Ok, I've been reading in the Old Testament and I thought of a question to pose:
What exactly does it mean to take the Lord's name in vain?
I've heard everything from using His name as a swear word to talking about God flippantly to saying anything that might be construed as disrespectful (to the point of not even writing the word 'God' or including Him in a comic) to breaking an oath made in His name. I'm sure there are a dozen more ideas out there. What do you think and why?
Hmmm. Posting as asked.
The NIV translates "taking in vain" as "misusing," implying that invoking God's name has a particular use and a particular meaning. In the strictest sense, any time anyone swears or teases, using God's name with no intentional reference to the living and powerful Lord behind it, he is misusing that name.
That's the boring definition, I'm afraid. But how about this: if we call ourselves Christians (identifying ourselves by Christ's name) and then ignore fundamental precepts of discipleship, are we taking his name in vain? I think I take his name in vain more than I want to admit.
--Rebekah
Post a Comment