Does Your “Yes” mean Yes?

Church family:
Do you struggle with lying? Most of us don’t want to admit it, but if we are honest, every one of us battles with truthfulness in some way. Dishonesty is a manifestation of our sinful rebellion against God and desire to advance our own interests above others. This is our reality that Jesus came to change. Maybe we exaggerate a story, hide a mistake, or promise something we never follow through on. Jesus’ words in Matthew 5:33–37 go straight to that heart struggle: “let your ‘Yes’ be Yes or your ‘No’ be No; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.”

In Scripture, truth is not just about accuracy of information—it is about being like God. God calls us, His Church, to be truthful because He is truthful. The Bible says, “You shall not lie to one another” (Leviticus 19:11); “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up” (Ephesians 4:29); and “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor” (Exodus 20:16). The Psalmist describes the righteous person as one who “speaks truth from the heart” (Psalm 15:2). He calls us to truth-telling because He is the Truth. He calls us to forsake deception because there is no deception in Him.

In Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount He confronted the Pharisees. He saw that they were using crafty, sneaky, deceitful oaths and word games to appear honest while twisting the truth. Jesus’ response is simple: stop playing games with your words! Speak plainly with truth, live transparently, stop lying and be people whose promises can be trusted.

This world that we live in is one that prizes image over honesty, so we shade the truth. Sometimes, it is easier to obscure the truth—to make ourselves look a little better, to avoid an uncomfortable conversation, or to dodge the consequences of our actions. But every time we do, dishonesty chips away at our Christlikeness and our peace as untruth starts to dominate our lives.

The good news is that truth-telling is not just a command—it is an invitation. It is an invitation to live in the Kingdom of God in the light of Christ, who is the Truth Himself (John 14:6). When we tell the truth, even when it costs us, we are becoming more like Him. As Ephesians 4:15 reminds us, “Speaking the truth in love, we will grow up in every way into Him who is the head, into Christ.”

So, ask yourself:
·      Am I a person whose “yes” really mean yes?
·      Do my words match my heart?
·      Is honesty influencing who I am becoming?

GCT, let us be a community that is living proof of the Holy Spirit indwelling us as we are committed to telling the truth while following Jesus who is the Truth (John 14:6).

See you Sunday, unless we get iced out: Steve

P.S.: We will let you know if Pender County does not allow us to meet on Sunday due to janitor not being able to get to the school. So far, they say that we should be fine to meet.