We read the inspired Word of God this morning from Psalm 8. Psalm 8. Psalm 8. O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is Thy name in all the earth, who has set Thy glory above the heavens. Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast Thou ordained strength because of Thine enemies, that Thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger. When I consider Thy heavens, the work of Thy fingers, the moon and the stars which Thou hast ordained, What is man that thou art mindful of him, and the son of man that thou visitest him? For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honor. Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands. Thou hast put all things under his feet. All sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field, the fowl of the air and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas. O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth. The basis of that and many other passages of God's word is the teaching of our Heidelberg Catechism in Lord's Day 36. Lord's Day 36 is found in the back of our Psalters on page 21. It's an explanation of the third commandment of God's law, which is this, 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. Now, Lord's Day 36 asks this, what is required in the third commandment, That we, not only by cursing or perjury, but also by rash swearing, must not profane or abuse the name of God, nor by silence or connivance be partakers of these horrible sins in others. And briefly, that we use the holy name of God no otherwise than with fear and reverence, so that he may be rightly confessed and worshiped by us, and be glorified in all our words and works. 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. 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. We love it in the Lord Jesus Christ. How often do you think about the third commandment and the seriousness of it? It's probably the case that we do not think about the third commandment as often as we do some of the other commandments. We know enough that we're not to rashly take God's name on our lips to curse and to swear. But apart from that, we don't think very often about this third commandment and its application to our lives. It's also probably the case that we don't think very often about the seriousness of this command and the sin against it. We were given a test this morning, and on that test was a question, what sin is most provoking to God? We might answer that question by referencing the sin of idolatry, or the sin of murder, or of adultery, or of some form of wicked abuse, all of which are heinous sins. Would we answer that question by referring to the taking of God's name in vain? Answer 100 of the Heidelberg Catechism says there is no sin greater or more provoking to God than the profaning of His name. Word of God to us this morning ought to lead us to consider how this commandment does apply to our lives, and in many different ways, so that it's something that we must give thought to. And the Word of God ought to lead us to consider the great seriousness of this commandment and sin against it, so that we're impressed with the seriousness of the violation of this commandment of God's law. One of the ways that can help us begin to see the seriousness of sin against this commandment is by remembering how important we think our own name and reputation is. We value our good name and our reputation. And if anyone would do anything to run that down, wrongly to accuse us of something, to drag our name and our reputation through the mud, we would be jealous to guard and to protect our name. Same is true for our loved ones and for our family name. We think that that name is being taken in vain and the reputation of a loved one or family member is being dragged through the mud. We're very quick To rise up in defense of that. God is jealous for His name. His name is the name above every name. His name is holy. It's set apart and unique from any of our names. God is jealous to defend His own name and reputation and character. And it's for that reason that he views any taking of that name in vain to be a sin so heinous and provoking to him. We ought then seriously to face the question this morning. Am I as concerned about God's name as I am for my own name. Am I as ready to defend the name and the reputation of my God as I am to defend my name or the name of my family? The third commandment requires of us that as redeemed children of God who are privileged to bear His name, That in all of our words and our works, we honor His excellent name. Consider the Word of God this morning, taking as our theme the question, why is taking God's name in vain so serious? First, let's consider the sin itself, then secondly, the seriousness of that sin, and then conclude thirdly with what is our positive duty in the light of this commandment. In the third commandment, God forbids that we take his name in vain. To understand what it means to take the name of God in vain, we should say something to begin about God's name and what we mean when we make reference to that. When we talk about God's name in the singular, We're not referring only to His particular names that He's given us to use, like Lord, Jehovah, and God, and Father. When we talk about God's name in the singular, we're referring more broadly, really, to God Himself. In our common way of speaking, we refer to God's name that way, maybe without really even thinking so much about that. We'll say things like, we worship the name of God, or we're teaching our children to fear the name of God. And when we say things like that, we understand that we're referring to God himself. If we're worshiping God's name, we're worshiping God. And if we're teaching our children to fear the name of God, we're teaching them to fear God. The Bible connects God and His name so that God is His name. More specifically, when we refer to the name of God, we're referring to God's being, God's character, and anything by which God reveals Himself to us. Again, in our common