The Ten Commandments: A 10-Day Devotionalናሙና

You Shall Not Take the Name of the Lord Your God in Vain

We must never forget the privilege and responsibility that comes with bearing the name of Christ. Sometimes you meet Christians who insist, “I’m a Jesus follower,” or “I’m a disciple of the Messiah,” or “I’m a Jesus person,” or “I’m a follower of the way.” They’ll do anything to avoid saying the word Christian. And I understand that. The word can come with a lot of baggage. But it’s our family name. It’s the name that speaks of our union with God’s Anointed One. We should not be ashamed of the name Christian. Nor should we be ashamed of the triune name in which we were baptized. Among other things, baptism is a naming ceremony. It’s where we are marked out as belonging to the one God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Consequently, we violate the third commandment when we, as baptized Christians, live as if we did not bear the name of God.

If you want a simple summary of the third commandment—a  New Testament exhortation putting in positive language all that is required of us—here it is: “Whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him” (Col. 3:17). 

We obey the third commandment by living as Christians, by speaking and doing everything according to the family name. For when we do all that we do—and do it in Christ, for Christ, and through Christ—we show that his is the name we value, the name we love, and the name that is above all names.

Reflect

In what ways is the third commandment deeper than mere words? Be specific in your answer.