“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.”
Exodus 20:7
The first thing that typically comes to mind when we hear the third commandment is the issue of swearing. The way you use a person’s name says a great deal about what you think of them. And if you look up the name Jesus in your Concise Oxford English Dictionary, there are two definitions. Notice the order:
Jesus: (vulg.) excl. expr. surprise, impatience, etc. [name of founder of Christian religion d. c. A.D. 30]
The dictionary tells us that the name Jesus is a vulgarity. It is an exclamation expressing surprise, impatience, etc. That, according to the Oxford English Dictionary, is its most common use. But the name Jesus can also be used to refer to the founder of Christianity.
It shouldn’t surprise us that those who don’t know the Lord commonly use the name of God or Jesus as an expletive. But the same pattern of speech is too often found among believers.
If you happen to be in school or at work, listen to how the name of God is used by your friends or coworkers this week. It will astonish you. Don’t copy that habit. It comes naturally for people who don’t know God. But not for you.
Reflect on how you are using God’s name. Have you spoken about Jesus in ways that dishonoured Him? How about in ways that honoured Him?