way of speaking, we understand a name to refer to that. More than just a descriptive title, but who a person is, their character, their reputation. When we say that someone has a bad name, we mean they have a bad character, a bad reputation. When someone has a good name, we mean that person possesses a good reputation and a good character. A person's name It's their reputation, their character, who they are. The same is true when we refer to the name of God. We're referring to who God is, His being, His character, and everything by which God reveals who He is to us. The Bible refers to God's name in connection with a number of different things, all of which are ways in which God reveals himself to us. God's name is connected to his particular names, as well as all of the descriptive titles that are given to him. God's name does include His particular names, Jehovah, God, Father, Lord. It refers to all of His descriptive titles that He's given to Himself, the first and the last, the Holy One of Israel, the Redeemer. God's name is connected to His attributes, His infinite perfections, the fact that He's omnipresent and omnipotent and all-wise, gracious, loving, merciful, and all of the rest. God's particular names, His descriptive titles, His attributes, all are ways in which God reveals Himself to us. The Bible also connects God's name to His creation, and that's part of the reason why we read Psalm 8. Praise of God, O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth. And then the psalm describes the revelation of God's name in his creation. His creation of the moon and the stars and all of the heavenly bodies. His creation of all of the creatures on the earth. His creation of man as king under God in the earthly creation. In all of this, the excellency of the name of God as the Creator is revealed. We refer to that in theology as general revelation. God's revelation in the creation and in history. It's not the fullest and the clearest revelation of God, but God does reveal himself through the creation. The Bible also connects God's name with his word. One example of that is Psalm 138 verse 2. I will worship toward thy holy temple and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name. God connects his name to the revelation of himself in the creation, what we call general revelation. God connects his name to his revelation of himself in the scriptures, what we call special revelation. And it's there that God more fully and clearly reveals himself to us as he reveals himself as the God of our salvation. God's word is the revelation of who God is. It's related to his name. The ultimate revelation of God to us is the Lord Jesus Christ. It's not a surprise then that the scriptures would refer to Jesus Christ as the name of God. That's another reason for our reading Psalm 8 this morning. When at first we read Psalm 8 and its reference to man and the Son of Man, that God's made a little worthy in the angels, crowned with glory and honor, made to rule over his creation, we may be tempted to think only of God's creation of man himself. But ultimately what's being described there is the Son of Man, Jesus Christ. In the New Testament, in Hebrews chapter 2, Psalm 8 is quoted and it's quoted in reference to Jesus Christ. That Jesus Christ who is eternally God was made a little lower than the angels as he came into this world to suffer and to die. The excellency of the name of God is especially revealed in the Lord Jesus Christ. He is God. So that He is the name of God. And He is the supreme revelation of who God is, especially as He took on human flesh. And He came into this world to suffer and to die on our behalf. He revealed to us the greatness and the glory of God in our salvation. And therefore Jesus Christ is the name of God. And that helps us understand then why the scriptures refer to us, the church, as bearing the name of God. One example of that is 2 Chronicles 7 verse 14. As the church of Jesus Christ, who've been redeemed in the blood of Jesus Christ, adopted to be the sons and the daughters of God, we bear His name. Just as children bear the family name of their parents, as the adopted sons and daughters of God, we bear the name of our Heavenly Father. He's placed His name upon us. Because it's also through His redeemed church God reveals himself as the God of power and of grace. Touch the name of God means that we deal with God himself. God's name is the revelation of his being and his perfect character to us. God forbids that in any way we take His name in vain. The word vain in the Old Testament is a word that means something's empty, something's futile. To take God's name in vain means that we empty that name. We empty that name of all of its significance. We empty that name of its being unique and set apart from every other name. We drag that name down and make it common and ordinary. And that's the same sense of the word profane that's used in the Heidelberg Catechism when it explains this commandment as forbidding the profaning of God's name. To profane something means that we take it down from its place of importance and we make it something that's common, something that's ordinary, that's stripped of all of its significance. God forbids that we empty His name, that we take that name carelessly upon our lips And we bring it down into what's common and ordinary, or even worse, drag that name through the mud. There are many ways in which we can be guilty of that. Heidelberg Catechism makes reference to things like swearing falsely and perjury. We'll say more about that next time as we consider that particular application of this commandment in the next Lord's Day. The commandment itself forbids that we use God's name in such a way that we are deliberately cutting down God or His name. The commandment forbids that we use God's name to curse or to damn certain things. We may not take God's name on our lips in such a way. To swear sinfully by the name of God, to use God's name to curse or to damn, Often that's done either in anger or