This is, I am coming to believe, one of the most misunderstood verses in the Bible, even among knowledgable Christians. Most people think that this means that you should not use the Lord’s name as a cuss word. It shouldn’t be what you scream when you hit your thumb with a hammer. No G-D’s, and no J-C’s.
While I would agree completely that using God’s name as a cuss word is a form of blasphemy, and is wrong, I do not think that is what this verse means.
So what does it mean? Well, what does it mean to take God’s name, be it in vain or not? I call myself a Christian. I also belive that Christ is God. As a professing believer, I believe that I have taken God’s name.
What does it mean to take His name in vain? The word “vain” is defined (in this context) as: “based on very little substance” & “pointless, futile.”
So to take God’s name in vain is to take it based on very little substance. Are you a professing Christian living in a fornicative relationship? Are you a Christian who is prone to drunkenness, adultery, lying, theiving, idolitry, envy, gossip, slander, arrogance, or disobedience? Do you bear good fruit for the Lord? If you answered ‘yes’ to either of the first two questions or ‘no’ to the third, then you have taken the Lord’s name in vain and have violated the third of the ten commandments.
Very good and thoughtful analysis. However, how does this relate to us as sinners? We are all sinners, and therefore, we have all taken his name in vain…
We are all, as humans, sinners. Only a small number of us has taken his name however. This verse/commandment, I believe, is directed at believers. Those who do not believe, have not taken His name, in vain or otherwise.
I think this is very much related to the letter to the Laodicean Church in Revelation 3. In verses 15-19, he says:
The Laodicean Church was a part of the church. They were believers. They did nothing with their belief though. Their faith was dead (James 2:20 – “But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?”)
Upon reflection, this post was done too hastily, with only a small part of my thought process getting recorded. What inspired it was my review of Ray Comforts 16 part series called Hells Best Kept Secret. He gets into the parables and the commonality between them in the recurring theme of true and false conversion. There is the seeds that fell on stony & thorny ground, the wheat and the tares, the virgins who did not bring enough oil, the mustard seed that grew so large that the birds of the sky rest in her (the birds are servants of Satan as Jesus described in the parable of the seeds). We are so quick to believe that we are saved because we “gave our hearts to Jesus”, but James says our faith is dead without works and, I believe, God says the same thing in the third commandment. If we have true faith, it will bring good fruit. If our faith is false, it doesn’t bring forth fruit, and is thus in vain.
I have to agree with Ogre. God does not see sin as one degree higher or lower,
all sin is equal in His eyes. If you’re assumption were right, then ALL Christians
have taken His name in vain. It always seemed to me that this commandment was speaking
towards a flippant acceptance of God, one not rooted in true acceptance of God or
Christ as atonement for sins, i.e., salvation.
EZ,
Sorry, I wrote my last post, I assume while you were posting yours. The question
then arises from your last post, what part do works play in your salvation? Are they
central to it or are they a result of it? Is your salvation negated or questioned if
they do not exist? There are many times when I don’t feel like being a Christian
and many more where I certainly don’t act like one. How does one, in your opinion,
determine whether one’s salvation is real? I know because I feel it on my heart. Nothing
I did gained me my salvation and I don’t believe anything I can do will lose it.
Just curious about your thoughts.
Well, I definitely believe that salvation is a result of faith, and faith alone. Works are then a result of salvation, not a cause of it.
I personally think that James is a harsh book. It’s a good one though. James answers some confusion that arose as a result of Paul’s teaching. Paul was very good at teaching grace by faith, but at times didn’t make things clear enough that true conversion would bring about good works.
Jesus has told us to judge ourselves, and fellow Christians, by our fruit. If we are bringing about good fruit (by feeding the poor, spreading the gospel, healing the sick, caring for widows and children, etc.) then our fellow Christians will be able to clearly see that we have true faith. How does one judge a false convert though? Jesus said by their fruits. If they say they believe, but have no good fruit, it is safe to assume they are false converts.
I stuggle with the same things as most Christians. I have times when, though I believe in Christ, and love him, I don’t feel like a Christian. We can’t trust our hearts though. Jeremiah said;
All we have to go on scripturally is fruit.
I agree completely with your statement “Nothing I did gained me my salvation and I don’t believe anything I can do will lose it.” I belive that once we are truely saved, we are saved forever and cannot lose our salvation. My belief is that those who have “lost” their salvation never really had it to begin with.
The point to this discussion is summed up in 2 Corinthians 13:5
I don’t want to be critical of anyone here, that is not my point. I merely want my fellow Christians to be critical of themselves. Test yourself to see if you are in the faith.
I would far rather be fearful of God in this life, never being certain of my salvation than be assured of it but wrong in the end.