Preacher’s Pulpit by Dr. Joe Tims
Ten Commandments #3: Profaning the Lord’s Name
Exodus 20:7
INTRODUCTION
To many people the Third Commandment means “Thou shalt not curse”….no more, no less.
Those who think in this limited way miss the deeper meaning of the commandment.
Men cannot drag the Holy Name of God into the mud of profane and dirty discourse without undermining the foundation upon which life itself rests.
To take God’s name in vain is an insult to His divine majesty and power.
God does not consider profanity a light matter.
This commandment tells us that God will not treat a person as clean or innocent if that person is guilty of taking His name in vain.
Notice with me some FOUR MAJOR WAYS to use God’s name in vain:
I. BY USING PROFANITY
(Jas 3:10) “Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be.”
A. Profanity is one of the most COMMON sins of today!
B. A man or woman’s speech is an index to their character
(Matt 15:18) “But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man.”
C. Some have said that when a man has to resort to profanity he is using a rather strong method to give expression to a weak mind.
D. Man also confesses he has lost control of the situation.
E. There is absolutely no reward for using profanity.
F. Profanity not only corrupts the GUILTY one, but it corrupts the INNOCENT also.
II. BY FRIVOLOUS (SILLY) JOKING ABOUT GOD AND SACRED THINGS
(Dan 5:3) “Then they brought the golden vessels that were taken out of the temple of the house of God which was at Jerusalem; and the king, and his prices, his wives, and his concubines, drank in them.”
A. Men joke about God!
B. Men joke about holy things!
C. Men joke about the reverence for God!
D. Anytime we use God’s name in an unholy manner we sin.
III. BY SPIRITUAL FORGERY
(John 14:13, 14) “And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. (14) If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.”
A. This is the sin of the new Prosperity Gospel over most of the TV preaching.
B. They preach that there is some magical significance to attaching the name of Jesus to the end of their prayers!
C. To pray in “the name of Jesus” is to pray in line with His character and His purposes.
D. This means to pray the prayer that He would pray if He stood in your shoes and wore your coat.
E. This commanding done by so many today is in reality “SPIRITUAL FORGERY!”
IV. BY HYPOCRISY
(Luke 6:46) “And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?”
A. To wear the name of Christian and not really be SAVED!
B. Christian is a term that has been cheapened by common usage.
C. Christian means “Christlikeness”
D. There is a difference between a SPIRITUAL FAILURE AND A RELIGIOUS HYPOCRITE.
E. An example of this is seen in LOT.
F. Nevertheless it is possible for a TRUE BELIEVER to be a religous hypocrite!
1. Making people believe we are something that we really are not!
2. Professing to be a Christian and then deliberately refusing to practice what we profess!
G. In the Bible SAVED folks were called Christians by those who saw evidence of Christlikeness.
(Acts 11:26) “And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the DISCIPLES were called Christians first in Antioch.”
CONCLUSION
When we measure ourselves by the third commandment, we must all bow our heads and confess that we have SINNED. Each of us has been guilty in many ways of taking the name of the Lord our God in vain. Our only hope is CONFESSION AND REPENTANCE (I John 1:9). If you are not SAVED why not today? If you are SAVED why not today?