The Proper Use Of God's Name Series

Now we begin to see the New Testament twist on this Commandment. Once again, God raises the bar in the New Testament on all of his commandments and then gives us the grace to do it. This commandment in the New Testament, you see has to do with abusing by not using His name.

For instance, your call to produce fruit, that’s evangelism—sharing your faith in ways that lead people to accept Jesus Christ, but your call to produce fruit that remains that Discipleship—ongoing mentoring of new believers and you will not do either of these effectively without learning the proper use of his name.

Besides and because there is a real adversary that stalks you he does not want you to learn about your true purpose in life, he fears those who accept that purpose as their mission. He doesn’t just fear Christians, he fears disciples. He doesn’t fear believing, he fears behavior. Disciples who are determined to reproduce more disciples, that puts the devil to flight.

The Bible refers to the devil, as among other things, “the serpent” and his demons as “snakes” and “scorpions”.

It refers to poison that might be slipped into someone’s drink as “the plots of the devil to harm us,” not the intentional consumption of poison just to show off, or taking up snakes just to make a spectacle.

The fact is these adversaries are real. They come to trip us up in our spiritual walk. They have a certain power with certain limitations.

Jesus said, the proper use of His name would bring a powerful victory, Mark 16, verse 17, Jesus speaking, He says…

“And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick and they will recover.”

(Mark 16:17-18 NKJV)

Jesus is speaking of a spiritual kingdom at war with another spiritual kingdom. Would you notice who these signs will follow? Who these signs are to be a regular part of their lives, not just apostles, or prophets, or evangelists, or pastors or teachers. It says: “And these signs will follow those who (what?) believe.”

Believe—that’s you friend! It was assumed they were talking to Christians. It’s not just believing in Jesus Christ and the redemptive work of the cross, but to believe goes beyond that, it means I expect these signs to follow me.

I believe that he was commissioning me. If you don’t believe these signs will follow you, I promise you, they won’t, but if you believe they will, you can expect it; they will, because it’s the mission of every believer. It is not only your right, but it is your commission.

There is an enemy that’s keeping us from doing it, that means that we are bound by whatever keeps us from being whatever we are called to be.

In other words, even if you are a Christian these things don’t just happen automatically you have to have faith that they will and trust him. And the reason most of us don’t—it’s usually fear. It’s why we avoid anything spiritual or supernatural, but while we’re avoiding, Satan is assaulting.