There is power in the name of Jesus Christ, and it should not be taken in vain. If we truly understood and experienced the power that lies behind the name of Jesus, we would respond in reverence, devotion and faith, but we know so well that this is not always the case.
The third commandment of the decalogue tells us in Exodus 20:7,"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."
The word 'vain' used in this context is the Hebrew word "shav," which means emptiness of speech, vanity, falsehood, lying, deceptive, uselessness. Taking God's name in vain refers to treating the Lord Himself in a frivolous, light manner. And it goes beyond using God's name as a swear word.
Many times we also like using God's name as a crutch - sometimes even almost as an excuse. Give you an instance, have you ever told anyone that some decision was "God's will" for you when really in fact it's just your preference and you just want to make it sound more convincing? That's taking God's name in vain.
If you've ever doubted the power of God's name and trusted in your own efforts, in money, in your career or your connections more than God's name, that's taking His name in vain. If you've ever tried to save yourself by going to church more, reading the Bible more or taking sacraments to gain God's favour instead of trusting in the name of Jesus Christ and the power of His work on the cross, you've taken God's name in vain.
God's name was never meant to be a crutch for your own advantage, an excuse, a substitute or an option. Just the very mention of the name of God could bring power beyond what you've ever imagined - and it is the release of power for His glory, His purposes, lined up with the accomplishment of His will. And when you see power like that, you're never going to take it for granted.
Proverbs 18:10 says, "The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous man runs into it and is safe." God's name is a name that roars like a lion to the principalities of this world and causes them to shrink back, and guess what? God has given you that access to the power of His name.
A revelation of God's name and the power it has transforms our hearts and causes us to progressively be set free from the sin of taking His name in vain. When met by the power that is attached to the name of Jesus Christ, we respond in complete surrender to it's power, never wanting to ever use His name in a way that returns null and void, but rather in a way that brings life and life to the full.
