Ten Commandments 3 – 3rd Commandment
Today’s bible passage, Exodus 20:7
“You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not [a]leave him unpunished who takes His name in vain.”
Dear brothers and sisters,
This is the third session of the Ten Commandment series focusing on the third commandment. Today’s bible passage, Exodus 20:7 reads, “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not [a]leave him unpunished who takes His name in vain.” “The Lord will not leave him unpunished” in other words is God condemning you to be sinful. Romans 6:23 tells us, “The wages of sin is death.”
This means those condemned a sinner by God suffer the punishment of death and cannot receive salvation. Despite God laying down these serious commands, there are some people who forget that these commands even exist within the Ten Commandments. This is why some who consider themselves to be a devout believer do not hold God’s name in high esteem but use it in vain instead.
If you feared God with all your heart and desired to live in the truth, you wouldn’t do this even subconsciously. May you use today’s words to look back on yourself once again, be of sober mind, keep yourselves from acting rudely before God, and always fear Him. Dear brothers and sisters, ‘Taking the name of God in vain’ means using the holy name of God in an incorrect and ungodly manner.
These include expressing personal thoughts as if they were God’s, acting upon personal decisions and saying they were from God, making false oaths and joking around in God’s name, etc. This also applies to people who don’t normally seek God but say, “God is indifferent. How something like this could happen if God was alive” in the face of some unexpected event. How could God not consider us sinless if we, as creatures of God the Creator who is worthy of all glory and honor, take His name in vain? The first reason that using God’s name in vain is classed as sin is that it means you do not have faith in God. Some philosophers who study the meaning of life say that God is dead; and some people also recklessly say that there is no God. Many years ago, a Soviet astronaut said, “I have been to space but there is no God.”
An astronaut would know how small the space he explores is compared to the entire universe. But how foolish it is to say there is no God simply because you explored a small part of space and did not physically see God who created the entire universe? Psalm 53:1 says, “The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God,” They are corrupt, and have committed abominable injustice; There is no one who does good.” Anyone who looks toward heaven, earth, and all things with a humble heart is more than able to find the evidence of God the Creator.
There are also numerous evangelists who testify to the Lord and the living God. But while you do not believe in God due to a hardened heart, if you carelessly speak of Him, how could God not class this as sin? Brothers and sisters, the second reason that using God’s name in vain is classed as sin is that it is mocking God. ‘To mock’ is to look down or regard in a derisive manner. How could anyone dare mock God the Creator and not be without sin? Psalm 96:4 tells us, “For great is the Lord and greatly to be praised; He is to be feared above all gods.”
1 Timothy 6:16 also says, “Who alone possesses immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see. To Him be honor and eternal dominion! Amen.” Exodus 33:20 even records, “You cannot see My face, for no man can see Me and live!” God is so great and exalted that we cannot dare look at Him. In the past, those without the knowledge of God but with a good conscience used respectful language and honorifics when talking about heaven. For example, they’d use honorifics even in saying, “It is raining.”
Despite not knowing God, they at least vaguely believed that there is the almighty Creator who sends rain from heaven. So, they’d use honorifics even in referring to raining. In Korea, we don’t carelessly call even our parents or people we greatly admire on a casual first-name basis. When we have to mention their names, we would use honorifics or titles out of respect. Then, how reverent we should be when speaking about God the Creator of all things and the Ruler of all life? At one point, the Israelites refrained from even saying God’s name out loud when reading the Bible. When the name ‘Jehovah’ appeared in the Bible, the Israelites would instead say ‘Adonai’ which means ‘my LORD.’ For example, the phrase ‘Great is Jehovah’ would be said as ‘My Lord is great.’ Of course, this doesn’t mean we have to do the same. But, it’s important to remember to have a humble heart when stating God’s name.
These days, there are some people who say they believe in God but disrespect and mock His name. For example, as they make meaningless jokes, they incorrectly quote Bible verses or use God’s name. ‘The Word is God,’ which means belittling Scripture is the same as mocking God. Would it be right to tell someone to yield by using the Bible phrase, ‘Love your neighbour as yourself’?
Though we’ll revisit this later in third point, it is also mocking God to lie in His name. This includes saying that your personal thoughts were spoken by God or inspired by the Holy Spirit. Let’s look at an example for better understanding. If someone implies that I, Senior Pastor, said something when I didn’t, is this showing respect? How would I feel if I found out that someone said it was my will or my orders to so that others would act in his favor? It’s not right to say worthless words in other peoples’ names. Moreover, it’d be extremely rude to use God’s name in vain. The Almighty God knows the hearts and thoughts of all mankind and their words and actions, whether good or wicked like the back of His hands. God watches everyone with His blazing eyes and judges each person according to their own actions. Those who truly believe in God would not dare commit the sin of mocking God by taking His name in vain.
It’s important to make sure we become God-fearing believers and stay cautious with our words so as not to commit a sin of mocking God. Brothers and sisters, there’s another point to keep in mind. Those who truly fear God will always be cautious in everything related to God’s kingdom not just His name. As mentioned earlier, they would use or quote the Scriptures in a reverent manner if they fear God from their hearts. They also handle the church sanctuary and God’s items with care and respect, considering them more precious than their own possessions. They meticulously deal with church finances even when the amount is small.
