(Commandments In Depth #3)
Whoever says "I know him" but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person. 1John 2:4
KJV: Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.
Exodus 20:7
NIV: You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.
Exodus 20:7
MISUSE: use in the wrong way for the wrong purpose
VAIN: producing no result; useless; false; lying; foolish; profane; reproachful; curse; blasphemy
If I had to guess which commandment is broken more often than any other, I would guess this one. In fact, I do not know very many people who don't take the Lord's name in vain on a regular basis!
Do you know what it means to take the Lord's name in vain? More importantly, do you know why you shouldn't take the Lord's name in vain?
For most of my life I thought that the reason I should not take the Lord's name in vain was because it is offensive to him. How wrong I was!
Look closely - vain means producing no result. So when we exclaim "Jesus Christ!" about something but are NOT calling out to Him, we have stripped His name of the power it holds! We have rendered His name USELESS. Taking the Lord's name in vain is more than just using it as a curse; when you misuse His name, you are treating Him as a commodity. Commonplace. Less than significant; to be trampled upon and thrown away even. When one says things like "God! This sucks yadda yadda yada... " ....... and you wonder why He's not answering your prayers?! You spend your days throwing around His name as if it were a common curse word and then expect to experience miracles?
Stop being so ignorant and foolish with your tongue! This command is not about offending God (I am a little amused at my past self for thinking this). Oh no, this command is to protect us from ourselves so that we do not block ourselves from God. His name is mighty; only we are capable of rendering it useless.
If you are unwilling to hold yourself to a higher standard when using your creators name, how much easier it will be to disobey all of the other commandments. Our words are powerful; they are the seeds we plant in our minds and hearts.
It IS easy to keep Gods commandments! I say this NOT because I have kept them - oh no! I say this because I have broken every single one, and have personal experience in just how horribly difficult THAT path is!
My goal is not to shame you; my desire is that your eyes will be opened to the truth and that your heart will yearn for the love and peace that this world cannot provide.
Today I am going to close with a challenge instead of a verse. I challenge you to go 7 days without taking the Lord's name in vain. After that 7 days, pray. He is faithful and will answer, for He answers those who are obedient!
#saltNotsugar
