This is part of an ongoing series on the Ten Commandments. God’s word reveals to us the laws he requires for living in the world as he has ordered it, and only by living according to this law are we able to flourish and enjoy our creational purpose: to glorify God and enjoy him. This series explores how Christians, whose identity is in Christ and whose inheritance is stored in eternity, should live under and live out the Ten Commandments.
“You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.” — Exodus 20:7
In his novel, Perelandra, C.S. Lewis imagines a second Eden, in which a second Eve is tempted to disobey God. In this story, the Eve-character is tempted, not by a serpent, but by a man who has been possessed by an evil spirit. To help this innocent woman resist temptation, God has sent the main character of the book: an ordinary Christian man named Ransom. In one particularly chilling episode, the possessed man, whom Lewis calls the “Un-man,” attempts to wear Ransom down and impede him from helping the woman resist temptation:
“Ransom,” it [the Un-man] said.
“Well?” said Ransom.
“Nothing,” said the Un-man.
The Un-man continues to say Ransom’s name, but only responds “nothing” if Ransom replies. If Ransom doesn’t reply, the Un-man just keeps repeating his name again and again. In this story, Lewis teaches us something of the nature of evil and, I think, something of why it is so horrible to take the name of the LORD in vain.
The Nature of Evil
Lewis’ story illustrates the fact that, at its core, sin and evil are simply immature, selfish, antagonistic, and spiteful responses to God. In the face of a loving and almighty Creator, our sin is as rude and foolish as a child sticking their tongue out in defiance of an authority. Evil, after all, isn’t a thing in itself, it’s a lack. It’s a lack of respect for God and a lack of worship of God. It’s the absence of goodness in our thoughts, words, and actions. Taking the name of the LORD in vain, is forbidden because it is evil. It is evil and sinful because, when we do it, we are not responding appropriately to God. The respect, love, and adoration that should be present, is absent.
Taking the LORD’s Name in Vain
The Un-man’s attack on Ransom, in addition to showing us something of the nature of sin, gives an example of what it means to take God’s name in vain. Taking God’s name in vain is about more than using his name as a curse word. While it is important not to use God’s name as an exclamation or an expletive, this commandment requires more of us. We are to use the name of God with care and reverence. The Un-man uses Ransom’s name flippantly and without purpose—we should not do the same with God. Whenever we utter the name of Jesus Christ—whether it be after stubbing a toe or at the start of a prayer—we are called to be intentional and aware of who we are addressing. This is true of speaking God’s name, as well as in our thoughts or writing. We should speak to and about God with the proper awe, love, and respect. If we use God’s name in a flippant, irreverent, obscene, or outright blasphemous way, we break this commandment.
Why Should We Keep the Third Commandment?
The third commandment gives us a reason to obey it: “You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain” (Ex. 20:7). It’s easy to think that saying God’s name without purpose, as a curse, or without reverence isn’t a big deal. Does God really care if we misuse his name now and again? The commandment tells us that he does care and he will punish anyone who misuses his name. The fact of the matter is that using God’s name without care and respect is, at base level, a failure to act the way creatures should act towards their Maker. Like all sin, it is at its root a problem of our own hearts. When we understand just how easily we take the Lord’s name in vain, we clearly see that none of us reveres God as we ought to. Reflecting on this commandment ought to drive us to God for mercy and forgiveness.
The Name of God Keeps the Command For Us
We can find this mercy and forgiveness through Jesus Christ. John 17 is a remarkable passage. In this chapter, we get the privilege of eavesdropping on Jesus’ prayer to God the Father. Amazingly, Jesus prays about his followers, present and future. In one encouraging part of the prayer, Jesus says of his followers, “keep them in your name, which you have given me” (John 17:11). Christ has been given the name of God and it is in that name, in Christ himself, that we are kept from God’s wrath and judgment. In Christ, our guilt is lifted because he suffered and died in our place. In Christ, we are declared righteous and innocent because he perfectly kept all the commandments for us and never took the LORD’s name in vain. And in Christ, we are a new creation, enabled by the Spirit to increasingly speak God’s name with proper love, reverence, and intentions. The more we look to Christ, the name of God in the flesh, the better we shall follow the Third Commandment.
Footnotes
C.S. Lewis Perelandra (New York, NY: Scribner,1972), 105.
