Oh My God: Revisiting the Third Commandment

Exodus 20:7 says,

“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.”

If you grew up in a Christian home then you would have been taught not to say phrases such as “Oh my God” or “Oh my gosh” or “Jesus Christ” in an irreverent way. As Christians we have been taught that saying God’s name in a way that does not reflect reverence towards Him is a violation of the third commandment. While I do agree that this commandment prohibits the use of God’s name in such a common way, it is much, MUCH deeper than this.

This commandment doesn’t just deal with our words but also our lives.

If you are a Christian you have taken on the Lord’s name. You still have your earthly identity but if you have sought God’s saving grace, you have sought to have His name over you. A CHRISTian is a follower of Christ. You cannot have his salvation if you refuse to put His name over you.

But the question is, is our salvation evident in our lifestyle? Is God’s name glorified by the way we choose to conduct ourselves? Do our friends, family, and fellow church members see that we have been saved and transformed by the Holy Spirit? When we profess ourselves as Christians to other people, do the people around us agree or have their own doubts about our claim? Do we change strangers’ negative views on Christianity or do we reinforced them?

We took a HOLY name when we took on the name of Christ. Are we taking the holiness of that name in vain? If salvation and righteousness aren’t being reflected in our lives then we have taken the Lord’s name in vain. God’s name should affect our whole lives, not just privately but publicly.

LIVING OUT THE GOSPEL

It is my hope today that we will meditate on this commandment and reflect on its deeper meaning. It isn’t just a matter of changing “Oh my God” to “Oh my…” or deleting “oh my gosh” and “oh my goodness” from our phrase banks. Obedience to this command is about living our lives for the reasons we took on this holy Name. I pray that our Christianity shines out not just by speaking but more importantly by living out the gospel in our lives. Let us speak and act in a way that it is obvious to our fellow members that we have been saved and have taken on the name of God. Let Jesus be the center of our being that everyone around us will see that the Name of God has affected us in a life-changing way.

Only then can we truly live out the third commandment.

Blessings!