Tell The World – Third Commandment

Tell the World!

The third commandment

Exodus 20.4, 7; Deuteronomy 5.11

“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.”

Song 5.10, 11, 16

My beloved is radiant and ruddy, distinguished among ten thousand. His head is the finest gold; his locks are wavy, black as a raven…This is my beloved and this is my friend…”

If we belong to Jesus and bear His Name, we will talk about Him.

The joy which the bride of Solomon found in his presence was such that it made her exult and rejoice to talk to others about him. Asked by the chorus, “What is your beloved more than another beloved?” the bride could hardly wait to exult. What makes Jesus more special than Allah? Or any of the myriad gods of Hinduism, or the New Age movement, or the materialistic gods of wealth, sex, fame, power, or prestige? Do we know, and are we prepared, indeed, eager, to talk with others about Him and His many excellencies? The fact is that most believers know very little about Jesus, and even less about the Triune God. They know what they get out of their faith and how it makes them feel. But if that’s all we have to talk about, it won’t impress too many people, for they can find just as much satisfaction and delight in things besides Christ. We need to learn to talk about Jesus, to describe His virtues, celebrate His mighty works, rejoice in the subtleties and beauties of His Word, and exult in His abundant grace and love. And we must be ready and eager to speak to anyone who wants to know more about the hope we have in Him (1 Pt. 3.15). We take the Name of our Lord in vain if we do not encourage our fellow believers and bear witness to our unsaved neighbors concerning Him and His many wonderful virtues and works.

How do you carry out your calling to be a witness for Jesus Christ (Acts 1.8)? With whom are you presently talking about the Lord, and how are you trying to help that person understand and appreciate His many excellencies (1 Pt. 2.9, 10)?

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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.