Taking God in Vain
BEYOND A RIGID LITERALISM
There is a kind of rigid literalism when it comes to this command that says, as long as I do not take the name of the Lord God in vain, then I have honored this commandment. So long as I do not say the word God, followed by the word Damn, or insert a curse word after the name of Jesus, then I am all good and honoring the law. But that, my friends, is reductionism at its finest.
As we have seen in the Ten Commandments, a world of application is under the surface. For instance, in the command to honor father and mother, there is a much larger application that applies to all elders and all persons in authority over us. In that command, you dishonor your father and mother when you are combative with your elders at church, or when you refuse to listen to a boss at work, or mouth off at a police officer who pulled you over. You disobey "father and mother" whenever you disregard the authority structures God has sovereignly placed in your life. My point in sharing that is that the application of the fifth commandment is much broader and more comprehensive than a rigid literalistic reading.
Understanding that there is also an expanded application here on the third command. For instance, the Bible is not saying you can disparage God all you want, malign His character, doubt His promises, or eschew His acts of creation and providence, so long as you do not say a curse word with His name. You could use your mouth to utter all sorts of godless atrocities, to speak about the character and work of God in every vile and venomous way you so choose, so long as you do not say the GD word, and you would be golden. That line of thinking is tremendously absurd.
THE MEANING OF GOD’S NAME
In the Bible, God's name encompasses more than the letters GO and D. When the Bible speaks about "His name," it includes all of His attributes, character, and being.
For instance, when the Lord passes by Moses and proclaims His "name" in front of him, He says: "The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful, and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness." The text explicitly says that God passed by Moses, hiding in the cleft of the rock, announcing His name. When God announced His own name, His superlative and perfect character was included as well. His perfect and holy attributes fall under the banner of His name, so if you doubt His love, you doubt His name. If you reject His mercy, you reject His name. If you provoke God to fury, despising His patience, then you do nothing short of taking His name in vain! To malign, doubt, reject, or disagree with His character is to take His name in vain. His name represents all of Him! Therefore, this command says we cannot take any of God in vain. We must not allow vanity into any part of our relationship with God because His name represents all of Him!
This is why when Psalm 8:1 says that His name will be proclaimed in all the earth, it means God Himself will be proclaimed. That is why when Psalm 20:1 says that the name of God will protect you, it means that God Himself will protect you! His name is synonymous with Him! This is why Proverbs 18:10 says that the name of the Lord is a strong tower. Not because the letters Yod Hate Vav Hate in Hebrew constitute a more potent combination of letters than any other combination. It is because His name represents Him. His name is a strong tower because He is a strong tower! This is why Jesus says in John 17:6 that He manifested God's name to God's people. He is not saying that He wrote God's name down on a piece of paper and handed it out to the disciples. He is saying, I shared God with them. By sharing His name, I was sharing Him. Because His entire being is wrapped up in His name! And I could go through a hundred more examples, but you get the point, God's name represents Him! This is precisely why taking God's name in vain is so much bigger than simply uttering bad words with the three-letter word God.
The Westminster Larger Catechism states this so clearly:
"The third commandment requires that the name of God, his titles, attributes, ordinances, the word, sacraments, prayer, oaths, vows, lots, his works, and whatsoever else there is whereby he makes himself known, be holily and reverently used in thought, meditation, word, and writing."
The Westminster Larger Catechism provides a detailed and profound understanding of what it means to take God's name in vain. It highlights that this commandment encompasses much more than refraining from using God's name profanely; it involves a reverence for everything that represents God, including His titles. The Catechism lists several aspects under this commandment, and it's important to consider how each can be taken in vain, especially His titles, which we are looking at this morning.
TAKING HIS TITLES IN VAIN
The titles of God are not mere labels; they are revelations of His nature, declarations of His character, and signposts for His authority. Taking God's titles in vain means taking His name in vain and taking Him in vain. Using them in a way that diminishes their significance, misrepresents His nature, or treats them lightly is a violation of this third most holy command.
The misuse of God's titles in the Bible is often linked to a deeper heart issue—irreverence or misunderstanding of God's nature. For example, when Jesus teaches us to pray, "Hallowed be your name," He is instructing us to revere and honor God's name (and all it represents) as holy (Matthew 6:9). The frequent exhortations in Scripture to "praise the name of the Lord" (Psalm 113:1) are calls to honor God in all aspects of our acknowledgment of Him, including His titles.
The Larger Catechism also indicates the proper usage of God's name and titles in oaths and vows. These should only be made with solemnity and truthfulness, recognizing the severe commitment to invoking God's name. To do otherwise is to take His name in vain by treating His character and authority as trivial.
Here are some examples of how this can occur:
Lord: This title "Lord" acknowledges God's supreme authority over all creation. But, a common misuse might occur when we say things like "Oh my Lord!" or even "Lord have mercy" as an exclamation in a trivial context. To take something in vain is to reduce it from the level of extraordinary to ordinary! It is to treat what is sacred as if it were profane and ordinary. So when we use the title Lord, declaring His infinite power and worth in trite and ordinary ways, we take His name in vain! Another example is calling God "Lord" in our prayer or worship but consistently ignoring His commands in daily life, such as dishonoring the Sabbath or neglecting acts of charity and kindness. We are using His holy name but responding to it as if it has no power at all to curb our appetites for sin. We are using it as a filler word instead of a glorious word.
Another example would be the word:
Almighty: God's omnipotence is expressed in this title. Taking it in vain can occur when people say things like "God Almighty" in flippant ways or when we talk about the "Almighty dollar," pairing a word that belongs to God alone and attributing it to mammon, we have broken this command.
Another example is the word holy.
Holy: This title underscores God's absolute purity and otherness from His creation. Therefore, when we say things like "holy cow," holy c.r.a.p," or "holy smokes," we are attributing holiness (which belongs to God alone) to things that are unholy and are not God. This, too, is a violation of this command!
THE NEED FOR REPENTANCE
As we reflect on this, it is evident that we all have, at times, fallen short of fully honoring God's name, and all have need to turn once more unto Christ, who perfectly revealed the name of God to us and who offers us grace and forgiveness when we sin. In Him, we find the strength to live in a manner that glorifies God, honoring His name in every aspect of our lives. As we seek to grow in our reverence for God, let us also grow in our appreciation of His grace, recognizing that it is only through the Gospel that we can truly honor Him as He deserves. May our words and actions reflect our deep love and respect for God, drawing others to the beauty and truth of His name.
