“But I say to you, take no oath at all, neither by heaven, for it is the throne of God, nor by the earth, for it is the footstool of His feet, nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King” (Matthew 5:34).

What will you change with an oath?  You are either going to do what you said, or else, you will not.  The oath is just so much bravado.  From the “trust me,” to the “you can always count on me,” we make so many promises with all types of oaths.  The truth is that there are those who are trustworthy and those who are not.  Which are you?  It should be clear what the Lord is asking of all of us.

Lord, help me to assess my character and become one of those who does what they say they will do.  When I sin and do not as I ought, chastise me and help me to walk the narrow path.  The devil is a liar, and this age is steeped in lies.  What a mess.  Heaven is perfect and must remain so without any untruth.  Help me to learn how to be truthful so that I am fit to live with You in heaven.

Lord, You have given me great assurances and promises.  I do not see how, but I will trust by faith that You, who are able to do all things, will lead me to the place where I practice truthfulness in all things large and small.  Guard the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart so that I may walk with You this day, O Lord, my Savior.  Lead me, Jesus, in the way of the Father through the power of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

“Again, you have heard that the ancients were told, ‘You shall not make false vows, but shall fulfill your vows to the Lord’” (Matthew 5:33).

Take care with what you say.  Humans have always made vows.  Why?  Because humans are also great liars.  A vow is often really nothing less than an promise that you will do what you have said that you would do.  Rather than making contracts and vows, perhaps move in the direction of simply saying what you will do and then make it a habit of doing what you say. Jesus is always getting to the truth of the matter.

Lord, you know the long contracts and agreements I have signed, or on the computer, clicked on.  We live in an age where many people are not honest.  We know how to be untruthful, but it is very hard to always be honest; yet that is the direction I need to go.  Lead me to the place where I learn how to be truthful.  Let me not be like the unfaithful, but like You, Lord.  Guide me in the way of truthfulness.

Lord Jesus, lead me to come to the place where what passes my lips is honest and true.  Help me to know that in You alone is there hope and an eternal future.  You are teaching me to have a consistently honest character.  You know what I will encounter this day.  Let me not fall into the trap of making a vow when all I need to do is what I have said I would do.  Give me what I need … to do what I say, Lord.  Amen.

“Now it was said, ‘Whoever sends his wife away is to give her a certificate of divorce’; but I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except for the reason of sexual immorality, makes her commit adultery; and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery” (Matthew 5:31-32).

We are tempted to use human reasoning, just as Eve was tempted into doing, to justify our actions.  Wrong is wrong no matter what the cause.  We have been told that following Jesus will cost us, and we are directed to always do the right thing.  Our eyes, actions, and heart are under the guidance of Jesus.  Will you listen to Him, or will you do what is right in your own mind?

Lord, You alone know where my thoughts wander.  Right in front of others in church, I can be sinning away and those around me do not know it.  Guide me, Lord, so that in heart, soul, and mind, I am directed to You.  Lead me always to know that You are the source of all life and the source of my being.  Guide me today to resist temptation so that in all I do, I am looking to You.

Lord Jesus, I do need Your help.  I want to be faithful, but I am tempted all the time in ways to err and stray from what is right and good.  Lead me so that I will humbly walk with You, my Lord and Savior.  Keep my eyes upon what is good and right.  Help my actions be the right ones in Your eyes.  Keep me in Your grace and mercy so that I may now and always walk with You.  Amen.

“And if your right hand is causing you to sin, cut it off and throw it away from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to go into hell” (Matthew 5:30).

Jesus moves from what we see that tempts us to sin to what we do that causes us to sin.  What you do in this world matters.  I am not talking about your occupation but about the things you do in the hiddenness of your heart.  If you have love for others, as our Lord commands, you will do things for them.  If you have desire only for yourself, everything will eventually be shown to be done for yourself alone.

