“Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain,” Exodus 20:7.

Girls and boys, it is likely that this is the most commonly, most publicly violated commandment. The other sins may be committed in secret, but this sin is invariably a very public matter. The name of the Lord is misused and abused most commonly as ‘Protestants’ have drifted from God, and have become increasingly guilty of the breaking of this commandment.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO TAKE THE NAME OF THE LORD IN VAIN

The word ‘vain’ simply means to speak or use the Lord’s name in an empty, meaningless, careless fashion, without due regard and reverence for the One referred to.

1. Men use it to express ‘surprise’, ‘annoyance’, ‘anger’ and on other occasions without any reference at all to the Lord. We are told: “Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name,” Psalm 29:2. That is not how His name is commonly used.

2. No name, related to false religions, is employed in this fashion. You will never hear the name of ‘Allah’ or any of the names of the innumerable false gods worshipped by those belonging to Hinduism or Sikhism. No it is the Name of the Lord and of Christ that is used in a vain fashion!

3. We must avoid improper and irreverent references to all connected with the Lord’s name. “I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name,” Psalm 138:2. “Remember that thou magnify his work, which men behold,” Job 36:24. “Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God, and be more ready to hear, than to give the sacrifice of fools: for they consider not that they do evil,”Ecclesiastes 5:1. The Lord’s name is linked to all matters related to His worship so we must speak in reverence of those matters as well.