The Third Commandment: Don’t Dishonor God’s Name!

What this episode covers

You might think a reflection upon God’s name is irrelevant to the current state of our nation. We are living in strange times. Fears of the coronavirus are still among us, but they have been largely displaced by the riots in response to the murder of George Floyd. In fact, more than a thousand medical professionals, infectious disease specialists, and community stakeholders wrote an open letter that got a lot of press. Essentially, they argued that the systemic threat of white supremacy far surpasses the threat of COVID-19. They literally said it was permitted to protest over this, but not over the “stay-home” orders. The inconsistencies are difficult to keep track of. In the past several weeks we were also warned about other threats such as the flesh-eating rats! One of my favorite memes from the past week stated: “Did we miss the murder hornets? I feel like we missed the murder hornets.” It is also interesting that week after week, I have not struggled to find a way to relate the sermon to our present circumstances. This week is no different. Maybe that’s because so much is going on, how could you miss it? But one positive for pastors is that illustrating sermons has never been easier. Last week we focused on the positive aspect of the third commandment. We are to approach God with reverence recognizing his holiness and worthiness. If approaching God in a flippant manner results in His displeasure, then approaching God with reverence through Jesus Christ results in His pleasure. Read Exodus 20:7 While we spent some time considering how flippant we can often be in our prayers, I want to expand on the discussion regarding the various ways we might dishonor God’s name. Do Not Commit Perjury This command needs to be broadened to include not only our words, but also our thoughts and actions. However, we can begin by looking at our speech, because that is the most basic meaning of the verse. The primary function of the command is to forbid perjury, which is lying under oath. If you are a witness in a trial, you will take an oath: “Do you solemnly swear that you will tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?” Quakers, who have a problem with taking oaths, in general, can replace “swear” with “affirm”. If you do not believe in God you can replace “so help me God” with “under pains and penalties of perjury. Additional modifications are allowed as long as the individual can demonstrate that they recognize a moral obligation, to be honest. Some have wrongly argued that the third commandment forbids any kind of oath-taking whatsoever. But that is obviously not how we understand it. When you join this church you are required to take five vows of membership. Vows, in general, are not forbidden. However, taking those vows in a light manner is forbidden. In other words, breaking your vows of membership—which have been spoken before God and His people—is a form of breaking this commandment. That is why, whenever we receive new members, I take a moment to implore all the members who are present to consider the fact that these are their vows as well. It is important to revisit them often and consider whether we are out of accord with them in substance. The same could be said for anyone who has taken an oath of office within the church or as a civil authority figure. Their vows are important and we must not take them lightly. To do so is to take the name of God lightly because it is in His name that we take our oath. Do Not Misrepresent God’s Nature Since the name of God is representative of who He is and what He has done, to say anything that misrepresents Him is forbidden as well. This is where we would include the violation of false doctrine. Let us consider just a few of the common violations: God is One, so He cannot exist in three persons. To deny the Trinity is to deny the very clear worship that is offered to God the Son and God the Holy Spirit in Scripture.God cr

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