Taking the Lord’s Name in Vain

Greetings Dear Reader,

Growing up I was taught that combining the name of God, “God” with the expletive for damnation was the great and grievous sin of “taking the Lord’s name in vain.” This of course would be a direct violation of the Ten Commandments. Like so many other things we have socialized the intent of the actual command from God into puerile restriction that carries neither the intent nor the spirit of God’s prohibition.

Many individuals who would never utter the two words adjacent in a sentence, and yea verily would not utter the second under any circumstances except to reference a hydroelectric device would gladly violate the actual command. When we inwardly or outwardly try to use God and our identification with him for our own purposes we are “taking the name of the Lord in vain.”

For so many, giving homage to God is an outward way while trying to manipulate that for their own purposes is a way of life. From those who bomb Tel Aviv Pizza Huts in the name of God to those who control the lives of their congregations through legalistic interpretations of the Bible there are glaring examples of identifying with God for our own purposes. The examples in my own life can be just as glaring.

When I use what may be valid truth to push someone to be other than they are for my own purposes that is vanity. I become just as guilty as those who systematically manipulate large groups of people. I am not the Holy Spirit and it is not my place to do anything other than love others as Christ loves them and to follow his example of love and grace.

Another way in which we falsely wear the mantle of Christ Follower is when we try to use our faith to manipulate God to our own purposes. We cannot out think God but we try. We pridefully think that we know better than God what is best for us and attempt to enter into cosmic bargains in the name of Christ.

In truth, I am learning that when I claim to be a follower of Christ I need to do it with fear that my life will not measure up to what I should be in following. The purpose of association with Christ is to show how loving and merciful he is not how good I am. That Christ allows me to utter his name without striking me dead on the spot is an anthem to his power to forgive and redeem.

I must become humble so that when I identify with Christ, others see him and not me. In the words of his cousin, “He must increase and I must decrease.”

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn
Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every scribe who has become a disciple of the kingdom of heaven is like a home owner. He brings new and old things out of his treasure store."