Misusing The Name Of The Lord.

Exodus 20: 7 says KJV (Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain).  For along time, I thought this above scripture meant that we should not say or call the name of the lord in vain alone until my eyes were opened to it.

Lev 19:12 says, ( And ye shall not swear by my name falsely, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God:I am the Lord). Also, matt 5:34-35 says, ( But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God's throne:35 Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King). While James 5: 12 says ( But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath:but let your yea be yea; and your nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation).Many of use, swear and make promises by God's name.  God said we should not swear at all by his name or by any thing.  Let your yes be yes and your no be no. Stop swearing to show that you are serious about and affirm a thing.

Exodus 20:7 is also talking about our live styles as citizens of heaven. An ambassador of a Country goes in the name of the President and the country. He is the representative of the President and Country in the other country. He carries the name of the president in the country where he resides. The Country in which he lives will treat him as they would treat the president of his own country. They will accord him the respect they would accord his President or King.  Any thing he says or does is assumed that it is the President that has said or done it. If he does a good thing, his President and Country will be commended because he has carried on or taken or borne the name of his President in a good and commendable way. So, he has to be careful of his actions, decisions and utterances. If he misbehaves, he has tarnished the name of his President and Country. He has taken on the name of his President and Country in vain and also brought shame to his President and Nation instead. He has also not protected the interest of his nation by his actions.

We can apply it to all believers in Christ because we are supposed to be the representatives of christ wherever we are. We are his Ambassadors on earth, schools, offices, neighbourhood, and any where we find ourselves. The disciples were first called Christians in Antioch in Acts 22-26 because they were seen as people who behaved, lived, spoke like Christ and did the things that Christ did. We are supposed to be the representatives of Christ on earth because we have taken and carried on his name. As a result of this, we have become his ambassadors and the light of the world. Christ is is our light and he has made us the light of the world. Matt 5:16 says( Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven). We are supposed to shine the light wherever we are because we are the ambassadors of Christ. So, if a Christian sins, misbehaves and puts up a negative attitude, he has taken in vain and misused the name of the lord. It is assumed that it is Christ that has misbehaved when Christians misbehave because we are his representatives. If unbelievers say to us that they taught we were Christians when we misbehave, then our action has brought shame to the name of the lord. This shows that as Christians, we should be careful to do things that will make people glorify God and also live as Christ expects us to live. 

The bibles says in Romans 2: 24(read from 17-24) that ESV ( 17 But if you call yourself a Jew and rely on name the law and boast in God 18 and know his will and approve what is excellent, because you are instructed from the law; 19 and if you are sure that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, 20 an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of children, having in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth— 21 you then who teach others, do you not teach yourself? While you preach against stealing, do you steal? 22 You who say that one must not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? 23 You who boast in the law dishonor God by breaking the law. 24 For, as it is written, “The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you).
If your life style makes people blaspheme, speak ill of  the name of the Lord, then you have taken and misused the name of the lord in vain. An example of those in the Bible whose life style brought shame to the name of the lord are the children of Eli.
In 1 Samuel 2:12-17 ESV, the bible says, ( Now the sons of Eli were worthless men. They did not know the Lord. 13 The custom of the priests with the people was that when any man offered sacrifice, the priest's servant would come, while the meat was boiling, with a three- pronged fork in his hand, 14 and he would thrust it into the pan or kettle or cauldron or pot. All that the fork brought up the priest would take for himself. This is what they did at Shiloh to all the Israelites who came there. 15 Moreover, before the fat was burned, the priest's servant would come and say to the man who was sacrificing, “Give meat for the priest to roast, for he will not accept boiled meat from you but only raw.” 16 And if the man said to him, “Let them burn the fat first, and then take as much as you wish,” he would say, “No, you must give it now, and if not, I will take it by force.” 17 Thus the sin of the young men was very great in the sight of the Lord, for the men treated the offering of the Lord with contempt).

The attitude of Eli's children made the bible call them worthless. They brought shame to their father, family, Israel and God. In other words they took the name of the lord in vein because they were supposed to be priest.

Also, Titus 1:16 says ESV, ( They profess to know God, but they deny him by their works. They are detestable, disobedient, unfit for any good work). If you say you love God or you are a Christian and the things you do negate it or your actions say other wise, then you have taken the name of the lord in vein. Wilson Ileogben