Names mean something. In many cultures, names carry far more importance than they do in the West. For example, when I was at Bible College, a lecturer gave a sample sermon for us to critique. In the sermon, the preacher described how he named his pet chicken as a child. One of the students was from Africa and he was incredulous that the lecturer had named a chicken. In his culture, names are only given to people, not animals, because names reflect your dreams for that person, their character and their soul.
So, when those of us in the West come to the 3rd Commandment, we need to remember the weight with which names are regarded in the rest of the World, “You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.”
The Hebrew phrase that is translated “misuse” or “take in vain” is particularly hard to translate but another, perhaps better, way to translate it would be “profane.” It basically carries the idea that we are not to bring down the sacred Name of God or diminish it in any way. God had given His Name to Israel – Yahweh. It was the Name that reflected who He is (“I AM that I AM”) and His covenant with them (“Who brought you up out of the land of Egypt”).
So, as the people who bore the Name of God, they were to live in a way that brought honour to His Name and not diminish it. It wasn’t just about not using God’s Name as a swearword. It was about recognizing the divine privilege that God had given them and live accordingly.
In the same way, as Christians, we are “in Christ” (Romans 8:1; 1 Corinthians 1:30; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Ephesians 1:13) and bear His Name to our world. It is like we are wearing placards with his Name on them wherever we go.
Whatever we do and however we act, we are giving people a picture of what a Christian looks like and, therefore, what Christ is like. We carry His Name!
So, far from profaning the Name of Christ to our World, let’s ensure that we carry His Name well. Let’s hold His Name up through acts of kindness, words of love, evangelism, prayer and fellowship. Let’s show people the impact of Jesus in our lives. Let’s show them the power of the Name of Jesus who heals (Acts 3:6), who saves (Acts 2:38) and who releases (Acts 16:18).
If you have accepted Jesus as your Lord and Saviour, then you carry the name at which “every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:10-11) Enjoy the privilege!