HONORING HIS NAME
The Power of Words
Exo 20:7 "Never use the name of the LORD your God carelessly. The LORD will make sure that anyone who carelessly uses his name will be punished.
If you listen to the conversations of the people around you, you will hear the use of the name of God spoken often. People who have no relationship with God, people who even consider themselves non-religious, use the name of God in their speech. Whether it be in a form of cursing, or just used as a metaphor like 'Oh God'. I remember when I was of the world I cursed often and used God's name in vain without even thinking. The bible says out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks (Lu. 6:45), apart from God we are under the curse, the curse that beset Adam when he chose to sin, the proof of it is in what comes out of our mouth. After my salvation experience my speech began to instantly change, I hardly cursed and when I did I noticed it and was grieved.
Deu 30:19-20 I call Heaven and Earth to witness against you today: I place before you Life and Death, Blessing and Curse. Choose life so that you and your children will live. And love GOD, your God, listening obediently to him, firmly embracing him. Oh yes, he is life itself, a long life settled on the soil that GOD, your God, promised to give your ancestors, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
To truly know who is who all one has to do is listen to their speech, what comes out of their mouth reveals to whom they serve. The bible says that Jesus Christ came to give life and life more abundantly, when one chooses to follow Christ, the words they produce from their mouth will bring forth life, the bible says that satan comes to steal, kill, and destroy, when one chooses to believe the lies of satan and follow him, out of their mouth will bring forth death. There is a saying that goes the "proof is in the pudding" well the words we speak create the world we live in. When we curse God our life is full of misfortune, when we bless God our life is full of joy.
Name Above All Names
Phi 2:9-11 This is why God has given him an exceptional honor- the name honored above all other names-so that at the name of Jesus everyone in heaven, on earth, and in the world below will kneel and confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.
None of us like for another to speak evil of us or of those closest to us. All one has to do usually to start a fight is speak against the other's mother, father, race, etc. We are all known by our name, it distinguishes who we are, so when our name is dishonored, it goes right where it hurts, our identity, it comes face to face with our pride. Likewise, it hurts God when we use His name in vain, especially as His own children, for God identified Himself with us, He came to earth in our own likeness, so that He can redeem us from eternal separation from Him. We have been bought with the precious blood of Jesus Christ, our sins are forgiven, and we have been adopted into the family of God.
Gal 4:1-7 Let me explain further. As long as an heir is a child, he is no better off than a slave, even though he owns everything. He is placed under the control of guardians and trustees until the time set by his father. It was the same way with us. When we were children, we were slaves to the principles of this world. But when the right time came, God sent his Son into the world. A woman gave birth to him, and he came under the control of God's laws. God sent him to pay for the freedom of those who were controlled by these laws so that we would be adopted as his children. Because you are God's children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into us to call out, "Abba! Father!" So you are no longer slaves but God's children. Since you are God's children, God has also made you heirs.
Imagine how God felt when He sent Moses to Egypt, and used Moses to lead the children of Israel out of slavery, yet the children of Israel still murmured and complained, and even cursed His name, desiring even to turn back to where they came from. So imagine how God feels when we dishonor His name considering all He has done for us, so now as His children it is time we honor the name of God even above our own.
Hallowed Be His Name
Luk 11:2 And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.
Just as we feel when those we love are wrongly thought of, not known for who they truly are, been falsely accused. So God wants to be known for who He truly is, He desires His name to be Hallowed or lifted up throughout the Earth as He is in heaven. We as his children must never take His name lightly, the name above all names, the name that will bring every knee to bow in heaven and earth on judgment day. When we speak the name of God it should be in reflection of who He truly is.
The Ten Commandments were given to help the children of Israel identify sin, to help them realize there need for a Savior, because they could not live up to the righteousness of God without Him. The Ten Commandments are also a guideline to love, since God is love, He desires His children to live in love. How one honors the other can reveal the amount of love each other truly has. Honor is seen in our conduct and speech, do we honor God in what comes our of our mouth, does it reflect who He is.