Click to Play
1 plays
Sign in to like or dislike songs
“Let us look at what the Word of God says.”
> “But I tell you, do not swear an oath at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King…
> All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.”
> — Matthew 5:34, 37 (NIV)
The central theme of this song is very clear: the integrity of our words.
Jesus here is not primarily talking about vocabulary. He is addressing the condition of the heart. Our speech reveals our inner life. The way we talk—especially the way we promise, commit, affirm, and deny—exposes what rules inside us: the Spirit of truth or the influence of “the evil one.”
The related scriptures reinforce the same theme:
> “All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.”
> — Matthew 5:37
> “The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body.”
> — James 3:6
> “Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.”
> — James 1:19
The song “Simply Yes or No” is built on this foundation: that a true believer is recognizable by the simplicity, reliability, and purity of his or her words. A heart aligned with God will be reflected in a mouth aligned with God.
### Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5)
Matthew 5 is part of what we call the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus is speaking to His disciples and the gathered crowds in Galilee. He is not laying down a new law in the sense of legal rules. He is unveiling the righteousness that exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees (Matthew 5:20).
The religious leaders of that day had developed complex systems concerning oaths. They distinguished between oaths that were “binding” and those that were not. For instance:
Jesus exposes this entire system as hypocrisy (see Matthew 23:16–22). People invented layers of oath-taking precisely because their ordinary words were not trustworthy. Their speech required add-ons, upgrades, and emphatic guarantees—because the basic “yes” and “no” could not be trusted.
Into this atmosphere, Jesus speaks: “Do not swear at all… All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No.’” He is not merely forbidding a formula; He is demanding a different kind of person—someone whose character is so truthful that no extra oaths are needed.
### James: The Tongue and the Test of Maturity
The epistle of James is one of the most practical books of the New Testament. James is concerned with authentic faith—that which is proved by works and conduct, not just words. It is very instructive that James devotes a whole section (James 3:1–12) to the tongue.
The early church already faced the problem of believers whose speech did not match their profession. People claimed faith but used corrupt speech; claimed to know God but cursed men made in God’s image. James says plainly: “My brothers and sisters, this should not be” (James 3:10).
James also writes:
> “My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.”
> — James 1:19
In this context, your tongue is not a small, harmless detail of your life. It is the steering wheel of your destiny (James 3:4–5). The way you speak in daily matters—whether you exaggerate, manipulate, over-commit, or shade the truth—either aligns you with God or exposes you to the influence of the evil one.
This is precisely what Jesus says: “Anything beyond this [simple yes or no] comes from the evil one.”
### 1. “Yes” and “No” – ἔστω δὲ ὁ λόγος ὑμῶν ναὶ ναί, οὒ ού (Matthew 5:37)
In the Greek text of Matthew 5:37, the phrase is:
> “ἔστω δὲ ὁ λόγος ὑμῶν ναὶ ναί, οὒ ού”
Literally: “But let your word be ‘yes, yes’; ‘no, no’.”
What is significant is not the complexity of the words, but the emphasis: let your “λόγος” (logos)—your word, your speech, your message—be a stable “yes” or a stable “no.” No hedging, no double talk, no inflated vows to compensate for an unreliable heart.
The song’s refrain captures this:
> “All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’
> Anything beyond this comes from the evil one”
In other words, disciples of Jesus are to be people whose ordinary speech is so reliable that nothing more is needed. The gospel produces men and women whose words carry weight because they flow from truth-filled hearts.
### 2. “The Tongue is a Fire” – ἡ γλῶσσα πῦρ (James 3:6)
James 3:6 reads:
> “ἡ γλῶσσα πῦρ, ὁ κόσμος τῆς ἀδικίας”
> “The tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity.”
James is not using mild language. The tongue is not just dangerous in potential; it is a whole “world” of unrighteousness—an entire system of evil concentrated in one small instrument.
He continues:
> “It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.”
> — James 3:6
The Greek word for “hell” here is γέεννα (Gehenna), derived from the Valley of Hinnom, associated with idolatry, burning, and judgment. James is saying: the tongue, when not under the rule of the Holy Spirit, becomes an outlet through which hell itself exerts its influence.
That is why Jesus says that speech beyond simple honest “yes” or “no” comes from “the evil one” (ὁ πονηρός, ho ponēros). Your tongue is either a vessel of the Spirit of truth or a channel of the evil one’s influence. There is no neutral ground.
The song's line—
> “The tongue is a fire, a world of evil among us
> It can stain the whole body, set lives on fire”
—echoes this reality exactly. Our words are not light; they are spiritual forces. They carry life or death (Proverbs 18:21).
### A. “Don’t swear by heaven—it’s God’s throne up there…”
> “But I tell you, do not swear an oath at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. And do not swear by your
No more songs available