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Exodus 20.7
“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.”
Deuteronomy 5.11
“‘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.’”
Taking the Name of the Lord in vain is more than what we commonly think of when this commandment comes to mind. While misusing God’s Name in oaths and exclamations is certainly included under things proscribed by the third commandment, these are not the main issue.
We take God’s Name in vain when we fail to live up to our pedigree – when we fail to pursue good works as the expression of who we are in Christ and of our gratitude for His saving mercy. Taking God’s Name in vain is a bit like a batter in a baseball game who takes a bat from the rack, strolls to the batter’s box, then never lifts the bat off his shoulder and is called out on strikes.
God has given us His Name for a purpose, to bring about certain effects. We take His Name in vain when we fail to work out our salvation or become weary in doing good, so that those good works that glorify God are not evident in our lives as they should be.
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