# Taking the Lord's name in vain Exodus 20:7



## Irishcat922 (Sep 5, 2004)

Exo 20:7 Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.

Our pastor during his sermon this morning mentioned this text and said the concept of using the name of God as a curse word was not what this text has in mind at all, but rather it is referring to anyone who takes the Lord's name as to whom he belongs, and then misuses it through conduct and doctrine. I think this is a great way to look at this passage. Any other thoughts?


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## SolaScriptura (Sep 5, 2004)

I think both are legitimate implications of this verse.


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## daveb (Sep 5, 2004)

I agree with Ben that both are legitimate implications of the verse. 

I think that this verse has both a negative and a positive aspect to it: we should not take his name in vain but instead we should seek to honour it.

I think we could take His name in vain by:

- Using His name as an expression "Oh God", etc
- Speaking irreverently of Him, not giving him the reverance due Him
- Professing to know God but not living out our profession

There are probably many more ways to do this, those are just a few.


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## Abd_Yesua_alMasih (Sep 5, 2004)

While I might be going off on a tangent a bit with words I think all that verse is sayings is to 'respect' the Lords name - ie dont splash it around without cause by using it as a swear word etc... and I suppose the excuse 'God made me do it' may also come under this...

So I suppose both are correct. All we can do is look at the wording.

Is this the command that stopped Jews from uttering the name of the Lord also?


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## hehegirl89 (Dec 4, 2004)

Well the Latin word "vanus", from which "vain" is derived, means "empty". So anything that would cause God's name to be empty of the meaning and power that comes with it would be taking it in vain, I believe.

And we as Christians have taken on God's name (ephesians 3:14-15) and I think that a proper picture of this would be a wife taking on the name of her husband at her wedding. So taking on Christ's name (Christian) and then living lives unworthy of His name would be to empty the meaning and power of the Christian life.


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## alwaysreforming (Dec 4, 2004)

It seems to me that this verse, as it was given originally to the Isrealites, could not really be referring to Christian conduct or even doctrine. While living a lifestyle that denies our Lord is certainly very bad, I don't see how it ties in with this verse, any more than it would to many other of the commandments.

What this verse is saying, In my humble opinion, is the same as when the Lord said, "I will be treated as Holy by all who approach me." We are not to use the Lord's name except with the most reverence. It should be a weighty thing to speak his Holy name, not something that trifles off the lips as the most common of words would. When we speak his name without pause as to his Majesty, Holiness, and Power and treat it as any other, then we could be guilty of misusing his name.

I disagree with the pastor saying that "this isn't what the Lord had in mind at all." It certainly is! His NAME is to be held holy! Period! It might seem so small to us (ie. "What's in a name? Would a rose by any other name....), but it assuredly is NOT a small thing to the Lord Almighty!

That being said, I don't think it inappropriate for a pastor to render the application such as the above. I think that's a bona fide application to exhort us to holy living.


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## VirginiaHuguenot (Dec 4, 2004)

Westminster Larger Catechism:




> Question 111: Which is the third commandment?
> 
> Answer: The third commandment is, Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain: for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that takes his name in vain.
> 
> ...


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## fredtgreco (Dec 4, 2004)

Here are Fisher's comments in outline form from the Marrow of Modern Divinity. It is important to remember that this commandment, like all 10, is not given to Israel in an absolute sense. It was given to Adam in the garden, and designed to affect our lives as much as the Israelites.

III. Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain. (Exodus 20:7).
AFFIRMATIVE: "Thou shalt sanctify my name;" Thinking, conceiving, speaking, writing and walking as respecting his: 
"¢ Sanctify the LORD of hosts himself; and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread. (Isaiah 8:13).
"¢ God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. (John 4:24).

1. titles
(1) reverencing his titles, Lord and God
"¢ If thou wilt not observe to do all the words of this law that are written in this book, that thou mayest fear this glorious and fearful name, THE LORD THY GOD; (Deut. 28:58).
(2) meditate on them, with inward spiritual fear and trembling
"¢ Fear ye not me? saith the LORD: will ye not tremble at my presence, which have placed the sand for the bound of the sea by a perpetual decree, that it cannot pass it: and though the waves thereof toss themselves, yet can they not prevail; though they roar, yet can they not pass over it? (Jer. 5:22).

