Unfiltered with Jessie B.
Navigating 21st Century challenges with a Biblical perspective.
Unfiltered with Jessie B.
Using God’s Name In Vain
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Exodus 20:7 is a commandment which says Do not take the name of the Lord your God in vain. We immediately think of GD when we hear this, but is that all it means or does that commandment refer something deeper?
Hey, this is Jesse B. And thanks for pulling up this episode of Unfiltered. So I've done controversial topic number one, which is on drinking and gambling, and that really should have been split into two different podcasts, but hey, you live and learn, right? Controversial topic number two listed just a few days ago was on cussing, and as promised, controversial topic number three, the follow-up to that, which is going to be taking the Lord's name in vain, is it more than just saying the cuss word GD? Scriptures that we're going to be looking at this evening is Exodus 20, verse 7, Matthew 7, 21 through 23, Titus 1.16, and Colossians 3.17. Before I get started, though, I'd like to extend a warm welcome to new listeners from here in the States. We have Phoenix, Arizona, and Brooklyn, New York, from overseas, and please forgive me for any mispronunciation, but we have Legos Legos in Nigeria, uh Mito Aberaki in Japan, and Offenbach Hess in Germany. So if you enjoy this content and think others would too, go ahead and share an episode or two with them, and you can always subscribe to this podcast on your preferred podcast platform. And I don't say it enough, but I do appreciate all my listeners and just thank you for the time that you spend listening to my podcast every week. All right, taking God's name in vain. Is it just saying a cuss word or is it something deeper? When most of us hear the commandment in Exodus 27, which says, You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, we immediately think of cussing. And yes, using God's name as profanity does show a lack of reverence. But what if that commandment goes deeper? And here's a question to make every believer stop and think, is it possible to never use God's name as a cuss word and still take his name in vain? I believe the answer to that question is yes. Because every time we claim to represent Christ but knowingly live in contradiction to him, we risk dishonoring the very name that we bear. Jesus warned us in Matthew seven, verses twenty one through twenty three that not everyone who says Lord, Lord, truly belongs to him. Some have no problem speaking the Lord's name when it serves their purpose, but when it comes to living out the Father's will, they are sorely lacking. Titus one sixteen says they profess to know God, but they deny him their works. And those are sobering words. Our culture makes it very easy to replace the word Christian or to place the word Christian in a social media bio. Makes it easy to buy little golden crosses and wear them around our necks and shirts and trinkets with Bible verses and scripture references on them, or say words like, I'm praying for you, or God told me this or that. But if our words are empty, manipulative, or disconnected from a life pursuing Christ, then we really need to be careful not to attach God's name to what he has never said or any speech or activity that he has not endorsed. Taking God's name in vain isn't only about what comes out of our mouths and moments of heightened emotion. It can also be about using God's name to gain influence, justify our own selfish desires, make promises we never intended to keep, or present ourselves as faithful on Sunday morning and then refusing to follow him the other six days of the week. Understand that this doesn't mean that Christians live perfect lives, we all know better than that, but we all stumble, we fail, and we all need grace. The difference is whether our hearts are surrendered and willing to repent when we are convicted. Colossians 3 17 reminds us that whatever we do in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus. God's name isn't just something we say, it is something that we carry. As Christians, we are not just followers of Christ, we are his representatives in our homes, our workplaces, churches, schools, and communities. People are either going to be drawn to or put off by the way we represent Jesus. This is both a privilege and a responsibility. Again, God's command isn't simply about avoiding certain words, it's about honoring his name with our lips, our character, and our lives. Love you guys. Good night.
