In John 8:32, Jesus Christ revealed to us that, “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” Most of the problems we face in life have deep root in our earthly parentage. The Bible is very clear about the principle of sowing and reaping as recorded in Galatians 6:7: “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.” One cannot be wicked to other people’s children and expect his or her own to enjoy peace.
One truth that will help to set us free as revealed in John 8:32 is that the sins of our parents can be visited on us if we are not covered by God’s salvation through His Son Jesus Christ who died on the cross of Calvary. Let us ask ourselves this question: Did our parents/grandparent/fore parents worship idols or seek power, protection, or wealth from devilish mediums in the past? Note Exodus 20:5-6. “Thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me. And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that loves me and keeps my commandments.” The only way we can be saved from the sins of our earthly parents is to love Jesus Christ. Let us consider John 14:21. “He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.” When God manifest Himself in us, we would be able live above sin by resist the Devil (James 4:7) and equally do far more greater things than Christ did John 14:12).
Finally, we should not for any reason ignore the root of our earthly parentage. When Pharaoh disobeyed God, the first sons of all Egyptians and even their animals died. (Exodus 11:5). Up until today, many people are dieing because of the evils and stubbornness of their parents. This is one important reason why every one of us should reconsider our roots and reconcile ourselves with God in order to be gathered under His canopy so that we can enjoy good health, favour, and prosperity. This is because God loves and wants the best for us. He has practically demonstrated this love by sacrificing Jesus Christ, His only Son for our sins. (John 3:16).
As a matter of fact, no one wants to be seen as being evil, criminal, or untrustworthy. This has forced many persons, including Christians to do all manner of things either to cover up their dirty tracks or to prove their innocence in the face of false accusations. As Christians, we are expected to be guided only by the word of God in anything we do, not minding the pressures. In James 3:5-6, the Bible speaks of the power of the tongue: “Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth! And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.” Proverbs also has a record of the power of the mouth- tongue: “Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.”
As Christians, we must be careful of the two-faced nature of the tongue so as not to fall outside the canopy of God. The consequences are too grave. In Matthew 12:34-37, Jesus lamented thus: “O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things. But I say unto you, that every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the Day of Judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.”
It is clearly the opinion of Jesus Christ that the words that come out of our mouth reveal who we are. Our utterances are part of the fruits we bear. Mathew says, “Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.” Consider the account of Matthew 7:18. “A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit; neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.” More than that, our utterances are capable of defiling us. See Matthew 15:11. “Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.” Remember that the spirit of God in us enables us to live above sin. It is however pertinent to note that the spirit of God cannot dwell in a defiled body.
In Matthew 12:39, Jesus Christ has already revealed to us the kind of society we are living in. It is left for us to take advantage of this revelation and apply Gods’ principles in dealing with it. Without doubt, this present generation is fowled by crime, wickedness, and immorality. In spite of this, an insignificant Christian community still lives according to God’s principles. While evil is widespread in both public and private life, nobody wants to be seen as wicked, corrupt, or immoral. They therefore do all manners of things to win the confidence of family members, friends, colleagues, neighbors, and kinspersons. One of such things is swearing. People swear by heaven, earth, blood, or even the name of God each time they are accused of one thing or the other. What does God say about this?
Our Lord Jesus Christ was emphatic about swearing. In Matthew 5:33-37, He condemned the old customs regarding swearing: “Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths: But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God's throne: Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King. Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black. But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.”
In James 5:12, the Bible admonishes that, “But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but let your yea be yea; and your nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation.” As Christians, we should never be pressurized into swearing in a bid to prove our innocence even in the face of false accusations or insults. When we swear, we show our disregard for God’s command and fall outside His canopy of grace. The Bible encourages us in 1 Peter that, “Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf.” See 1 Peter 3:14-15:“But and if ye suffer for righteousness' sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled; But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear.” We must not forget that Satan and its agents have devised many means through which they make Christians to disobey God’s command and lose their blessings. Let us be wise!
