaching men's traditions as doctrine will lead to worship that is in vain!

With all of this in mind, let's get back to the issue of swearing:

An honest person does not NEED to swear by anything to make someone believe him! The Pharisees were using impressive sounding words to make them appear more holy, but yet their heart was not right with God. A person who is sincere and honest on the INSIDE will not have to profess it on the OUTSIDE in order to prove their sincerity. If you are truly sincere, it will naturally show!

Jesus was saying that we as Christians should be what we profess to be. If we are not obeying God's Word on the outside, then that is a sign that we need a change on the inside. To merely change the outside will do no good but merely make us hypocrites. This does not mean that we can sin, but that we should always remember that God must change the inward man in order to change the outward man! If we are honest, holy, of good report, and humble, then it will naturally show through our actions for all to see.

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Now that we understand fully what James and Jesus was addressing, let's discuss the implications of their teachings. The condemnation on swearing is obviously on "taking an oath to support a person's promises." That is we should not swear in order to convince someone of the truthfulness of our promises. For instance, we should never say "I will do what I told you I would, I swear." or "I swear to God (heaven, or anything else here) that I will be there or do such and such."

Some people have thus interpreted that Christians should not "swear" to tell the truth in a court of law. This has led to the changing of the wording in many courts to saying "I affirm" in place of the dreaded "swear."

I personally do not believe that it is wrong for a Christian to take a legal oath to tell the truth, whether or not they use the phrasing "I swear" or "I affirm." There are many people who disagree with me. This is my PERSONAL OPINION, and if you do not feel right saying that "I swear to tell the truth" in a court of law, then don't. I believe this way because of the following points:

1. When taking a legal oath in court, you are not lending support to a promise that you have previously made but are simply agreeing not to "bear false witness" or lie. Every Christian should obey that law whether or not they are in court as it is one of the basic laws of God. I have no problem promising to obey God's Word.

2. By obeying the commandment of the court, I am submitting myself to the authority of the court and the government which was placed here by God. The court is enforcing a law of God, for the commandment to tell the truth is scripture. By submitting to their procedure, I am showing a submissive attitude to the enforcement of God's word by the authority that God has placed in my life.

3. Jesus, when on trial and when the high priest charged him to tell the truth "by the living God, answered the priest and had no problem with that part of the process.

"Adjure" in the Greek means "to take an oath" or "to force an oath." The high priest was asking Jesus to take an oath in the court that He would tell the truth. AND JESUS ANSWERED HIM. Jesus never sinned and was the perfect man, thus I feel that this commandment cannot mean that it is sin to swear to uphold the truth in a court of law.

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Before we finish, let's return to the words of Jesus in Matthew chapter 5:

Notice that Jesus said that if something requires an oath then it is of evil. Listen to other translations of this verse:

There are many organizations and "clubs" that require an oath in order to be a member. These clubs are often secretive and masquerade as a charity or civics minded groups. No matter how harmless that they appear on the outside, they show that their core foundation is evil by requiring an oath to join.

There are many such organizations and it is not my intention to condemn the members of such organizations but merely to point out that a child of God has no business being a part of such clubs and oaths. Some well known organizations that require an oath for membership include the many branches of Freemasonry, Shriners, the various "moose clubs," and the many fraternities and sororities found on every college campus of America.

Last year while studying out this particular area and after mentioning this scripture in casual conversation, several people (no less than 7 in two months) came to me in private and mentioned that they had once been a part of such a club or had almost become a part. Several people resigned from their position because they begin to delve and study deeper the beliefs and ideas taught by their organization and what they found scared and surprised them when they realized that it was simply idolatry in disguise.

In teaching you tonight, I will only use two physical examples of how these clubs violate scripture, but EVERY secret society that requires an OATH to never divulge the secrets of their club is rooted in idolatry and paganism. Jesus said requiring an oath beyond just promising to tell the truth, was of evil! As always, Jesus' words are truth!

There is no larger movement in rural towns than the Freemasonry movement. The "Masons" as they are called have many organizations for men, women, and children. When a person enters into the society, they are given ranks called degrees. The highest common rank is 33rd degree. All Shriners are 33rd degree masons. Each local society has a local "lodge" where they have meetings and usually the influential business men of a town tend to have masonic ties. The Masons on the surface appear to be a harmless civic group and often raise money for children's hospitals and other great causes. Their meetings, however, involve elaborate rituals which are supposed to be kept secret. In order to understand the rituals, and the symbols involved, Masons are given books to study called "monitors." The rituals are very similar in every state. When I quote some masonic material in a moment, I will be exactly quoting from the monitors from the state of Nevada.

