# Please stop taking my Lord's Name in Vain



## Sonoftheday (Feb 15, 2008)

Something I seem to be noticing more and more of late is how often my family/friends use the name of the Lord in vain. By my family I do not mean those who are under my leadership but my brothers and father and aunt/uncles. Typicaly it is preceded by "OHHH MY...." but other times it comes out in a wide variety of ways. It is never in the form where even the heathen knows its blasphemy, but it still is quite offensive nonetheless. Jesus Christ is on occassion proclaimed lowdly to the world upon stubbing a toe or some other startling event. 

The question and the reason for the thread is how do you go about telling your friends/family to stop. For the most part they all claim to be christians, but undoubtably do not see it as taken in vain unless they use a curse with it. What is a way to lovingly reproach them so that they understand the severity of it rather than thinking we are legalistic pharisies?


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## tdowns (Feb 15, 2008)

*Pray for them....*

and me...I have a terrible habit of saying, Holy Moly, Holy Cow, etc....bad, habit, I'm trying to break, I also say Heck, Gosh, and Yikes....way too often....pray for me please, for most, it's a bad habit, like mine...not sure how to handle it, for me, it's hard to say anything, because I'm guilty myself, but, I do correct myself, out loud, so, maybe that will convict others.....


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## biblicalthought (Feb 15, 2008)

Just say, "The Name of the Lord is to be reverenced and blessed, not taken in vain." Then say, "The Judge Himself said: “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." _By God's grace_, this will bring about the most important discussion one can have on earth - where the question emerges that Jesus asked the Scribes and Pharisees in Matt. 23: "How do you plan to escape hell?"

Then the Gospel is beautiful and easy to receive by faith.


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## Sonoftheday (Feb 15, 2008)

tdowns007 said:


> and me...I have a terrible habit of saying, Holy Moly, Holy Cow, etc....bad, habit, I'm trying to break, I also say Heck, Gosh, and Yikes....way too often....pray for me please, for most, it's a bad habit, like mine...not sure how to handle it, for me, it's hard to say anything, because I'm guilty myself, but, I do correct myself, out loud, so, maybe that will convict others.....



I totally understand the bad habit part of it. I at one time would say Holy Moses like 50 times a day because I heard it on some movie, I said a whole lot worse than that as well, I wouldnt just Proclaim Jesus Christ but would throw any number of fowl words into the middle. Part of breaking my habbit was whenever I stopped watching as much TV and Movies and threw out any CD I had that blasphemed. I seperated myself from that culture and no longer expressed myself as they did. Given that Wholy moly and Wholy cow are not quite the hip things to say that dont seem to be your problem though.


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## Presbyterian Deacon (Feb 15, 2008)

joshua said:


> And it's not simply about His Name. His Name is tantamount to His essence. Thus, you don't even have to say God or Jesus, etc., but mere reference to Who He is must not be taken lightly or without reverence and awe.




Thank you Josh, I agree.

I especially cringe every time I hear talk about "the man upstairs."


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## ANT (Feb 16, 2008)

Ya know what I used to to all the time ... still do sometimes ... It's a less offensive approach that can sometimes lead to a sudden conscienceness of what they have said ...
Anytime I would hear someone proclaim the name of our LORD in a way that expesses astonishment or a verbal realease to a situation gone bad ...
I would allways say something to the effect ...


"Where?" (Then, that would catch them off guard ... and they would say something like ... "What are you talking about?" or "Huh?") Then I would reply ... "You called out the name of Jesus ... Where is He?
(Sometimes that would lead into conversation about the importance of not using His name in vain.)


Other times I would plainly say ...


(Oh No! Don't blame that on Him ...) That could lead to conversation as well.
I have found out ... The last thing somebody wants is another Christian pointing the finger at them telling them what they are not supposed to be doing. So I try to use a more creative approach to lead into a friendly conversation.

Just my 2 cents ...


