God's Name

Intro

Sometimes I remember some of the things we did and said when we where kids in the 80’s and 90’s and it sometimes makes me cringe. For example something I never said, and honestly found annoying is the phrase “Talk to the Hand, cause the face aint listening”. You would say it when you wanted someone to stop talking for once. Maybe you didn't like what they where saying.

Then there is the name gamer, or the banana fana song. Something else I never did, in public anyways. You can sing 'The Name Game' with (almost) every name. Unless your name begins with a vowel (A, E, I, O, U), 'B', 'F' or 'M' you don't have to care about special rules. The verse for the name 'Gary' would be like this: Gary, Gary, bo-bary Banana-fana fo-fary Fee-fi-mo-mary Gary!

There was a few little stupid things we did with names like that. Like when I was a kid There was a phrase that was popularized in the 50’s that became popular again. It resurfaced as a campy, ironic echo of its former glory after famous/infamous child entertainer Pee Wee Herman used it in his show Pee Wee's Playhouse. Decades later this caused millennials to say this phrase very rarely, but with great smugness and underserved pride.

Jim: Hey Peter ca.... Peter (interrupting): That's my name, don't wear it out !! Peter suddenly appears overtly proud of himself and bears a somewhat condescending grin on his stupid face. You would respond with a scathing comeback or possibly violent beatings

Names after all didn't really have much meaning to us besides to call someone, to refer to a friend, to tease someone. But names mean so much more then that, at least they do when they come to the name of God. For example the word for the name of God in Hebrew, which is called The Tetragrammaton, Is what the Israelite's wrote down to refer to God but they dared not speak the name for God, He was to Holy to do that. The Israelite's where not perfect, but they feared the name of God. For in the name of God is revealed the character of God.

We are all guilty of misusing the name of God, for taking lightly the name of God, for not taking it as seriously as it is intended to be. What we are going to be learning today is that

HBI - the name of God stands for so much more then just addressing Him but rather we are to treat God’s name as Holy for it reveals to us His very character.

Revelation - Insight into God’s Character

The first thing we look into is what does this commandment say about the character of God. We can learn more about God and what He has called us to do through this. so we go back to the book of Exodus.

Exodus 20:7 CSB

7 Do not misuse the name of the Lord your God, because the Lord will not leave anyone unpunished who misuses his name.

You may wonder what is going on here, doesn't it mean not to take the name of the Lord in vain. We have some translations like the KJV who interpret the word as vain, and some as misuse.

It essentially all means the same thing. But it might be easier to understand it in the sense that we are to only use the name of God for it’s intended purpose. This prohibits the use of the name of God for vain and unworthy objects. So the opposite of that means that we are only to use the name of God for worshipping Him, glorifying Him, prayer, praise and thanksgiving.

What this tells us about God is that His name means something.

Exodus 3:14 CSB

14 God replied to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: I AM has sent me to you.”

The glory of the name of God. The bible tells us many things about the name of God. Psalm 8:1

Psalm 8:1 CSB

1 Lord, our Lord, how magnificent is your name throughout the earth! You have covered the heavens with your majesty.

Psalm 111:9 CSB

9 He has sent redemption to his people. He has ordained his covenant forever. His name is holy and awe-inspiring.

God’s Holiness, His glory, His very character is reflected in His names that are given to us. All God is, is reflected in His name. Many of us are taught the Lord’s prayer from a young age and we to often repeat but we memorize the first part of it like this

Our father, which art in Heaven, Hallowed be thy name.

But who can tell me what this actually means? Jesus taught us as well how we are to handle God and what His character means for our life. Jesus taught us in the Lords prayer that:

Our father, who is in heaven, let your name be honored as Holy.

We will go over this in a bit as well, but to begin with what this tells us about God is that when we approach Him, we are not to do it selfishly with our wish list in hand but rather we are to approach God as a Holy God, adoring Him for who He is and what He has done. This does not then mean that God will suddenly give us the desires of our heart, but it is what we are called to do because God is a Holy God.

Confrontation - Insight Into Our Character

A name is something that can be tarnished. There are names that I use to like and I thought I would like to name my kids that some day. The I met a little boy with the same name who was a little terror and I couldn't bring myself to use that name ever again because it reminded me of that. There are names of businesses that have to be changed or businesses shut down because of a tarnished name.

we struggle with this though. You see we as followers of Jesus are a reflection of the Character of God. what we say and do reflect on God to those that do not know Him, it can lead people astray. It can lead people to think that God is someone or something that he is not.

Look at the crusades for example. I have had a conversation with someone about this. people that called themselves Christians who took it upon themselves to be the tool of the judgement of God on the nations.

But more then that, we see between the third commandment and what Jesus taught that the name of God is Holy. What are some ways that we misuse the name of God?

Sometimes people use God’s name to express surprise. I have always had a problem with this. Sometimes followers of Jesus will use God’s name flippantly like this but through the word of God we see this is wrong. One commentator said that using God’s name to fill in the gaps in prayers can be a form of taking the Lord’s name in vain. I am not sure if I would go that far, but the idea is sound. We need to be creful how we throw around the name of God,.

