exo 20v07 The Third Commandment
THE THIRD COMMANDMENT
Exodus 20- 7
The name of God is profoundly
sacred; and God requires that all men reverence his name in heart, in action,
and in speech. "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."
This is the command of God's law to all men. Though we are not motivated by the
terror of the law, but by the love of Christ, I call your attention to this
commandment, to remind you that the majesty and sacredness of God's name
forbids all contemptuous, irreverent, and needless use of his name. And
certainly those to whom God has revealed himself in Christ, who know the
eternal God as their heavenly Father, because of their love for him, would
rather die than profane his holy name. Our hearts' desire is, "Our Father
which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name!"
It is a sad commentary on our society that the name
of God has become a common by-word, and jokes about God, about heaven, and about
salvation are acceptable among "refined" people, even in the pulpit!
Last week, I read a birthday wish in our local paper with this headline:
"Lordy, Lordy, Look Who's Forty!" How often we hear men use the
words, "My God!" "O Lord!" "Jesus!" "God!", or some abbreviations of the name of our God, in
common conversation, on television, or in song. It is so common that we think
nothing of it! Father, forgive our callousness! Painful as this common
blasphemy is, there is something even more grievous: I HEAR MANY OF MY
FRIENDS, MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN CHRIST DOING THE SAME THING, TAKING THE
NAME OF GOD IN VAIN! This has got to cease! I do not care to hear people
use four letter words. I wish people would not talk in filthy language. But I
would rather hear the most foul language of drunken
men and have my family exposed to that, than hear the blasphemous, irreverent
use of God's holy name. DO NOT TAKE THE NAME OF GOD IN VAIN. His name is
holy and reverend. BE CERTAIN THAT ANYTIME YOU USE THE NAME OF GOD, FATHER,
SON, OR HOLY SPIRIT, IT IS YOUR PURPOSE AND INTENTION TO HONOR HIM. Any
other use of God's name is to take his name in vain.