Taking God’s Name in Vain

What does this really mean?

First, we must know what vain means. 

Google says, “the quality of being worthless or futile.” 

To use God’s name in a way that is pointless, worthless, or incapable of producing any useful results. 

Lamentations makes it clear that it means emptiness, which is also meaningless and pointless. 

“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.” ‭‭Exodus‬ ‭20‬:‭7‬ ‬‬

“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.” ‭‭Deuteronomy‬ ‭5‬:‭11‬ 

I fear we do not take this command as seriously as we should. 

This goes beyond using God’s name in a curse word or typing “omg” in a text. 

Taking God’s name in vain is using His name in a way that does not bring Him honor or glory or bring others to Him. 

Using God’s Word to harm someone by twisting Scripture is taking His name in vain. 

(Now, this is not the same as giving Scriptural truth that upsets someone. Having our sin pointed out is hard to hear, but we need it. We are to give the truth in love, which is not a misuse of Scripture. “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:” ‭‭2 Timothy‬ ‭3‬:‭16‬). 

Preaching or teaching something as Bible when it is not is taking God’s name in vain. This is saying that God said something when He didn’t. All through Scripture, God gives accounts of false prophets doing this. And the result? Judgment. 

Today, this looks like using a verse or two, out of context, to support a trend or political stance. 

For example: “God is love” is a biblical truth. The LGBTQIA+ crowd has stretched this truth to justify their “love” for the same sex. If God is love, love is not wrong; therefore, homosexuality is okay with God. However, we know that God is love, but His love is pure and holy. We know true biblical love is not just emotions, and anything God says not to do, does not become right when we say we do it in or because of love. The scripture is taken out of context to mean something it does not, thus leading others astray and taking God’s name in vain. 

When we say that we love God, yet do not have to go to church, read the Bible, pray, worship, give up sin, or anything else because “God knows my heart” and “I can worship anywhere,” it is taking His name in vain and leading others astray. Yes, we can worship Him anywhere at any time. Yes, He does know our hearts. No, He does not require perfection. However, He calls us to be different, holy, set apart, and to worship Him in spirit and truth. His Word plainly teaches that. We do not have the liberty to ignore Truth based on God’s love for us. God is love, gracious, merciful, and patient. But He is also Holy, just, and righteous. He has given us commands in Scripture, and He calls us to a life of obedience. 

“If ye love me, keep my commandments.” ‭‭John‬ ‭14‬:‭15‬ 

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.” ‭‭John‬ ‭15‬:‭1‬-‭8‬ ‭

I genuinely hope that you desire to walk close with the Lord, to know Him, and to please Him with your life. He has done so much for us. May we not live in a way that frustrates the grace of God, quenches the Spirit, gives Satan an open door to our lives, or leads others astray.

Another example is when we bring God down to our human understanding. This sounds like, “Well, God understands…” We use this to justify our sin. “God understands we aren’t in church because the ball team travels and has a game or practice on Sunday.” Or “God understands that I have to work over and don’t have the time or energy for family or personal devotions.” “I know I should tithe, but God understands that I don’t have much money right now.” “God knows my heart, and no one is perfect.”

That’s right, He does know our hearts, and He does understand our sinful nature, but this does not ever excuse us from choosing to sin. He wants to work in our lives, teach us, and grow us, but He can’t when we choose to do things our own way. He has told us our hearts are deceitful and desperately wicked. He warns us against trusting our hearts and leaning to our own understanding. God has made it clear that He honors our faith and obedience. He wants us to trust Him in all things. 

“Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil. It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones. Honour the Lord with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase:” (‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭3‬:‭5‬-‭9‬). 

“Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit. The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? I the Lord search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings” ‭‭(Jeremiah‬ ‭17‬:‭7‬-‭10‬).‬‬

When we excuse our sin, we are bringing God down to our human level and telling others that God’s Word doesn’t matter. 

Using God’s Name or Word for anything that suits our flesh is vanity. 

May we take God’s Word seriously and pray for the courage to live as He has called us to.

Stay in the Word, stay close to the Shepherd, and let Him lead you in paths of righteousness. 

With Hope in His Service, 

Heather