2. attributes
"¢ Bless the LORD, O my soul. O LORD my God, thou art very great; thou art clothed with honour and majesty. (Psalms 104:1).
"¢ The LORD executeth righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed"¦The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy. (Psalms 103:6,8).
"¢ The mouth of the righteous speaketh wisdom, and his tongue talketh of judgment. (Ps. 37:30)

3. ordinances
(1) prayer
[1] praying with our souls, not only our mouths
"¢ Unto thee, O LORD, do I lift up my soul. (Psalms 25:1).
"¢ Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah. (Psalms 62:8).
[2] with understanding
"¢ What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also. (1 Cor. 14:15).
[3] with humility
"¢ And Abraham answered and said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord, which am but dust and ashes: (Genesis 18:27).
[4] with fervency of spirit
"¢ Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. (James 5:16).
[5] with a sense of our own wants
"¢ If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. (James 1:5).
[6] with a special faith in the promises of God
"¢ And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive. (Matt. 21:22)

(2) preaching
[1] in the demonstration of the Spirit
"¢ And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: (1 Corinthians 2:4).
[2] in sincerity
"¢ For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ. (2 Corinthians 2:17).
[3] without respect of persons
"¢ Who said unto his father and to his mother, I have not seen him; neither did he acknowledge his brethren, nor knew his own children: for they have observed thy word, and kept thy covenant. (Deuteronomy 33:9).
[4] with judgment and discretion
"¢ And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken; (Matthew 24:49).
[5] with authority and power
"¢ For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes. (Matthew 7:29).
[6] with zeal for God's glory
"¢ He that speaketh of himself seeketh his own glory: but he that seeketh his glory that sent him, the same is true, and no unrighteousness is in him. (John 7:18).
[7] with desire of the people's salvation
"¢ For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. (2 Corinthians 11:2).

(3) hearing his word
[1] set yourselves in the presence of God
"¢ Immediately therefore I sent to thee; and thou hast well done that thou art come. Now therefore are we all here present before God, to hear all things that are commanded thee of God. (Acts 10:33).
[2] look upon God's minister as his messenger
"¢ Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God. (2 Corinthians 5:20).
[3] hear the word as the word of God, not of men
"¢ For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe. (1 Thessalonians 2:13).
[4] with reverence and fear
"¢ For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the LORD: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word. (Isaiah 66:2).
[5] a ready desire to learn
"¢ These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so. (Acts 17:11).
[6] with attention
"¢ And the people with one accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spake, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did. (Acts 8:6).
[7] with alacrity
"¢ And there sat in a window a certain young man named Eutychus, being fallen into a deep sleep: and as Paul was long preaching, he sunk down with sleep, and fell down from the third loft, and was taken up dead. (Acts 20:9).

4. sacraments
(1) administering
(2) receiving 

5. works
(1) meditating, with wonderful admiration on the inward works of God's eternal election and reprobation
"¢ O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor? (Romans 11:33-34).
(2) acknowledging God's wisdom, power and goodness in creation
"¢ Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: (Romans 1:19-20)
"¢ The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork. (Psalms 19:1).
(3) speaking honorably of his workmanship
"¢ I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well. (Psalms 139:14).
"¢ And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day. (Genesis 1:31).

6. his holy religion
"¢ Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. (Matthew 5:16).
"¢ Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation. (1 Peter 2:12).