If you accidentally broke a church mug, window or mirror, would you pretend to not have done it? It’s important that you never do so. No matter how trivial or small, they are considered God’s holy items. It’s crucial to learn to cherish and be more prudent towards God’s belongings. It’s also extremely important to remember that mission groups’ membership fees must be spent according to the leadership’s decisions and never be used for personal reasons. And keep in mind that talking about the servants of God backed by His power or works of the Holy Spirit relates directly to God. Thus, we are to be highly cautious not to judge or rudely speak of the areas governed and controlled by God, involving fleshly thoughts. Saul was rejected by God because he severely committed evil. But as he had been a king anointed by God, David did not take his life to the end despite his dire situations.
In this way, a person who respects and fears God treats everything that belongs to God with reverence. I hope that all of you will act with a humble heart not only in the name of God but in all areas related to God so that you will not take God lightly, ever. Dear brothers and sisters, the third reason that using God’s name in vain is classed as sin is that it is ‘lying in God’s name.’ As we find in the Old Testament, false prophets were often there in Israel’s history. They deceived the people by proclaiming things that God had not said as God’s words or His prophecies. Deuteronomy 18:20 tells us of God’s strict warning against these people.
“But the prophet who speaks a word presumptuously in My name which I, (God), have not commanded him to speak, or which he speaks in the name of other gods, [a]that prophet shall die.’” It is said that if you dare to lie in the name of God, the sin is punishable by death. Revelation 21:8 says, “But for the cowardly and [a]unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and [b]brimstone, which is the second death.” Here, the ‘liars’ means those who lie in the name of God. If you are condemned as sinful by lying in the name of God, you invite judgment upon yourself. These not only include false prophets but those who vow in the name of God and do not keep their oaths.
They are also lying and taking God’s name in vain. Leviticus 19:12 says, “You shall not swear falsely by My name, so as to profane the name of your God; I am the Lord.” But there are often instances where even those who believe in God lie in His name. For example, there are people who say, “During prayer, I heard this voice of the Holy Spirit. God inspired my heart this way” even though they’re not God’s works at all. When something happens, some point out that it is God who has done it. It’s not an issue when it is truly God’s work.
But the problem occurs when people get into the habit of saying it’s the voice or inspiration of the Holy Spirit when it’s not. As a child of God, you should definitely hear the voice of the Holy Spirit and be guided by God in everything. However, just because you are a saved child of God doesn’t automatically mean that you can hear the voice of the Holy Spirit. As you get rid of sin and fill your heart with truth, you will be able to hear the voice more accurately. Those who do not live in the truth but befriend the world cannot hear the voice of the Holy Spirit. Some people full of untruth think what comes out of their own thoughts is the work of the Holy Spirit due to a heart full of desire to boast and show off. Not only are these people lying to others around them, but also to God.
Even if they’re able to hear the voice of the Spirit a little, until they can hear it 100%, they need to go through training processes. Thus, when the ability to discern is not yet complete, it’s important to refrain from assuming that something is the work of the Holy Spirit. The same goes for spiritual experiences like dreams and visions. For example, there exist God-given dreams, dreams people have in their own thoughts, and dreams from Satan. It is not right to say God has given you a dream when it’s not from God. When someone speaks in the name of the Holy Spirit, it’s also important to be cautious as a listener. Even when a little says to me, “The Holy Spirit said this to me,” I wouldn’t ignore nor refute it.
This is because, if by chance the voice is from the Spirit, I cannot go against the Holy Spirit. Of course, I can discern if what another person says is true as I can also hear the voice of the Holy Spirit, But I wouldn’t imprudently conclude whether it’s true or not until I pray and know for certain. When someone speaks in the name of God, it’s important that both the speaker and the listener be always cautious. There are those who say God has stricken them, though they’ve committed sins and are suffering disasters due to the works of Satan. When things go their way, they say how they prayed to God and received blessings.
But, when things go bad, they change their word and say God has put up blockades. These are people who inappropriately use God’s name. These people may call it a confession of faith, but a true confession of faith from the heart differs from such a careless and flippant way of using God’s name. Proverbs 3:6 tells us, “In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight.” The words “in your ways acknowledge Him” does not mean to use God’s name at every moment. A person who acknowledges God in all things is to be more faithful, careful with the name of God, and strive to walk only in the truth. Dear brothers and sisters, God is extremely particular and detailed, never placing a word in the Bible haphazardly.
For example, God uses the most meticulous expressions when addressing His believers. There are times when God says, “Beloved,” and times when He uses the word, “Brothers.” If God says, “Beloved” when He is to say “Brothers,” the meaning becomes different. God also uses the words such as, “Fathers,” “Young men,” “Little children,” or “Children,” and they have meanings that correspond to their levels of faith.
This is the same for the many names describing the Trinity. In the Bible are many names referring to the Trinity appear like Jehovah, God the Father, Messiah, Lord, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Lamb, Spirit of the Lord, Spirit of God, Spirit of Holiness, Holy Spirit, etc. Each of these titles were not used without a purpose but recorded according to the context and situation. God who is perfect also wants His children to act and speak in appropriate and complete manners in the Lord. And, we are to be all the more accurate in expressing the precious name of God.
The latter half of 1 Samuel 2:30 says, “Those who honor Me I will honor, and those who despise Me will be lightly esteemed.” If you honor God from your heart, you will naturally not take His name in vain but instead fear Him always. I hope that you’ll fear the great and mighty God, always stay on alert and pray, and examine your heart, thereby leading a life of only giving glory to God.
In doing so, I pray in the name of the Lord that you will receive veneration from God and have all your words and actions ensured by Him. May God treasure and honor you and lead you to the most glorious place in heaven.
