TEN (3): That’s Not My Name
The Ten Commandments were never given as a means of salvation or a means of getting in good with God.
Whenever we start to think of them in this way, we lose God’s intent behind these commandments.
“You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God" (Exodus 20:7 NIV).
“Thou shall not call out My name when you lose your temper.” Could that really be what that means?
While it’s important to be respectful of God, there has to be more to it than that for this commandment to make this list.
TRUTH
“You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God" (Exodus 20:7 NIV).
Don’t abuse, mishandle or exploit the name of God.
We are not to associate God’s name with something God is not associated with.
Don’t leverage the name of God in order to accomplish something God has nothing to do with.
Don’t use the name of God to get your way.
When Jesus walked into the temple, He was furious. He saw the religious leaders leveraging the name of God and leveraging the Law.
Then he entered the temple area and began driving out those who were selling (Luke 19:45 NIV). “It is written . . . 'My house will be a house of prayer'; but you have made it a 'den of robbers'” (Luke 19:46 NIV).
“And so you cancel the word of God in order to hand down your own tradition. And this is only one example among many others” (Mark 7:13 NLT).
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9 NIV).
“You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God" (Exodus 20:7 NIV).
You can spend your whole life believing in God and never have a relationship with God.
You can think you know everything about God, and not know Him at all.
“If you miss it, you will miss Me and all that I have for you. You won’t know Me; you will be religious. You won’t have Me, you will only have some traditions.”
Bottom Line: When you use the name of God to dodge the will of God, you will ultimately miss out on God entirely.