A Note from Michael Gossett
A Note from Michael Gossett
The Name Matters
Recovering the Weight of a Holy Name
Exodus 20:7 says, “Do not misuse the name of the Lord your God, because the Lord will not leave anyone unpunished who misuses His name.”
There are moments in Scripture where God confronts us not with suggestion but with divine seriousness. The third commandment is one of those moments. God speaks directly to His people and warns them that His name is not something to be taken lightly. It is not common. It is not casual. It is not to be tossed into sentences without thought or reverence. His name carries His very being.
We live in a culture that often laughs at what is holy. Sacred realities are used as punchlines. The divine name is sprinkled into conversations as filler or frustration. Even Christians who would never intentionally dishonor God can slip into habits that treat the name of the Lord with a level of thoughtlessness that would make our biblical ancestors tremble.
But Scripture does not flinch. God cares about His name because His name reveals who He is. When we misuse His name, we are not simply mispronouncing syllables. We are misrepresenting the God who created heaven and earth. That is why this commandment stands like a guardrail on the edge of a cliff. It protects us from dishonoring the God whose holiness is beyond comprehension and whose glory fills the earth.
The God Who Reveals His Name
When God introduces Himself to Moses in Exodus 3, He does not give Moses a nickname. He gives Moses a revelation. He says, “I AM WHO I AM.” Theologians have spilled oceans of ink on that name, yet we still barely scratch the surface. In those four English words is a declaration of God’s eternity, His independence, His immutability, and His absolute sovereignty. He is not defined by anything outside Himself. He does not derive His being from another. He is not one god among many. He is the Lord.
This is why the third commandment matters. If God were a creature or a myth or a projection of human imagination, then this commandment would seem heavy handed. But He is not any of those things. He is the One who spoke worlds into existence. He is the One who parted seas. He is the One who redeems slaves and raises the dead. To speak His name is to speak of the One who was, who is, and who will always be.
Israel understood this in a way that we often forget. They would not even pronounce the covenant name Yahweh aloud. When they reached the name in Scripture, they replaced it with another title. They approached the Lord with such reverence that even writing His name required ritual preparation. They feared misrepresenting Him in any way. We are not commanded to copy all their traditions, but we would be wise to recover their sense of holy reverence.
And yet, while His name is holy beyond comprehension, it is also gracious beyond measure. God did not hide His name. He revealed it so that His people might know Him. He wants His people to call upon Him, praise Him, trust Him, and worship Him. That is what makes the misuse of His name so tragic. It takes God’s gracious revelation and turns it into something empty and dishonoring.
How God’s Name Is Misused Today
When most people think of breaking the third commandment, they think of profanity. And yes, using God’s name as a curse word is a violation. But the commandment reaches far deeper than vocabulary.
- Misusing His Name through Empty Worship
One of the easiest ways to misuse God’s name is to say it without our hearts being engaged. It is possible to sing “Lord, I Need You” while thinking more about lunch plans than repentance. It is possible to pray publicly with words that sound reverent while secretly caring more about how we appear to others.
Isaiah 29:13 addressed this directly: “These people honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me.”
When we speak His name without sincerity, we are saying something untrue about God. We are treating Him as if He were a background character rather than the Lord of all.
- Misusing His Name through Misrepresentation
This form of misuse might be the most dangerous. Throughout Scripture, false prophets invoked God’s name to promote their own ideas. They said, “The Lord declares” when the Lord had said nothing.
In our day, Christians often invoke God’s name to baptize personal preferences or political opinions. We confuse our voices with His. We attach His authority to ideas He never spoke. To speak for God inaccurately is to speak against Him unintentionally.
One of the weightiest responsibilities a believer carries is to represent the character and truth of God rightly. When we are careless with Scripture or casual in our claims, we misuse His name.
- Misusing His Name through Careless Speech
Our culture uses the name of God as if it were punctuation. Many Christians do the same unintentionally. “Oh my God” slips out without a second thought. “Lord help me” becomes a reflex rather than a prayer. God’s name becomes filler.
But the Bible never treats His name casually. The Psalms speak of lifting up God’s name, trusting in God’s name, praising God’s name, running to the refuge of God’s name. His name is holy. It is sacred. It deserves intentionality.
- Misusing His Name through Hypocrisy
Perhaps the most sobering way believers misuse God’s name is through hypocritical living. When we bear the name Christian, we carry the reputation of Christ.
Romans 2:23 says, “You who boast in the law dishonor God by breaking the law.”
Our lives either magnify the name of Christ or distort it. When unbelievers see unrepentant sin in the church, it causes them to question the God we claim to serve. To live in hypocrisy is to carry God’s name in vain.
The Name That Saves
Here is the beauty of the gospel. The same commandment that warns us not to misuse God’s name also prepares us to see the name that saves us.
Acts 4:12 says, “There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to people by which we must be saved.”
The holy name we dare not misuse becomes the redeeming name we are invited to trust. Jesus is the perfect revelation of God’s name. He is the one who bears the divine nature, accomplishes divine redemption, and embodies divine authority.
Every time we say “Jesus,” we are speaking the name that conquered death. We speak the name before which demons tremble. We speak the name before which every knee will bow.
The third commandment prepares us for that glory. When we revere God’s name, we prepare our hearts to receive the One whose name is above every name.
Living in the Light of His Name
How should Christians live in response to this commandment?
- Speak His name with reverence.
Whether in prayer, worship, or conversation, let every mention of His name carry intentionality.
- Worship with sincerity.
Let your lips and your heart say the same thing.
- Represent Him faithfully.
Let Scripture shape what you say about God, not trends or preferences.
- Live in holiness.
Remember that people often see the character of God through the lives of God’s people.
- Trust in the saving name of Christ.
Let His name be your hope, your refuge, your salvation, your joy.
The third commandment is not a burden but a blessing. It calls us to live in a way that magnifies the beauty of God’s holy name.
A Final Word of Gratitude and Celebration
This last weekend I was in Abilene for the Texas Baptists Annual Meeting, serving alongside pastors and leaders from across our state. While I was there, I was able to receive on your behalf an award for being the number one giver to the Cooperative Program. This is a huge blessing! That is a reflection of your generosity, your faithfulness, and your commitment to cooperative missions, evangelism, theological education, and church planting.
This Sunday, we are continuing our WMO emphasis and I am so excited to share with you that H.B. Charles will be here at our Tyler Campus preaching and will simulcast to Flint. H.B. is one of my favorite preachers of our day, and I am excited for our church family to hear him.
And as always, thank you for continuing to give faithfully to both our church budget and our World Mission Offering. Your generosity fuels the work of the gospel here in East Texas and around the world.
Next week, our Wednesday Night Prayer Gathering will look a little different, as we will not gather on our campuses. I encourage you to gather with your family, friends, and neighbors in homes or around dinner tables, and use this guide to have your own Prayer Gathering! You can access it HERE!
Green Acres, I am grateful for your love for the Lord and your love for His mission. May we live lives that honor the name that is above every name.
You are loved and prayed for!
Michael Gossett