Lord, I do know how to be selfish.  I do know how to think only of myself.  I do not want to live this way.  Remind me, Holy Spirit, as I walk this day, to keep my mind upon Your prompting.  Lead me in Your goodness and mercy to do all I need to do so that I may learn how to stay on the path of faithfulness.  Guide me in the way You know I need to go so that my actions match the words of my lips and the meditations of my heart.

Thank You, Lord Jesus, for the grace I need.  You are good and gracious, and You are always with me.  In You I have hope.  Lead me in that hope so that I may now and always walk according to Your goodness and mercy.  Keep me from walking the broad way of destruction in order that I may humbly walk with You wherever You lead.  Guide me today, my Lord, and help me to keep my focus upon You.  Amen.

“Now if your right eye is causing you to sin, tear it out and throw it away from you; for it is better for you to lose one of the parts of your body, than for your whole body to be thrown into hell” (Matthew 5:29).

Jesus is not asking us to maim ourselves, but reminding us that if we take our faith seriously, there is going to be a cost.  Do you consider anything in this life more valuable than your faith in the Lord?  Too many put the Lord in the category of the fingernail.  Cut that off if you need to.  But the Lord tells us that there is nothing more important than what He is doing for us.

Lord, I am with You and You are with me.  Guide me, Lord, so that in You alone do I see my hope and future.  Lead me to live into this life You give, no matter the cost, and pay whatever price I need to pay to accomplish all that needs to be done.  In my humanity, Lord, I have a hard time imagining being without parts of my body, but I see those around me who are without, and they are doing just fine.

Lord, not that I want to lose an eye or any other body part but help me to come to the place where I am willing to do whatever it takes to follow You in all my ways.  Guide me in Your goodness to see that in You alone is my hope.  Help me to live for You today and walk in the goodness of Your grace and mercy.  Lord, I want to be with You forever.  Guide me to do all You give me to do so that this may become true.  Amen. 

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery’; but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Matthew 5:27).

When the Psalmist says, “Create in me a clean heart and a right spirit within me,” he was not talking about looking good.  He was talking about what goes on in the heart.  We all have things going on within us that are more wicked than another whom we might accuse, who did some outward act.  A murderer murders once.  One who murders in their heart, is a serial murderer.  Sin inside is just as bad as sin acted out.

Lord, I do have many things that have gone on in my heart which only You and I know about.  You are telling me that my inward life is every bit as important as my outward life.  Lead me  away from pretending to be good in order that I might practice that which is right and true.  Guide me in Your goodness and mercy to be honest with myself so that the Holy Spirit can make my heart clean.

Lord Jesus, I often say clean me up, but inwardly I am really saying, “but not yet.”  I have a spirit in me that is unchaste and sees things selfishly, looking upon my neighbor as a thing.  Guide me, dear Savior, in Your goodness to live into my life for which You gave Your life in order that I would be able to obtain true life.  Guide me by grace in the upward path of becoming more like You each day.  Thank You, Lord, for confronting me honestly so that I may truly be saved.  Amen.

“Come to good terms with your accuser quickly, while you are with him on the way to court, so that your accuser will not hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the officer, and you will not be thrown into prison.  Truly I say to you, you will not come out of there until you have paid up the last quadrans” (Matthew 5:25-26).

How often does a sin, which in one sense may be a small one, become something much larger because we will not repent?  Sadly, pride often gets in the way, and we do not admit our own fault.  When this happens, what could have been simply resolved becomes a much larger problem.  Which is better to say, “I am always good,” or “Lord, I too have sins and I need to learn how to repent and do better?”

Eventually, we shall all stand before a judge, some on this earth, but ultimately before our Lord and Savior.  Do not live in avoidance, but confess your sins, acknowledging your fault, and seeking forgiveness for all.  We each will pay the price for our actions.  Do not hide behind pretense but live in truth.  The Lord will lead you and guide you in all your ways.  Lean on Him and not your own understanding.

