JESUS CHRIST— WHY HIS NAME?

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

You are at work or at school when someone hurts themselves and cries out “Jesus Christ!” Or, a person gets really excited about something and they yell out “Jesus Christ!” Maybe a person is sorrowing over a situation and says “Jesus Christ!”
Think about this: Why do people punctuate their sentences with the Name of Jesus Christ? A person may be mad, sad or glad and then they communicate their feelings by using the Name of Jesus Christ to punctuate those feelings. Why does that happen? Some say, “It is only a habit.” One dictionary says a habit is “an acquired behavior pattern, a customary practice or use, a dominant or regular disposition or tendency or an addiction.”

Jesus died on a Roman cross of execution about 2,000 years ago. There have been many others who have been considered great teachers, philosophers, thinkers, religious leaders etc. When a person is mad, sad, or glad why not use the name of Aristotle, Buddha, Mohammad or Socrates’ name? Why not use the name of Plato or Einstein, Hitler or Stalin, Mao Tse-tung or any other name? Why is the Name of Jesus taken in vain? Can you think of any other name that has been used in vain for almost 2000 years? No, you cannot! If you can, please contact me and let me know that I am wrong.

So why is the Name of Jesus used to punctuate people’s speech? There is more to this than most people realize, care to think about or just deny it. The Reason… In Exodus chapter 20 and verse 7 we read: “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.” In this verse we have a command and a consequence. The command is: “You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain…” This means that we are not to use the Lord’s Name in a hollow way; in an empty way; in a meaningless way; in a senseless way; in a foolish way; in a disrespectful way; in a dishonoring way or blasphemous way which is disrespectful. There are only two positions we can take toward God.

The Command: 1– We can believe what He says in His Word, the Bible, and worship Him as all mankind should. This would include great respect for His Name and not speaking His Name in a dishonoring way. It would also mean I am living for Him and not just saying I believe and live however I want.

The Consequence: 2– We can disbelieve His Word and rebel against God like Satan did. Those who do not respect His Name and do not want to live for Him are guilty of sin against Him. To use His Name in a disrespectful way is blasphemy.

Two Ways: “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it” (Matthew 7:13-14).

Two Foundations: “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash” (Matthew 7:24-27).

Jesus is the Way: “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6; Acts 4:12). Jesus is the only way to be saved from our sin.

Jesus is the Foundation: “For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ” (I Corinthians 3:11). Jesus is the only foundation to build our lives on.

All Other Ways Lead to Eternal Destruction! “Then they (those are not living for Jesus; those who do not believe) will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous (those who do believe) to eternal life” (Matthew 25:46).

The Reason people take the Lord Jesus Christ’s Name in Vain is because, whether they know it or not, they are rebelling against Him. They may or may not understand, but they are under Satan’s control and he is seeking to keep them from trusting Jesus and is seeking to destroy them forever. “Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God” (II Corinthians 4:4).

Jesus is Declared to be the Son of God by rising from the dead (Romans 1:4). “But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead…” (I Corinthians 15:20). “Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures” (I Corinthians 15:3-4).

Jesus is alive and that is why His Name is used in vain. If He was dead like all the other great names of the past, His Name would not be used in vain.

Call on Jesus to save you now! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZD6khv6pGkw

Dear Father, be pleased to speak to those who need to hear by the authority of Jesus and by the Holy Spirit’s help.