Take His Name, Seek His Kingdom – The Third Commandment

Take His Name, Seek His Kingdom

Exodus 20:7

“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.”

God’s purpose for us may be summarized in one sentence: seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness.

The Kingdom of God is His rule over every area of life, resulting in righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit (Rom. 14:17). In the Kingdom of God there is real power (1 Cor. 4:20)–power to transform us into the image of Jesus Christ (2 Cor. 3:12-18), power to make us witnesses for the Lord (Acts 1:8), power to do far more abundantly than all that we could ask or think (Eph. 3:20).

Quite simply, if we are not seeking this power, taking the steps of faith that only this power can bring to fruition, pleading with God to fill us with this power and use us for the progress of His Kingdom, then we are taking His Name for another purpose than that which He intends. Life that finds favor with God and blesses our neighbors is life in the Kingdom of God–taking God’s Name to His purpose, not ours (Rom. 14:18).

Are you seeking the power of God for your daily life? In what ways? For what areas of life? How do you expect to see the power of God’s Kingdom at work in your life today?

I’ll know Your Kingdom is advancing in me today, O Lord, when…

Daily meditation in the Law of God helps us along the path of holiness, righteousness, and goodness (Rom. 7:12). Order your copy of The Law of God, a compilation of the Mosaic Law for contemporary believers, by going to www.MyParuchia.com, point your browser to “Publications,” then click on the drop-down option, “Waxed Tablet Publications.”

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In the Gates is a devotional series on the Law of God by Rev. T.M. Moore.

T.M. Moore is editor of the Worldview Church. He serves as dean of the Centurions Program of the Wilberforce Forum and principal of The Fellowship of Ailbe, a spiritual fellowship in the Celtic Christian tradition. He is the author or editor of twenty books, and has contributed chapters to four others. His essays, reviews, articles, papers, and poetry have appeared in dozens of national and international journals, and on a wide range of websites. His most recent books are The Ailbe Psalter and The Ground for Christian Ethics (Waxed Tablet).

Scripture quotations in this article are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, (c) copyright 2001, 2007 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Editor’s note: The use of a translation other than the Authorised Version in an article does not constitute an endorsement in whole or in part by The Christian Observer.