Taking God's Name in Vain???

I actually did a sermon on just that command a year or so ago.

Scripture does tell us to watch our tongue. James is a prime example. We are also told to not let any unwholesome words be used. Add in the verses against lying and watching what we say can be a full time job.

However, that command has nothing to do with language in that sense. Vain here means of no use, or to no effect. Many of us play Christian. We claim the name, but nothing in our life has changed. If this is true we have taken the name of Christ in vain. The Old Testament is not really different. If you were a Hebrew, a follower of the creator of heaven and earth, claimed to be one of the people of the One true God you had better live it out. We see this in Jonah when he confesses to the boys on the boat. They knew the power of God and the cost of Jonah's rebellion.

Make your election sure. Be sure you are of the faith.

 

Greg wrote

Though our Lord is God that does not mean that God is His name. Vain means.
1. Empty; worthless; having no substance, value or importance. It is not taking His name in vain if your saying it, has a meaningful reason. Especially when we quote Him or tell someone they need Him or pray and ask Him. God has several names. His name is YHVH I doubt you can pronounce it correctly. Some say it's Yahwey but for some reason I'm not sure of that. His name was kept secret and even a Jew would have a hard time pronouncing it. Saying His name was a bad thing to do. This is why when they write it out they always spell it like this G-D. You knew that though that's why you didn't spell it out. Am I right?
MB