Thou shalt not take the Name of the Lord in vain...

“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

I grew up thinking that this meant I couldn’t swear using the Lord’s name.  And while it is definitely disrespectful and dishonoring (therefore a sin, since sin is dishonoring God) I don’t believe that this is the heart of the verse. 

I believe there is more, and I believe that it is personal.  As Christians we need to fully understand this commandment… not because we will be damned if we don’t follow the law but because…

as children of God, adopted into the royal family through the blood of Jesus, we need to realize what it means to take the name of the Lord before we can understand what it is to take it in vain.

We are the Bride.  Christ is the Bridegroom.  And when we receive Him as our personal Savior, just as when a man takes a wife, we take His name.  The commandment to not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain is about realizing our identity in Christ and living it out.

Are you a Christian?  Are you part of the people called by His name?  They live like it!

To live without the demonstration of the power of God in your life is to live in vain. 

Being betrothed to the Lamb means that your divine ID has the last name “JESUS” on it.

When devils and demons see that they tremble.  We should be living in that reality.

There is power in the Name of Jesus.  There is authority we can exercise in the Name of Jesus.  There is life… there is hope… there is forgiveness… there is love… there is mercy… there is no end to – or shadow of turning in… there is VICTORY in the Name of Jesus!

This is the name by which we are called!  This is the name that is ours!  This is the only name whereby man can be saved.

This is the name of JESUS!

And we are not to take this name in vain.  Do not call yourself a Christian and leave in defeat.  Take the victory that comes from Jehovah Nissi (the Lord our Victory).

Take the name whereby you have been called… whereby you have been saved… whereby you have been healed… and live it out! 

Everything that comes with that name is yours to claim!

Go and show the world what it means to take the name of Jesus.  Go and show them the love and the grace, the mercy and the victory, the hope and the forgiveness that comes through that name.

SDG