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## Pergamum (Feb 16, 2008)

Ha, over here I passed a tribe that shouts "river spirit" when they fall or stub a toe. We always take whatever he worship in vain when we stub toes or fall it seems.


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## Reformed Covenanter (Feb 16, 2008)

Presbyterian Deacon said:


> joshua said:
> 
> 
> > And it's not simply about His Name. His Name is tantamount to His essence. Thus, you don't even have to say God or Jesus, etc., but mere reference to Who He is must not be taken lightly or without reverence and awe.
> ...



God is not a man; that is one of the worst references to God in modern speech.


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## Gesetveemet (Feb 16, 2008)

Sonoftheday said:


> The question and the reason for the thread is how do you go about telling your friends/family to stop. For the most part they all claim to be christians, but undoubtably do not see it as taken in vain unless they use a curse with it. What is a way to lovingly reproach them so that they understand the severity of it rather than thinking we are legalistic pharisies?




Sometimes I respond by saying "He's my God too". 

Or I say "Oh I also believe in Jesus Christ".


*Question 100. Is then the profaning of God's name, by swearing and cursing, so heinous a sin, that his wrath is kindled against those who do not endeavor, as much as in them lies, to prevent and forbid such cursing and swearing? * 

_Answer._ It undoubtedly is, for there is no sin greater or more provoking to God, than the profaning of his name; and therefore he has commanded this sin to be punished with death. 


.


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## Amazing Grace (Feb 16, 2008)

biblicalthought said:


> Just say, "The Name of the Lord is to be reverenced and blessed, not taken in vain." Then say, "The Judge Himself said: “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." _By God's grace_, this will bring about the most important discussion one can have on earth - where the question emerges that Jesus asked the Scribes and Pharisees in Matt. 23: "How do you plan to escape hell?"
> 
> Then the Gospel is beautiful and easy to receive by faith.



This is very heavy handed and will not work a bit. It is a bad habit. Their heart is not intent on being in hell when saying this phrase. 

Just say something soft to them about it.


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## Presbyterian Deacon (Feb 16, 2008)

ANT said:


> Ya know what I used to to all the time ... still do sometimes ... It's a less offensive approach that can sometimes lead to a sudden conscienceness of what they have said ...
> Anytime I would hear someone proclaim the name of our LORD in a way that expesses astonishment or a verbal realease to a situation gone bad ...
> I would allways say something to the effect ...
> 
> ...



I have on occassion asked, "Are you praying?" after hearing someone use the Lord's name in vain. It sometimes is an opening for conversation. But generally, they just use more profanity. And I think that's ok. At least at that point, it's directed at me, and not my Lord!


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## reformedcop (Feb 16, 2008)

This is a good coversation ... I have often asked a person if they would appreciate me using their mother's of father's name in the same way that they just used the Lord's name. If anything, it starts a good conversation where the Gospel can be proclaimed.

Here's a website where movies (almost everything coming out these days) that contain blasphemy are listed so that we don't waste our time and money watching our Lord's name being dragged through the gutter.

HollywoodAndGod.com


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## Richard King (Feb 17, 2008)

I also find it irritating when people use GOD and Jesus "phrases" for no other apparent reason than to let you know they are charismatic or hyperchurchy such as...

we just stopped in at the 7-11 to get a few groceries BLESS GOD

Bless God these chips and salsa sure hit the spot.


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## Reformed Covenanter (Feb 17, 2008)

Richard King said:


> I also find it irritating when people use GOD and Jesus "phrases" for no other apparent reason than to let you know they are charismatic or hyperchurchy such as...
> 
> we just stopped in at the 7-11 to get a few groceries BLESS GOD
> 
> Bless God these chips and salsa sure hit the spot.



Would they say "Bless God" so glibly if they had been in the same position as Job found himself in? Being able to say "blessed be the name of the Lord" when things are going against you is a real sign of humble submission to God's providence; trite sayings like the ones mentioned above are another form of profanity.


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