There is a larger sense in which people today take the Lord’s name in vain. Those who name the name of Christ, who pray in His name, and who take His name as part of their identity, but who deliberately and continually disobey His commands, are taking His name in vain. Jesus Christ has been given the name above all names, at which every knee shall bow (Philippians 2:9-10), and when we take the name “Christian” upon ourselves, we must do so with an understanding of all that signifies. If we profess to be Christians, but act, think, and speak in a worldly or profane manner, we take His name in vain. When we misrepresent Christ, either intentionally or through ignorance of the Christian faith as proclaimed in Scripture, we take the Lord’s name in vain. When we say we love Him, but do not do what He commands (Luke 6:46), we take His name in vain and are possibly identifying ourselves to be among those to whom Christ will say, “I never knew you. Away from me” in the day of judgment (Matthew 7:21-23). The name of the Lord is holy, as He is holy. The name of the Lord is a representation of His glory, His majesty, and His supreme deity. We are to esteem and honor His name as we revere and glorify God Himself. To do any less is to take His name in vain.

Are we Living our lives as if we serve a Holy Holy Holy God? or are we tarnishing the name of the Lord God in the way that we live.

Instruction - Charts a New Path to Walk

So this charts a new path for us to walk. If the name of God stands for so much more then just addressing Him but rather we are to treat God’s name as Holy for it reveals to us His very character. Then we ask are we treating God with the reverence He is due?

Colossians 3:17 CSB

17 And whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Paul wrote, “And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him” (Colossians 3:17). This stands as our basis for evaluating terms such as OMG and geez. Does using these words give “thanks to God the Father”? If not, begin working to remove these words from your conversations and texts in order to honor God “in word and deed.”

I think it all comes down to what comes out of our mouth. If we are to only use God’s name for it’s intended purpose of glorifying and worshiping Him then it comes down to what on earth is coming out of our mouth. We need to make sure that what we say lines up with what we do.

The new path that we are to walk then tells us that we are guilty of using God’s name for other then it’s intended purpose. Or even going so far sometimes as to say that we are followers of Jesus to claim the name of the Lord God yet our lives and speech sometimes are still far from it.

How are we living? what is coming out of our mouths? is it something that glorifies the name of the Lord or is it something that glorifies ourselves? It is to easy sometime to misuse the name of the Lord God. To easy to watch TV shows and movies that are filled with it and be okay with it. To easy to laugh at jokes making light of God. You may think it is not a big deal but the

We are reminded that we all sin and fall short of the glory of God but the message of Jesus says that we can be forgiven. Rather Jesus tells us to give thanks and do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus for His glory. We can be forgiven and the next step is therefore to do everything in the name of the Lord for His glory alone.

Remember the very name of the Lord is Holy, we can trust though that God is who He says He is and we are promised that. The name of the Lord is a refuge to the righteous as they run to the Lord God in trust and faith.

So What?

So what promise does this give us. A few promises in fact. The first promise is that we are to treat God’s name as Holy and only use it to glorify and worship Him. For in the name of Jesus we are revealed His very character, it tells the story of Who he is and He has done for us. But we are guilty of misusing the name of the Lord God. This first promise tells us that we are guilty of sin and guilty of the consequences of this sin.

The next promise is that even though we are guilty and deserve the consequences of our sin, The new covenant tells us that Jesus died so that we could have freedom from our sin. The Old covenant pronounces us as guilty of our sin, the New covenant pronounces freedom from sin for all who give their lives to Jesus.

so if the name of God is to be treated as Holy then this means we are to do something about it.

We are accountable for our words.

When we use the name of the Lord God we are representing Him to the people around us. We can either Honor and represent God rightly or we can give a bad name for God to those that do not believe.

We are responsible for our actions.

This then leads to the way that we live our lives. It is not just about our words but about the very way that we live our lives for God. Are we reflecting the character of God in the way that we represent Him to the world.

We are prone to taking God’s name in vain

Unfortunately, the commandment also reveals that we are prone to taking God’s name in vain, which can be a result of our own selfishness, ignorance, or lack of reverence.

God Offers forgiveness to all

The third commandment encourages us to be mindful of our words and actions, and to make sure that they are in line with God’s character and will. But when we fail in that we can seek foregiveness from Jesus. Jesus is waiting for us to turn to Him, But He will not wait forever.

John Calvin's application of the third commandment in the Institutes of the Christian Religion: "We ought to be so disposed in mind and speech that we neither think nor say anything concerning God and his mysteries, without reverence and much soberness; that in estimating his works we conceive nothing but what is honorable to him"

Why is the third commandment so insistent on honoring and respect- ing his name and his character? It is because God created us with a desire that only he can fulfill—a desire for him. If we are always trying to change who God is or replace him with something else, we’ll never be at peace. We’ll never experience true comfort, true significance, or true joy. We’ll never be whole. But if God is at the center of our lives, not another god or a revised version of God, but the true and living God, we’ll truly be at peace.