Digging Deeper – More Than Words
“You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.”
Exodus 20:7 (ESV)
MORE THAN WORDS
Several years ago, I read an article that discussed the topic of biblical knowledge among today’s Christians. In essence, the majority of believers interviewed by the author candidly shared that they didn’t feel they knew enough of the Bible. That’s actually quite common. Shoot, I’ve been a Christian for more than 45 years, and I still don’t come anywhere close to knowing enough!
But the article didn’t stop there. Interestingly, through more in-depth conversations with these men and women, the author discovered that the largest gap didn’t exist between what they knew and didn’t know about the Bible. The widest chasm was between what they knew and how they lived. Let that sink in for a moment.
For instance, let’s say I know only a couple of Bible verses and can perhaps paraphrase one or two of Jesus’ parables. My biblical knowledge may be limited, but it’s still enough to point my moral and spiritual compass toward Christ. The problem is that I don’t apply the little knowledge I have. My feet don’t move in the direction my knowledge is trying to guide me.
Likewise, when we read the Third Commandment—where the Lord tells us not to take His name in vain—we discover that it’s more of a lifestyle issue than a knowledge issue. We can get caught up in legalism and think to ourselves, “Well, I didn’t curse using God’s name, and I didn’t say His name in a flippant way,” and assume we’re doing fine. Meanwhile, we flipped someone off on the way to work, spoke harshly to an umpire at our child’s game, and left a $3 tip on a $50 dinner bill.
Some have said, “You’re the only ‘Jesus’ some people may ever see.” That’s true, and it should sober us to realize that a lost world is watching Christians closely.
Dr. Bob Utley, one of the most respected Bible teachers of our time, shared some valuable insight regarding the Third Commandment. Utley says that taking the Lord’s name in vain is akin to “cheapening His name by godless living.” In his commentary on the subject, he goes on to ask, “Have you impugned the name of God by your life?”
The truth is, we all have at one time or another. This is where repentance (turning away from sin and turning toward God) and a contrite (soft, humble, and remorseful) heart become critical to keeping us in step with the Lord.
When we honor Him—with both our words and our lifestyle—He blesses us.
“I will bless those who have humble and contrite hearts,
who tremble at my word.” Isaiah 66:2 (NLT)
C.A. Phillips serves as Communications Pastor and Director of Men’s Groups at NorthStar Church. He is a graduate of the Henry W. Grady School of Journalism at the University of Georgia, and he loves the Dawgs and the Atlanta Braves. He has two (grown) boys and lives in Kennesaw with his wife, Amy.