7. oaths
(1) magisterial oaths
"¢ And Judah spake unto him, saying, The man did solemnly protest unto us, saying, Ye shall not see my face, except your brother be with you. (Gen. 43:3)
"¢ Swear now therefore unto me by the LORD, that thou wilt not cut off my seed after me, and that thou wilt not destroy my name out of my father's house. And David sware unto Saul. And Saul went home; but David and his men gat them up unto the hold. (1 Samuel 24:21-22).
(2) in truth, without fraud or deceit
"¢ And thou shalt swear, The LORD liveth, in truth, in judgment, and in righteousness; and the nations shall bless themselves in him, and in him shall they glory. (Jer. 4:2).
"¢ In whose eyes a vile person is contemned; but he honoureth them that fear the LORD. He that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not. (Psalms 15:4).
"¢ He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully. (Psalms 24:4).
(3) in deliberation, calling God to witness
"¢ Now the things which I write unto you, behold, before God, I lie not. (Galatians 1:20).
"¢ Moreover I call God for a record upon my soul, that to spare you I came not as yet unto Corinth. (2 Corinthians 1:23).
(4) in righteousness, that God may be glorified
"¢ And Joshua said unto Achan, My son, give, I pray thee, glory to the LORD God of Israel, and make confession unto him; and tell me now what thou hast done; hide it not from me. (Joshua 7:19).
(5) our neighbor satisfied and controversies ended
"¢ Then shall an oath of the LORD be between them both, that he hath not put his hand unto his neighbour's goods; and the owner of it shall accept thereof, and he shall not make it good. (Exodus 22:11).
"¢ If any man trespass against his neighbour, and an oath be laid upon him to cause him to swear, and the oath come before thine altar in this house: (1 Kings 8:31).

NEGATIVE: forbidding the profanation of his name, in his:
1. titles
(1) thinking irrevently of them, after a careless manner
"¢ Now consider this, ye that forget God, lest I tear you in pieces, and there be none to deliver. (Psalms 50:22).
"¢ Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. (Romans 1:21).
(2) idle wishes or foolish imprecation
"¢ And Sarai said unto Abram, My wrong be upon thee: I have given my maid into thy bosom; and when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her eyes: the LORD judge between me and thee. (Genesis 16:5).
(3) needless oaths
"¢ But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God's throne: (Matthew 5:34).
"¢ But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but let your yea be yea; and your nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation. (James 5:12).
(4) jesting with his name
"¢ And he slew an Egyptian, a goodly man: and the Egyptian had a spear in his hand; but he went down to him with a staff, and plucked the spear out of the Egyptian's hand, and slew him with his own spear. (2 Samuel 23:21).

2. attributes
(1) power
[1] calling it into question
"¢ Then a lord on whose hand the king leaned answered the man of God, and said, Behold, if the LORD would make windows in heaven, might this thing be? And he said, Behold, thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but shalt not eat thereof. (2 Kings 7:2).
[2] speaking, writing or thinking of its contemptuously
"¢ Who have said, With our tongue will we prevail; our lips are our own: who is lord over us? (Psalms 12:4).
"¢ And Pharaoh said, Who is the LORD, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go? I know not the LORD, neither will I let Israel go. (Exodus 5:2).
(2) providence
[1] murmuring at it in our hearts
"¢ Beware that there be not a thought in thy wicked heart, saying, The seventh year, the year of release, is at hand; and thine eye be evil against thy poor brother, and thou givest him nought; and he cry unto the LORD against thee, and it be sin unto thee. (Deut. 15:9).
[2] speaking grudgingly against it by attributing it to chance
"¢ And ye murmured in your tents, and said, Because the LORD hated us, he hath brought us forth out of the land of Egypt, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us. (Deuteronomy 1:27).
"¢ And see, if it goeth up by the way of his own coast to Bethshemesh, then he hath done us this great evil: but if not, then we shall know that it is not his hand that smote us: it was a chance that happened to us. (1 Samuel 6:9).
(3) justice
"¢ These things hast thou done, and I kept silence; thou thoughtest that I was altogether such an one as thyself: but I will reprove thee, and set them in order before thine eyes. (Psalms 50:21).
"¢ And now we call the proud happy; yea, they that work wickedness are set up; yea, they that tempt God are even delivered. (Malachi 3:15).
(4) mercy"” presuming to sin upon hopes of his mercy
(5) patience
"¢ Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? (Romans 2:4).