Masonry contradicts scripture in many ways. I will but point out a few for your general knowledge:

1. The oath. A person who is joining the masons must take a blood oath where the person promises to never divulge the secrets of the masonry and if he does, he will be killed. The exact wording of the oath to be a 1st degree mason is as follows:

This very obviously violates our texts that we read at the beginning of the lesson.

2. The initiation ritual. All of these societies have initiation rituals and one does not have to look much further to find contradictions to God's Word. To be a 1st degree Mason, the individual is blindfolded, and led into the lodge before the altar with a sword point at their bare left chest. There they repeat the vow that we just read and then the "Grand Worship Master" of the lodge asks the man what he desires. The man responds be saying that he wants light. While removing the blindfold, the "Grand Worship Master" announces that the candidate needs the "masonic light."

Nowhere in the ritual is Jesus mentioned, in fact they are forbidden to end their prayers with the name of Jesus. Their "masonic light" has nothing to do with Jesus but to do with knowledge of the secretive teachings. But the Bible says: Jesus is the light of the world!

3. The white robe. Then a white, lambskin robe is given to the new member symbolizing "the life of purity that a life of masonry brings." The new member is urged to present the white robe to God at the white throne judgment as a symbol of all the good that they have done.

The scriptures teach that the only way to get the white robe of righteousness is to be washed in the blood of the lamb, Jesus Christ:

I could go on and on about how that masonry and it's associated societies' initiation process contradicts scripture but I will only give you a few more general points:

4. Masons take an oath to lie. At the Fourth degree, the oath includes a promise to lie to a jury in order to protect a fellow mason from the death penalty even if they are guilty. But scripture teaches that lying is ALWAYS wrong:

5. They teach a false salvation. Many states' monitors teach that the meaning of getting the degree of Master Mason (3rd degree) is that they have been redeemed from the death of sin. I quote page 142 from the monitor of the state of South Carolina:

Christians know that only Jesus Christ and obedience to the gospel brings salvation from the death of sin. Nowhere in the 3rd degree ritual (or any other ritual) is the name of Jesus called upon.

6. Jesus Christ is not the only way to be saved, nor the only man who died and rose again to forgive sins. The central figure in the third degree ritual of Freemasonry is Hiram Abif (or Abiff). Hiram is unjustly killed, buried and then raised from the grave. Toward the conclusion of the Legend of the Third Degree, the new Master Mason is told that he should imitate Hiram Abif so that he may get into the celestial Lodge above, where the Grand Architect of the Universe (the Masonic god) presides. The Kentucky Monitor reveals the identity of Hiram Abiff in a discussion of various religions:

In other words, to a mason, there is no difference between Jesus, Hiram, Love, Krishna, or Horus the chief god of the Egyptians! But Jesus is God manifest in the flesh!

At the top levels of the order, the threefold name of God is revealed and Jesus is not a part of it! In fact part of the supposed name of God is "Baal." As you study deeper and deeper, you find that what Jesus said is true: anything that requires an oath is of evil!

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Time will not permit us to go into an individual study of the fraternities and sororities that are gobbling up our young people. Any study of any of the societies will reveal that if they require an oath of secrecy to join, they are ALWAYS rooted in idolatry and false religion.

One particular sorority that I studied for someone involved an oath, an initiation process of lowering the girl into a grave and pronouncing them dead to their old life and then having them "resurrected" with a new name as a "sister." This is almost an exact copy of what happens when a child of God is baptized in Jesus' name! They are pronounced dead to their old life and the precious name of Jesus is called out over them. When a child of God receives the Holy Ghost, they are resurrected in the Spirit. The early church called each other "brothers" and "sisters." Coincidence? No just a copy of the church.

In this particular ritual, hymns were sung to the Greek goddess of the order and prayer was offered up. The initiative became a "living sacrifice" to the goddess. In some sororities, men were hired to rape the virgin members so that they would be on "even footing" with the rest of the members.

The words of Jesus still obviously apply today:

A born-again Christian has no business in taking an oath or in being a part of any secret society. You should belong to Jesus' Apostolic church and there is no oath required! Just to allow Jesus to change us on the inside!

In closing this lesson, I felt like quoting the words of Paul when talking about how that we are "members" of the church. He told them: