Christians, Do We Use God’s Name In Vain?
Isaiah 45:11-19
11 Thus saith the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, and his Maker, Ask me of things to come concerning my sons, and concerning the work of my hands command ye me.
12 I have made the earth, and created man upon it: I, even my hands, have stretched out the heavens, and all their host have I commanded.
13 I have raised him up in righteousness, and I will direct all his ways: he shall build my city, and he shall let go my captives, not for price nor reward, saith the LORD of hosts.
14 Thus saith the LORD, The labour of Egypt, and merchandise of Ethiopia and of the Sabeans, men of stature, shall come over unto thee, and they shall be thine: they shall come after thee; in chains they shall come over, and they shall fall down unto thee, they shall make supplication unto thee, saying, Surely God is in thee; and there is none else, there is no God.
15 Verily thou art a God that hidest thyself, O God of Israel, the Saviour.
16 They shall be ashamed, and also confounded, all of them: they shall go to confusion together that are makers of idols.
17 But Israel shall be saved in the LORD with an everlasting salvation: ye shall not be ashamed nor confounded world without end.
18 For thus saith the LORD that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited: I am the LORD; and there is none else.
19 I have not spoken in secret, in a dark place of the earth: I said not unto the seed of Jacob, Seek ye me in vain: I the LORD speak righteousness, I declare things that are right.
Exodus 20:7
Ex 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.
This passage has been misunderstood by many, thinking that it gave the right to the pottery to command the Potter.
This section of Scripture, this morning, is speaking to the Omnipotence and Omniscience of God, and the folly of the individual striving with his Maker.
Isaiah 45:12
12 I have made the earth, and created man upon it: I, even my hands, have stretched out the heavens, and all their host have I commanded
The idea of all this is that God is the one who is commanding and not you.
Isaiah 45:9
Isa 45:9 Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker! Let the potsherd strive with the potsherds of the earth. Shall the clay say to him that fashioneth it, What makest thou? or thy work, He hath no hands?
The “woe” announced in verses 9-13 is directed against those in Isaiah’s day among the Hebrews who criticized the action of God in choosing a heathen prince as a deliverer of His people.
These objectors are compared to potsherds objecting to the action of the Potter.
The idea of this passage is that man is no more entitled to lift up his voice against his maker than the vessel to rebel against the man who shapes it.
Isaiah 45:13
13 I have raised him up in righteousness, and I will direct all his ways: he shall build my city, and he shall let go my captives, not for price nor reward, saith the LORD of hosts.
The pronoun “him”, refers to Cyrus and to him being raised up by the Lord for a special task and mission.
The Phrase “in righteousness,” means to carry out my righteous purposes.
God was going to direct all of his ways, God was going to make it possible to do what needed to be done.
God gave Cyrus what he needed in order to persevere in his situation.
Look at Isaiah 45:18-19
18 For thus saith the LORD that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited: I am the LORD; and there is none else.
19 I have not spoken in secret, in a dark place of the earth: I said not unto the seed of Jacob, Seek ye me in vain: I the LORD speak righteousness, I declare things that are right.
God made everything that there is and He made it to be inhabited by man.
God did not make the Earth in vain.
God has not spoken in secret; He did not want Israel to seek Him in vain.
The Lord speaks in righteousness; He declares things that are right.
Exodus 20:7
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.
What does it mean not to take the Name of the Lord in vain?
Many times Christians think that it means not to use God’s Name in a cuss word.
In vain goes a lot deeper than this. Many times Christians use God’s Name in vain and don’t realize they are doing it.
I’ve entitled this today:
Christians, Do We Use God’s Name in Vain?
Here is the reason why:
Dream 9-29-08
I dreamed that my brother, Terry, was preaching a sermon on using God’s Name in vain. He emphasized phrases such as “GOOD GOD”, “JESUS”, “GOD”, “LORDY, LORDY”. He said all kinds of phrases we use that are wrong. He said that we use these phrases flippantly and God is not happy with it. I took the message and I gave it to our church in a sermon.
Deuteronomy 29:29
29 The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law.
Maybe we have used these phrases this morning, God is not happy with it.
It is time to watch what we say when we are not thinking.
“The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law”.
Don’t get mad at me today, it is in God’s Word.
It has now been revealed, so you can do with it whatever you want.
If God’s not happy with it, then we should not be either.
Isaiah 45:9
Isa 45:9 Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker! Let the potsherd strive with the potsherds of the earth. Shall the clay say to him that fashioneth it, What makest thou? or thy work, He hath no hands?
These objectors are compared to potsherds objecting to the action of the Potter.
The idea of this passage is that man is no more entitled to lift up his voice against his maker than the vessel to rebel against the man who shapes it.
Isaiah 45:13
13 I have raised him up in righteousness, and I will direct all his ways: he shall build my city, and he shall let go my captives, not for price nor reward, saith the LORD of hosts. {direct: or, make straight}
God will make a way for those who are willing to live in righteousness.
Exodus 20:7
Ex 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.
1 Peter 1:13-23
13 Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
14 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance,
15 but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior;
16 because it is written, "YOU SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY."
17 If you address as Father the One who impartially judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your stay on earth;
18 knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers,
19 but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ.
20 For He was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but has appeared in these last times for the sake of you
21 who through Him are believers in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.
22 Since you have in obedience to the truth purified your souls for a sincere love of the brethren, fervently love one another from the heart,
23 for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God.
Look at verse 14, “As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance”.
We might have been ignorant before but now we have no excuse.
Have we rebelled against the Potter in ignorance?
We have all said that we want to get closer to God, now is the time to prove it.
Have you been taking the Lord’s Name in vain this morning?
It is time that we realize the error of our lives and repent for our language that we have used and move on.
Have you ever heard people using God’s Name in a way that made you cringe; maybe we ought to listen to our own conversations.
How do you think God feels when we get mad and say DEAR God, or maybe JESUS?
Do you think that He might cringe?
Closing
1 Peter 1:14-17
14 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance,
15 but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior;
16 because it is written, "YOU SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY."
17 If you address as Father the One who impartially judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your stay on earth;
Let’s all come up around the Altars and tell God we are sorry for the things we have said.
I will lead the way.
If you are interested in seeing some God given sreams given to me and others in our church go to:
http://www.ourchurch.com/member/w/windoffaithdrea/
Go to the new text page for the God given dreams.