3. ordinances
(1) prayer
[1] ignorantly
"¢ For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you. (Acts 17:23).
"¢ But Jesus answered and said, Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? They say unto him, We are able. (Matthew 20:22).
[2] with the mouth only
"¢ Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men: (Isaiah 29:13).
"¢ Nevertheless they did flatter him with their mouth, and they lied unto him with their tongues. (Psalms 78:36).
[3] drowsily and heavily without fervency
"¢ Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. (Matthew 26:41).
[4] with wandering worldly thoughts
"¢ Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer; (Romans 12:12).
[5] with conceit of our own worthiness
"¢ And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:"¦The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. (Luke 18:11).
[6] without faith in the promises of God
"¢ But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. (James 1:6).
(2). hearing or reading his word
[1] without understanding
"¢ And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest? (Acts 8:30).
[2] full of wandering thoughts
"¢ Also, thou son of man, the children of thy people still are talking against thee by the walls and in the doors of the houses, and speak one to another, every one to his brother, saying, Come, I pray you, and hear what is the word that cometh forth from the LORD. (Ezekiel 33:30).
[3] conceiving it to be the word of a mortal man who delivers it (1 Thess. 2:13)
[4] when we do not believe every part of it
"¢ For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it. (Hebrews 4:2).
[5] when we do not subject ourselves to it
"¢ Because thine heart was tender, and thou hast humbled thyself before the LORD, when thou heardest what I spake against this place, and against the inhabitants thereof, that they should become a desolation and a curse, and hast rent thy clothes, and wept before me; I also have heard thee, saith the LORD. (2 Kings 22:19).
"¢ And the Gentiles shall see thy righteousness, and all kings thy glory: and thou shalt be called by a new name, which the mouth of the LORD shall name. (Isaiah 62:2).

4. sacrament of the Lord's Supper
(1) failing, either through want of knowledge or negligence, to examine ourselves
"¢ But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. (1 Corinthians 11:28).
(2) not minding the spiritual signification of the sacrament
"¢ And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me. (Luke 22:19).
(3) not examining what communion we have had with Christ in that ordinance
"¢ Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates? (2 Corinthians 13:5).

5. oaths
(1) calling the Lord to be a witness to frivolous things, as common talk
"¢ By swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery, they break out, and blood toucheth blood. (Hosea 4:2).
"¢ For the land is full of adulterers; for because of swearing the land mourneth; the pleasant places of the wilderness are dried up, and their course is evil, and their force is not right. (Jeremiah 23:10).
(2) calling the Lord to be a witness of our anger, as when swearing to be revenged
"¢ For, as the LORD liveth, which saveth Israel, though it be in Jonathan my son, he shall surely die. But there was not a man among all the people that answered him. (1 Samuel 14:39).
"¢ For in very deed, as the LORD God of Israel liveth, which hath kept me back from hurting thee, except thou hadst hasted and come to meet me, surely there had not been left unto Nabal by the morning light any that pisseth against the wall. (1 Samuel 25:34).
(3) calling the Lord to be a witness to our swearing falsely
"¢ And ye shall not swear by my name falsely, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am the LORD. (Leviticus 19:12).
"¢ I will bring it forth, saith the LORD of hosts, and it shall enter into the house of the thief, and into the house of him that sweareth falsely by my name: and it shall remain in the midst of his house, and shall consume it with the timber thereof and the stones thereof. (Zechariah 5:4).
(4) swearing by anything else that is not God 
"¢ How shall I pardon thee for this? thy children have forsaken me, and sworn by them that are no gods: when I had fed them to the full, they then committed adultery, and assembled themselves by troops in the harlots' houses. (Jeremiah 5:7).
"¢ Matthew 5:34"“37

6. religion"” when our conversation is not agreeable to our profession
"¢ Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. (2 Tim. 3:5).
"¢ For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you, as it is written. (Rom. 2:24)
"¢ Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother's way. (Romans 14:13).


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## pastorway (Dec 5, 2004)

Excellent material Fred.

