Did you know there are multiple ways to disobey the commandment that tells us not to take God’s name in vain (Ex. 20:7)? The obvious is by saying “Oh my God” or “Jesus” flippantly, when you’re not actually praying to Him. But you can also take His name in vain when you say, “I swear to God,” or even when you fail to mention God’s name at a time when credit is due Him, says Pastor Greg Laurie. He says even falsely attributing a message as being from God is a form of taking His name in vain.
“I find it interesting how nonbelievers will often invoke the name of Jesus,” Laurie says. “They’re upset about something, and they’ll say, ‘Jesus Christ.’ … In a backhanded way, they’re effectively acknowledging there’s power in the name Jesus. There’s no power in the name ‘Buddha.’ They don’t say, ‘Buddha.’ … But there’s great power in the name of Jesus Christ, and the Lord doesn’t want us to take His name in vain.”
To learn more about how to only use God’s name in meaningful ways, click here for the entire sermon.
