Quick Note – Deuteronomy 5:11 – Don’t Take It in Vain

Deuteronomy 5:11 – You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.

Our passage today is the third command in the Ten Commandments.  Most of us have been taught that this commandment means that we should not swear or curse using God’s name.  We should not be saying things like “O God!” or “Jesus” when something bad happens like when we stub our toe.  We should not be ridiculing His name and treating it lightly.  And yes, that is true.  We shouldn’t be doing those things, because we should hold the name of our God in respect.  The Jewish people were so careful to avoid breaking this commandment that they wouldn’t even write the name of God completely, lest they write it incorrect; instead, when they write His name, they write it with letters missing – YHWH.  That is the esteem, regard, and respect we should hold the name of God with. 

But today, I don’t want us to focus on the simple part of swearing, but I want us to look at the verb that is used here in vs. 11.  It says, “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.”  The word take means to accept, to lift, to carry, to grab.  When we take a name, we choose to put that name on ourselves and be recognized by it.  It is just like when a person takes a family name when they are married or adopted.  They choose to from then on out be associated with that name.  It means that the good and the bad, the righteous and the evil that they do will be linked with that name. 

So when we take on the name of God as Christians, followers of Christ, we are associating His name with how we act.  We are linking God’s name with the way we live.  That is why we shouldn’t take His name on lightly.  Don’t call yourself a Christian, if you are not going to live by His Word.  Don’t call yourself a Christian just to earn the favor of a girl you’re interested in; don’t call yourself a Christian just to build business relationships with those who go to church; don’t call yourself a Christian just to get out of hell.  You call yourself a Christian, a disciple of Jesus Christ, only after considering the cost.  The cost of following Christ is high.  It will come with persecution; it will come with denying yourself; it will come with choosing every day to make Him your Savior and Lord. 

We are told here that we should not take God’s name in vain.  We should not associate with His name lightly.  It is a serious thing to call yourself a Christian because it means that you are choosing to live in the way and manner that God wants you to.  So take that step seriously.  I am not trying to discourage you from becoming a Christian.  I am not trying to stop you from declaring your faith.  I am just pleading with you to take it seriously when you do.  It is not a joke.  It is a choice to live your life differently – to live it for God.