Lord, help me err on the side of charity.  If I know that I have offended another, guide me through repentance to be quick to confess, slow to blame, and always have a heart of charity.  You know where I am and the issues I have.  Lead me in Your goodness to do what is right now and always.  Lead me in the direction of reconciliation with those whom I have harmed.  Lead me in the way of love and faith. Amen.

“Therefore, if you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there you remember that your brother has something against you, leave your offering there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering” (Matthew 5:23-24).

We do not live for ourselves.  This world puts oneself first, last and always.  The Lord calls for us to put others first.  The Lord calls for us to seek to make things right whenever we can.  Yes, we are forgiven, and by grace we are reconciled to the Lord, but are we willing to do the same with our neighbor?  The Lord is interested in leading us to the place where we truly love our neighbor as we love the Lord.

“Lord, if you only knew.”  How often do we either want to vilify or justify.  Help me to admit that I have sinned and learn how to truly repent.  More often than acknowledging it, we want to let it go and not do what we can to make the situation right.  Too often, each one of us hides behind letting things be in the past when we can do something about it.  It is a sacrifice to do what is right.  Which sacrifice does the Lord want, your offering or your repentance? According to His word, does He not want both?

Lord, You know my heart.  I too often take the easier route and play games.  I give you an offering and I think all is well with my soul.  Create in me a clean heart that does not play this game.  Guide me in Your goodness to do what is right always.  Lead me from where I am to where I need to be so that I love my brothers and sisters as You have loved me.  Let my pride be sacrificed for Your love and my reconciliation with others reflect Your love.  Amen.

“You have heard that the ancients were told, ‘You shall not murder,’ and ‘Whoever commits murder shall be answerable to the court.’  But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be answerable to the court; and whoever says to his brother, ‘You good-for-nothing,’ shall be answerable to the supreme court; and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell” (Matthew 5:21-22).

Our Lord seeks to plant in us a new heart.  It is not just about learning how to obey the law, but about having a heart that is like Christ’s.  He has told us that we are to love our neighbor as we love ourselves.  These things only make sense if we desire a perfect heaven.  Your neighbor, no matter how bad they have been to you, is a precious one for whom Christ died.  Let Him direct you then in the way of love and not hate.

Lord, this world is filled with murderers.  I too have joined with them, hating my neighbor.  Lead me away from such damnable things so that I may practice the righteousness that You have given me.  You died not so that I could sin away, but so that, in liberty, I would walk with You in all of my ways.  I am guilty and worthy of hell, but saved by Your grace, I can do these things that You ask of me.

Thank You, Lord Jesus, for equipping me to do what needs to be done to live into the life for which You have called me.  Guide me now and always to walk in Your righteousness, guard my tongue, and to love and not hate.  Turn my motivation away from the fear of hell and toward the desire of being like You.  Lead me, Jesus, in the way You know I need to go.  Amen.

“For I say to you that unless your righteousness far surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:20).

At first glance, all of us are in trouble.  I know my righteousness does not exceed that of the Pharisees.  I am pretty sure yours doesn’t either.  What then?  Give up?  Yes!  Give up, die to sin on the cross of Christ and be resurrected with the righteousness of Christ as yours.  Abraham was reckoned righteousness through what Christ has done.  By faith, in Christ, you are not just born of women, you are born again of Christ.

Lord, You know where I am and what I need.  You know the state of my soul.  Rather than always trying to understand everything, help me live in the righteousness You have given me.  Guide me in Your goodness and mercy to practice righteousness.  Daily, lead me to seek to be in that place of righteousness.  Always help me to meditate on and inwardly digest Your word and focus on what it means to be righteous according to You.

Thank You, Lord Jesus, for the gifts You have given me.  Guide me today in Your grace and mercy so that I may humbly walk with You in the way of everlasting life.  Thank You for the righteousness You have given me.  Move me from thinking in terms of greatest or least, whether I have something another does not, to the place where I simply love my neighbor as myself.  Lead me today, Lord Jesus.  Amen.