Key scripture- “You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain” (Exodus 20:7, ESV).

Pastor, James McDonald asks each one of us a very important question: “Do you know how serious God is about blasphemy?” In Exodus 20:7, He issued commandment #3: “You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.” God is not going to pass on this or overlook it. He won’t say, “No problem. It’s cool.” Because it isn’t.

Which naturally leads us to wonder, “What exactly does this mean?”

The emphasis of commandment #3 is God’s Name. In our culture, most parents choose a name because they like the way it sounds or because it’s a family name, but in biblical times, the name stood for the person. When God told us His personal Name, He wasn’t just revealing His characteristics (that He’s holy, loving, good, true, peace, joy, etc.). He was revealing Himself: His personhood, who He actually is.

So when we read this commandment, we need to understand, “You shall not take the name [which stands for the person] of the LORD your God in vain.”

The word “vain” means empty, purposeless, false, or futile. Most of us interpret this as “don’t say God’s name flippantly.” But when did we decide that taking the name of the Lord in vain was verbal? Actually, the concept of speech isn’t even in the text. Though we can certainly blaspheme the Lord by our words, to “take God’s name” means to lift, carry, or bear, just as the high priest, Aaron, would bear the names of the twelve tribes before God in the Holy Place (see Exodus 28:9–12). The concept is “representation”.

If you’ve embraced Jesus Christ by faith for your forgiveness, then you bear a name. You represent Him. To take the Name of the Lord in vain is to misrepresent Him. If you call yourself a Christian, then you must represent Christ accurately and respect Him totally.

“You shall not take [carry, represent] the name [the reputation] of the LORD your God in vain [without purpose, inaccurately, in an empty way].” God’s not good with that. He won’t ever be.

Let’s get practical. This begins in your closest, most important human relationships. If you want to represent Christ and bear His Name accurately and purposefully, then you must do that in your marriage, in your home, with your family, with your children, at work, with those closest to you.

You represent Jesus Christ to your spouse, children, family, friends, and co-workers. As author and theologian Elton Trueblood noted, “The worst blasphemy is not profanity, but lip service.” Jesus critiqued, “This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me” (Matthew 15:8). Moving lips don’t equal a Christ-honoring life.

The worst profanity is not a non-Christian who doesn’t know any better saying, “Oh my God” or something even worse, because that person doesn’t claim Jesus, and those words mean nothing to him. The greater failure is the Christian who doesn’t represent Jesus well.

Therefore, we need to stop and ask ourselves, “Am I representing the Lord well? Am I getting this right in the relationships that matter most?” In your marriage, you bear the Name of Jesus Christ to one another, so don’t bear His name in vain. In your home, you bear the Name of Jesus to your children. Do they love Jesus more for having watched you? Do your co-workers even know that you are a follower of Jesus or would they be shocked to know that you are? If not, are you bearing His name in vain? Your life shouts a message to the world about “the name that is above every name” (Philippians 2:9b).

As you interact with people today, remember you are carrying a name, the Name of Jesus, so carry it well.

Pray this – Our Precious Heavenly Father, I want to hold Your Name in the highest regard. I want to represent Your reputation with purpose. Help me to enlarge my understanding of what it means to bear Your Name—not a narrow, legalistic rule about my words but a big, all-encompassing command to bear Your Name well. Please forgive me for bearing Your Name in vain. Teach me how to live this command, so that I bear the Name of Jesus in all my relationships. So that I never disgrace His Name. I want my life to shout to the world that Jesus Christ is not only my Savior, but the Lord of every aspect of my life. In the Name of Jesus, I pray, whose Name is above every name, Amen.