The third of the Ten Commandments seems fairly simple on the
surface, like many of the other Commandments, but there is a deeper level to
God’s injunction against misusing His name.
Most people assume, quite correctly, that using the name of God or Jesus
as a swear-word is taking Their names in vain.
What many people don’t know or understand, is that in the context of the
divine and the spiritual, names have power. It’s not like
our mortal world where your name is a mere identifier. In the realm of the divine names are much more
than simply identifying one being from another.
In God’s world names have meanings. When God told Moses for example to tell the
Israelites ‘I am who I am’ it was a statement of His everlasting,
self-sustaining nature. It was more than
a mere identification it was a statement of the nature of God. Therefore to use those names as expletives is
a very grave sin – one which probably every single soul is guilty of doing at
one time or another. However our
previous guilt should not stop us from trying to turn away from that particular
sin. We all slip sometimes. God knows
this and thankfully His mercy often prevents us from feeling the full impact of the
sin we commit when we use His name in vain.
There is, however, much more to the Commandment of misusing
God’s name than simply swearing. Jesus
told His disciples that whatever they asked for in His name would be granted to
them. That’s the reason why when we pray
we usually end it ‘in Jesus name, amen.’
We are asking our prayers to be granted by the power of Jesus. But do we really understand what powers we
are invoking when we use His name in prayer?
I don’t believe that many of us truly understand that we are actually
invoking and asking for the Holy Spirit to perform whatever task or blessing or
curse we have prayed for – literally asking for the power of God.
Many will say that the majority of our prayers go unanswered
or are answered in the negative. Why is this
the case? It is because so often we are
asking for things that are contrary to God’s nature and purpose and ultimate
plan for mankind. God will not deviate
from His ultimate plan for the salvation and redemption of His creation; not
for you or anybody. God has a plan that
He will fulfil and He will not allow any of us to use His name to attempt to alter or even
destroy that plan.
Jesus said that if we had faith the size of a mustard seed
we could move mountains, but He never said that we should. When we pray in Jesus name we are asking for
a power that we truly do not understand.
Furthermore if what we ask for is contrary to God’s nature and plan we
are misusing His name, taking His name in vain.
God gave us the Commandment not to misuse His name because He wants us
to stop and think before we ask for things in His name. He wants us to understand the Scriptures and
His plan and ask for things that are in accordance with His nature and in
accordance with His plan. Not just to
pray and ask for virtually anything that comes to mind.
God will do anything for us that we ask of Him when asked in
Jesus name but only if what we ask for is according to His loving purpose and
plan. For example God tells us in the
Scriptures that it is good for man to work, therefore praying that God will
help you find a job is in line with God’s plan and nature. Asking for this is Jesus name is a prayer
that will almost certainly be answered, even if not immediately or in the way
we think it should be answered. God does
answer our prayers when we pray in Jesus name but in His time and according to
His purpose.
We may ask for healing from illness and sometimes that
prayer will be answered positively.
Doctors will tell you of many miraculous cases they have seen. Yet sometimes God’s answer will be no,
despite having asked in Jesus name.
Why? Because sometimes illness is
sent to sift and try us, God will use it as a tool to bring us closer to
Him. Sometimes it is simply our time to
die. To many of us this may seem unfair
but God is looking at the bigger picture; our mortal lives today do not mean as
much to Him as our eternal lives in His Kingdom.
That is something we must also remember, God
views things very differently to us.
Many times things that seem critical to us are almost irrelevant to God
but do not forget that He mourns with us.
The shortest verse in the Bible is ‘Jesus wept.’ He knows our suffering and wants to alleviate
it but it is the long term goal that God has foremost in His mind.
The point of all this is that God’s name, Jesus’ name all
have power, powers beyond anything we could possibly imagine. Do not take or use Their names lightly. But again we have the proof of God’s infinite
mercy as the Bible tells us that the Holy Spirit intervenes with God when we
pray – saying the words we should be saying and opening up to God the true
desires of our hearts. So continue to
pray in Jesus name but remember the power you invoke when you do – do not
forget the third Commandment and take God’s name lightly.
In Jesus' Holy Name,
Tracey
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