Oaths
We hear it said all the time, "I swear to God!" as a way to emphasize whatever comes next in that sentence. Liars say it so often that we need to be cautious about believing someone who uses such language. This is what Jesus says about such as this:
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. Matthew 5:34-36
He also tells us to let our yes mean yes and our no mean no.
But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil. Matthew 5:37
The third commandment says not to take the Lord's name in vain, which is exactly what you do when you swear by it without keeping your promise to follow through on that oath. Perhaps you swear in the name of God, and what you swore about was a lie; that is taking an oath using the name of God. This is an easy command to avoid, but if you must, as when you are on the witness stand in front of a judge or jury, make sure to tell the whole truth because the end of that swearing-in is usually followed by the words "so help me God." So, in regular day-to-day conversations, use the words yes or no without invoking the name of God, thus avoiding making it an oath.
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