The root of this all is that to take the Lord's name vainly is to claim to be His but live or speak in a manner opposite of what is expected and commanded for one that He owns! If you are Christ's, walk as He walked, in the light, becuase if you walk in darkness you prove that you are not really His (1 John 1:5-7; 2:3-6)

If I say I am a Christian, a believer, a disciple of Jesus Christ, I have taken His name. If I live as a hypocrite I have taken His name in vain. In other words, the hypocrite's claim that He is the Lord's is meaningless, it is vain, empty. These are the people who cry before Christ about all they did "in Your name", and the same people to whom Jesus will reply, "Depart from Me, I never knew you."

Phillip


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## C. Matthew McMahon (Dec 5, 2004)

> _Originally posted by fredtgreco_
> Here are Fisher's comments in outline form from the Marrow of Modern Divinity. It is important to remember that this commandment, like all 10, is not given to Israel in an absolute sense. It was given to Adam in the garden, and designed to affect our lives as much as the Israelites.
> 
> III. Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain. (Exodus 20:7).
> ...



That material is so good it causese me to shudder at how many times I have misused the Lord's name in connect with all those things.

time to go and repent some more (but never enough!)...


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## Irishcat922 (Dec 5, 2004)

You've got to love the Puritans, they left no stone unturned.Thanks Fred.


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## BobVigneault (Dec 5, 2004)

I have long associated this commandment with the narratives from Exodus when God gave his name to Moses. When asked to go a preach at an arminian church for the first time I usually speak on the sovereignty of God and I demonstrate that God's very name embodies the doctrine of absolute sovereignty.

Ex 3:13 Then Moses said to God, "œIf I come to the people of Israel and say to them, "˜The God of your fathers has sent me to you,´ and they ask me, "˜What is his name?´ what shall I say to them?"
Ex 3:14 God said to Moses, "œI AM WHO I AM."

Yahweh, I AM WHO I AM. I don´t believe Moses understood the doctrinal implications of that name from that moment. He would learn them soon enough. 

In expressing His name God was revealing His supremacy. "œI am who I am." 

The focus was on the existence of God - that He is what He is without anything outside himself determining his personality or power.


Exodus 33:19* And the Lord said, "œI will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and will proclaim my name "˜The LORD´ in your presence; and I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and will have compassion on whom I will have compassion."

Same name, different description.

The first time, the focus was the existence of God, in Exodus 33, the focus is the gracious action of God - that He does what He does without anything outside himself determining his choices.

So in brief I would hold that to take an arminian stand is enough to violate this commandment; for denying God's sovereignty in all things is to diminish and blur the very name God revealed to us.


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## Puritanhead (Dec 16, 2004)

Even when I was a heathen, I eschewed blasphemy because of moorings my family gave me, particularly my grandmother.... But my pious elders can't save me, Jesus did that. Soaking the Word up, and the indwelling Holy Spirit have help clean my act up, though I could probably watch the joking too. I've heard avowed Christians, Sunday School teachers no less blurt out our Lord's name as a hollow expletive of exclamation. Sometimes, I think a gentle rebuke coupled with a nodding head, and perhaps a sense of humor... "Whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved" is in order. Some people will see you don't see it as a hollow epithet. And maybe the tacit effort of calling it to their attention could help. I fell into legalism with a little pride over not cursing, only to realize I trip up with some that joking may touch on crude or tasteless side, which is just as bad. I've decided to heed Colossians 4:6 in future. Though, Christians need not be humorless, but the Scriptures repudiate "vain and profane babblings..." and "coarse gesturings" because "...they increase to more ungodliness..." So I'm trying to guard that tongue.

George Whitefield wrote a nice sermon on the heinous sin of cursing. 
http://www.biblebb.com/files/whitefield/GW018.htm


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## street preacher (Dec 29, 2004)

Taking the holy things of God and counting them as something that is common is profaning the things of God and the One to whom they are connected such as His name. We must remember that God holds His Word above his name. The way we look, read, study, think, interpret, teach etc., the Word of God is profaning God. May we always be very cautious!


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