Honoring The Lord’s Name

“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.” [1]

The Israelites had recently come out of Egypt where the ruler there said to Moses, “Who is the Lord, that I should obey His voice to let Israel go?” [2]

Pharaoh did not revere the name of God. Although mighty in the eyes of many, he was a pawn of the devil to incite people to despise God their Creator.

Let us honor the Name of God because He alone is God. He alone provides for us and protects us. He alone gives us eternal life. To believe anything else is to believe a lie and become a part in the rebellion of Pharaoh... the ruler who took the honor that belongs to God unto himself. He was, in fact, competing with God just as the devil does.

“Therefore I poured out My fury on them for the blood they had shed on the land, and for their idols with which they had defiled it.” [3]

Yesterday, as Mr. Jim Johnson taught Sunday school from the above passage, the Lord revealed to me the connection between idolatry and bloodshed. God equates idol worship with demon worship. [4] Demons create a culture of death. Demons want to see human blood shed whether it is imaginary on a TV show, video game or in real life. Demons want to kill, steal, and destroy human life.

Demons want to destroy life. God, on the other hand, creates a culture of life. Human life is sacred. We are made in the image of God.

You are made in God’s image, and He loves you, and wants to preserve you.

“For I will take you from among the nations, gather you out of all countries, and bring you into your own land. Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them.” [5]

The answer for our sin problem... that part of us that wants to be independent and rebellious against God... is God. Only God cleanse our heart from sin. Only God can change a heart of stone into a heart of flesh. Only God the Father, in Christ Jesus, gives us His Holy Spirit.

Holy Spirit conversion is the answer to overcome the power of demons who want to harden our hearts against God.

Let us honor the Name of our Lord Jesus because God assures us: “That at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow... and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” [6] 

[1] Exodus 20:7
[2] Exodus 5:2
[3] Ezekiel 36:18
[4] 1 Corinthians 10:19-20
[5] Ezekiel 36:24-27
[6] Philippians 2:10-11