The Third Commandment – Do Not Take the LORD’s Name in Vain

The Third Commandment

Do not take the LORD’s name in vain

The Commandment

God invites us to take His Name upon us, to be reconciled to Him and united with Him for the purpose of His glory and our blessedness. We must not take His Name in any way other than what will fulfill these purposes, and we must not vow empty or unwise vows in His Name.

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.”

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.’”

1 Corinthians 15:1, 2; 1 Corinthians 15:58; 2 Corinthians 6:1; Galatians 4:8-11; James 1:26

God intends to glorify Himself through us, so that the earth can be filled with the knowledge of His glory as the water covers the sea (Hab. 2:14). To that end, He has redeemed us, adopted us, and given us His Spirit and Word. He has created us in Jesus Christ unto good works, the works which He before ordained that we should walk in, the works of His Law (Eph. 2:10).

When we take the Name of the Lord upon us we embrace His purpose and calling for our lives and devote ourselves to growing in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ (2 Pet. 3:18) so that we might abound in good works, as God intends (Titus 3:8). Good works do not save us; God saves us. But He saves us for the purpose of bringing glory to Himself through our good works (Matt. 5:16). The Law of God—and all the Word of the Lord—tells us what those works are. We fulfill our calling and “take” the Name of the Lord as He intends as we increase in good works to the glory of God.

In this series of In the Gates we present a detailed explanation of the Law of God, beginning with the Ten Commandments, and working through the statutes and rules that accompany each commandment. For a practical guide to the role of God’s Law in the practice of ethics, get The Ground for Christian Ethics by going to www.MyParuchia.com and click on our Book Store.

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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.