Approaching His Attributes With Vanity
"You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not leave him unpunished who takes His name in vain. - Exodus 20:7
Taking the name of the Lord our God in vain involves more than simply uttering curse words. God's name represents the totality of who He is—His character, attributes, reputation, and holiness. Misusing His name diminishes or disregards who God has revealed Himself to be. When we dishonor God's name, we are not just dishonoring a word or phrase—we are dishonoring God Himself. This is why Scripture repeatedly emphasizes the importance of His name.
In Exodus 20:7, God commands, 'You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not leave him unpunished who takes His name in vain.' This is not just about speech but how we treat the honor due to His name. To misuse His name is to show contempt for His very being. Throughout the Psalms, God's name is praised and held up as holy: 'O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth' (Psalm 8:1), and, 'Ascribe to the Lord the glory due to His name; worship the Lord in holy array' (Psalm 29:2). His name is intrinsically tied to His glory and majesty.
Furthermore, the name of the Lord is powerful and represents His protection and strength. Proverbs 18:10 tells us, 'The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous runs into it and is safe.' To treat this name lightly is to insult the very refuge He offers His people. The name of God is also a representation of His holiness, as seen in Isaiah 42:8, where He declares, 'I am the Lord, that is My name; I will not give My glory to another, nor My praise to graven images.' This shows that misusing His name is an attempt to rob God of the glory He deserves.
In the New Testament, the name of Jesus is shown to be the name above all names. Philippians 2:9-10 says, 'For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth.' If this is true, then to dishonorHis name is to dishonor the very One to whom every knee will one day bow.
To be called by God's name is a mark of belonging and honor. Deuteronomy 28:10 states, 'So all the peoples of the earth will see that you are called by the name of the Lord, and they will be afraid of you.' Similarly, Jeremiah 7:10 warns of false worship that pretends to honor God while actually profaning His name: 'Then come and stand before Me in this house, which is called by My name, and say, "We are delivered!"—that you may do all these abominations?' Their hypocrisy dishonored His name and, therefore, dishonored Him directly.
This is why Jesus taught us to pray, 'Our Father who is in heaven, hallowed be Your name' (Matthew 6:9), showing that honoring His name is central to true worship. And why Paul declares that 'whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus' (Colossians 3:17). Our lives must reflect His name because to dishonor His name is to misrepresent Him.
When we fail to honor His name, whether through vain speech, false worship, or hypocritical living, we are attacking the very essence of who God is. And that is why the penalty is so severe. His name and His being are one. Thus, to take His name in vain is to dishonor the Holy One of Israel, and we must repent whenever we treat His name as anything less than holy, glorious, and worthy of all reverence and fear.
This is why the Westminster Larger Catechism teaches us that it is a sin against His name whenever we treat His most holy attributes as trivial or meaningless. Consider this:
When we indulge in habitual sin or minimize its seriousness, we treat God's holiness as trivial. Leviticus 11:44 calls us to be holy as He is holy, but when we justify our sin by saying, 'Nobody's perfect,' we mock the holiness of His name. When we show partiality or favor some people over others, we violate His justice (James 2:1-4). When we are constantly negative and ungrateful, acting as if His blessings are insufficient, we treat His joy as inconsequential (Philippians 4:4).
Do you see the pattern? Each of God's attributes—His holiness, justice, joy, peace, kindness, goodness, and every other perfection—are woven into His name. When we disregard any one of these, we dishonor His name. When we are anxious or worried, we profane His peace (Philippians 4:6). When we harbor bitterness, we reject His call to kindness and mercy(Ephesians 4:32; Luke 6:36). When we embrace deception, compromise truth, or live hypocritically, we drag His truth through the mud (John 14:6).
Beloved, God's name is not a trifling thing. It is sacred, weighty, and deserving of our highest reverence. The penalty is so severe because His name and His being are one. When we take His name lightly, we are denying His very essence. We mock His nature, and in doing so, we stand guilty of not just breaking a command but violating His very character. Think of every careless word, every empty promise, every shallow worship service, and every time we have lived in ways that contradict what we profess to believe. Each of these is a sin against His name.
And what should our response be? We must fall on our faces and repent. We must confess that we have treated His name with contempt and sought to honor ourselves above Him. We must acknowledge that we have been quick to use His name when it suits us but slow to live in a manner worthy of it. Yet there is hope. For every failure to honor His name, Christ has succeeded perfectly. Where we have profaned His name, Christ has hallowed it. Where we have brought shame, Christ has brought glory. Where we have defiled, Christ has cleansed.
Beloved, this is our great hope. Though we have been guilty of profaning His name in countless ways, Christ has washed us with His blood and clothed us with His righteousness. We are no longer condemned. But now, as those who bear His name, we must take up the call to honor it in all we do. 'Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father' (Colossians 3:17).
Therefore, let us lay aside all hypocrisy, all empty worship, and all dishonoring speech and action. Let us live in such a way that the name of our great God is praised among the nations. And let us remember that His name is not just a word—it is the embodiment of who He is, the reflection of His perfection, and the declaration of His glory. Let us honor Him, for His name is great and greatly to be praised. Amen."
