Do Not Misuse His Name
This sermon was given by Jason Strain, our worship pastor.
In Letters From a Nut, Ted Nancy writes prank letters to corporations. For example, he asked a Las Vegas casino if he could use its name for his hotdog stand. They threatened to sue. I tried this myself, asking President’s Choice whether I should apply their oatmeal hand lotion to my breakfast before or after I put it in the microwave. They told me to stop eating their hand lotion.
Why would the casino sue, and PC tell me not to eat their product? Because that isn’t what they’re for! The casino’s brand isn’t for hotdogs, and hand lotion isn’t for eating. The Third Commandment, “Don’t misuse the LORD’s name” (Exodus 20:7), is the same idea.
God’s names—Yahweh, Jesus, and others—are packed with meaning (Matthew 6:9). They’re reminders of His infinite time, power, knowledge, and love, and should be used to honour Him, worship Him, and address Him in sincere prayer (Philippians 2:9-11). We should use His name to introduce Him to people and to identify Him as our master. That’s what His name is for.
His name is NOT for swearing, flippant exclamations, making promises we can’t keep (Matthew 5:33-37), manipulating people, and justifying wrong deeds—to name a few. Unfortunately, these are super easy to do. Many of us do them all the time, even as Christians.
But it’s possible to break this habit. Bring your struggle to God in prayer. Ask forgiveness, be truly sorry, and stop doing it. With God’s help, you will be successful.
Watch the full sermon here.
