The Substance of the Third Commandment – A Kingdom Catechism

The Substance of the Third Commandment

A Kingdom Catechism

Bear God’s Name as God intends!

Q 66: What is the substance of the third commandment?

A 66: The substance of third commandment is that, God having placed His Name upon them, His people must take care to bear that Name according to God’s purposes and will. (Deut. 10:12-22; Lev. 18:1-5)

The operative words here are “take care” (cf. Eph. 5:15-17). Just because we belong to God by adoption does not mean that we will somehow automatically reflect the new reality of our belonging to Him. Nor does it mean that we may continue our lives as prior to adoption. Rather, God calls us who have received His Name to take it fruitfully, joyfully, and energetically, and to run the race set before us through every obstacle and for the entire course. We must be vigilant against the wiles of our former master, the devil, as well as the allure of the world and the frailty of our flesh. And we must take care to grow in the grace and love of the Lord so that we may serve Him fruitfully as those who bear His Name.

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