The first four commandments have to do with man’s relationship with God. In the first commandment, we are to acknowledge God as unique, not one of many gods. In the second, we are to own that He is a Spirit-being and cannot be represented by any images of man’s making. Also, He is the self-existent One, the uncreated Creator of all things. As such He is the One whom we are to worship and listen to and take directions from. We are not to worship any images fashioned by man’s hands or put any created being in the place of God Himself as an object of worship or source of direction or authority.

The third commandment recognizes God’s holiness. We are to use His name in a holy, reverent way at all times, and never use it in a vain or empty way. "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" (Exod. 20:7). One way of taking God’s name in vain was to use it to back up an oath, and then not carry out the oath. God’s people were further warned about this in Lev. 19:12:"Ye shall not swear by My name falsely." The Lord Jesus takes this matter a step further in His Sermon on the Mount:"Ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths. But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven, for it is God’s throne; nor by the earth, for it is His footstool. . . . But let your communication be, Yea, yea; nay, nay; for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil" (Matt. 5:33-37; see also Jas. 5:12). In other words, the people were being asked to develop reputations for being truthful, honest, and reliable. When we make a statement or say we will do something, we should not have to appeal to God to verify our word or make it good. If our truthfulness is questioned, perhaps our response needs to be a humble admission of past failures in speaking the truth and asking forgiveness and forbearance while we seek, with God’s help, to rebuild a reputation for truthfulness.

Have you ever heard one_perhaps even yourself_say:"By God, I’m going to do such and such if it’s the last thing I do!" Such a person is using God’s name in a vain, dishonoring way. What if it is not God’s will that the person do "such and such"? Then it is vain to bring God’s name into the matter. And if, perchance, it is God’s will that the thing be done, is it not better to state something like the following:"If such and such be God’s will, I will do it with His help and strength and according to His timing."

God’s name, and the names of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, are very popular in the world today. Those names can be heard very frequently at school, at work, on radio and television, while walking down a busy street, and at most public places. "O my God!" is a particularly common expletive today with little children and adults alike. Sadly, there is not the least thought of the supreme, almighty, holy God by the vast majority of people who use His name in this way. They are but empty words. His name is used in a vain or empty way with no thought whatever of the majesty of the One who owns that precious name. If a co-worker or fellow student were to start deliberately using your name or the name of one of your parents in the same common, empty way many people use the name of God, you no doubt would be deeply offended and outraged. Can you imagine, then, how God feels when His name is used in such a way?

While we, as Christians, may be careful not to use the names of God and Christ in vain in an overt manner, we must be careful to guard against the tendency to employ various euphemisms for these names, such as "gee," "gosh," "golly," and many others. Even expressions such as "for goodness’ sake," which is a euphemism’ for "for God’s sake," should be avoided in our speech.

The New Testament parallel to the third commandment is found in the prayer the Lord gave to His disciples:"Our Father which art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name" (Matt. 6:9). God’s name is holy (Psa. 111:9; Isa. 57:15) and pure. May we be careful to use that name in a way that will maintain its holiness and purity. This goes far beyond the simple avoidance of using the names of God, and euphemisms thereof, in an empty way. It means that whenever we mention the name of God or the name of Jesus Christ to another person, for example, while sharing the gospel or telling what great things God has done for us, we need to be very careful not to say or do anything to that person that would cause the person to get the wrong impression of God or cause the name of God to be blasphemed through us (Rom. 2:24). Waiters and waitresses have reported that people who leave gospel tracts for them tend to be the stingiest tippers. If we are going to speak to others about God_either verbally or through gospel literature_let us seek to reinforce that testimony with a manifestation of some of the attributes of God_ for example, goodness, love, longsuffering, fairness, holiness_in our actions and attitudes toward them. Otherwise, we will be guilty of taking the name of the Lord in vain_ using it in an empty, misleading, and possibly even destructive way.

"Wherefore also we pray always for you . . . that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and ye in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ" (2 Thess. 1:11,12).