Prov 30.88 “Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me: 9 Lest I be full, and deny [thee], and say, Who [is] the LORD? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God [in vain].” We see here in these proverbs that the writers prayer is that he would no steal and in doing so, take The Name of God in vain. So we understand this to mean that for someone to act in a way that is contrary to God’s commands is taking His Name in vain.

Dear fellow Christians, while it is sinful and grievous to hear The precious Name of Jesus used as a cuss word. I think that we need to realize that when we act inconsistent with our profession of faith, that is taking His Name in vain as well. Remember the words of Paul to the church at Rome? Rom 2.21 “Thou therefore which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal? 22 Thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery, dost thou commit adultery? thou that abhorrest idols, dost thou commit sacrilege? 23 Thou that makest thy boast of the law, through breaking the law dishonourest thou God? 24 For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you, as it is written.”

What I want us to see is this. As the body of Christ, Jesus has called us to be salt and light in this world. He has called us to be holy and live a life that is above reproach. While none of us can ever live a sin-free life, and those who do not know Christ are apt to accuse us of things that are not true; it should be our prayer and deepest desire to live lives that are consistent with what we profess to believe. To say that we believe one thing and then live another way is in their eyes (and God’s as well), taking His Name in vain.

We read this vital truth in Titus 2.5, Christian wives are told to be “discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands,”(why?) “that the word of God be not blasphemed. 8 Sound speech, that cannot be condemned; that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you.”

Speaking about the kind of work ethic that a Christian is to have in the world, we read in 1 Timothy 6.1 “Let as many servants as are under the yoke count their own masters worthy of all honour,” (why?), “that the name of God and [his] doctrine be not blasphemed.” Remember what the prophet Nathan said to David after his adultery with Bathsheba? 2 Samuel 12:14 “Howbeit, because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme, the child also [that is] born unto thee shall surely die.”

My dear fellow Christians, before we tar and feather those who have yet to turn to Christ for verbally using His Name in vain; may we seek to live our lives in such a way that we would not be  the cause for them to say the same thing about that Precious Name.