as an expression of surprise. When a person is angry, they may take the name of God and curse and damn by the name of God as an expression of their anger and their frustration. Other times the name of God is taken in vain as a as a form of surprise. When some things happen that's unexpected, someone then takes the name of God upon their lips. Oh my. And then they use God's name to express that surprise. There's many ways in which that's perhaps softened a little bit. Different forms of the name of God, oh my gosh, or oh my goodness. All of which derive ultimately from the name of God. The third commandment itself forbids that we take God's name upon our lips in vain. We use God's name carelessly, that we use God's name to cut that name down, or we use the name of God to curse or to damn. There is more application than just that direct meaning of the commandment. God forbids in the third commandment that we use His name in a thoughtless and careless way. So that without any sense of fear or reverence, we talk about God and we use His name, often in a very thoughtless way. We can be guilty of that in our prayers, where the name of God rolls off our tongue without much thought about our use of that name, or thoughtlessly to go through the motions of prayer. That can be the case in our worship of God, Where the name of God is often on our lips as we sing and as we pray and as we preach and hear the word of God proclaimed. But without a sense of reverence and fear in the use of that name. We can be guilty of sin against this third commandment when in any way we're guilty of promoting false doctrine or ungodly living with an appeal to the name of God. The Heidelberg Catechism indicates that one of the ways positively that we're to keep this commandment is when we rightly confess and worship God with the use of His name. And if we're called positively to rightly confess the name of God, that indicates that one of the ways that we violate this commandment is by confessing the name of God sinfully. That by the promotion, for instance, of any false teaching. When we proclaim as the Word of God a certain doctrine or teaching, when in fact that's not the teaching of the Word of God, We blaspheme the name of God. We're taking God's name in vain. When sinful behavior is promoted with an appeal to the Word of God or the name of God, we take God's name in vain. When the Word of God is twisted to promote homosexual marriages or transgenderism or sinful divorce and the remarriage that follows, It's blasphemous. It's taking of the name of God in vain. And that's why the Church of Jesus Christ is so zealous in this respect. Zealous to guard against false teaching and the promotion of ungodly living. What ultimately ought to drive us in that is our regard for the name of God. That we don't want in any way the name of God to be blasphemed or taken in vain. Even further, we can be guilty of sin against this third commandment by our silence. It's not just when we ourselves take the name of God in vain on our lips, but our silence when others do that. The Heidelberg Catechism makes quite a point of that. First of all, in answer 99 when it says, nor by silence or connivance, be partakers of these horrible sins in others. And then question 100, which is lengthy and really is an explanation in itself. The question is, 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? And the answer, it undoubtedly is. When others in our presence take the name of God in vain, and we have opportunity to seek to prevent or correct that, and we don't, we ourselves become guilty of taking the name of God in vain. When we do not rise up in defense of God's name, The reality is we ourselves become guilty of that violation of the third commandment. It indicates very practically as well the carefulness with which we engage in various forms of entertainment. The carefulness with respect to the music that we listen to. The carefulness with respect to the things that we watch on the screen. Because how often is not the name of God taken in vain in our presence then without our seeking as much as in us lies? To prevent the holy name of our God being taken in vain. And then still further, This commandment has application not only to our words, but to our works. Answer 99 concludes that way. And be glorified in all our words and works. This commandment not only speaks to how we use our mouth, but it speaks to the whole of our life. And recall what we said a moment ago about the fact that God has made us as His church to bear His name. He's put His name upon us. We bear that name as we live in the midst of this world. And when we live ungodly, when we run with the world, when we act and speak the way that they do, Then we give occasion for the name of our God to be blasphemed. Others who know us know that we confess the name of God, confess to be Christians. And then when we live, contrary to that, we give opportunity for them to blaspheme the name of the God whose name we bear. One of the ways in which we can be guilty of that, certainly not the only one, is by the filthy, dirty speech that we may be guilty of. It's not what the third commandment is explicitly referring to, referring to how we use the name of God, not to other curse words and dirty language that we may use. But that does apply. And it certainly applies here. If we with our mouth in one moment confess the name of God, and then in the next moment are using all of the filthy words and curse words and dirty talk that the world uses, then we do violate this third commandment. We do give opportunity for the precious name of our God to be taken in vain. Perhaps when we think about this third commandment, we think, I don't swear by the name of God, I don't damn and curse using God's name, and therefore, this commandment really is not a struggle in my life, and it doesn't have much application, and I don't have to think about it very often. But the reality is this applies to every one of us. Either in how we speak, or by our silence when we should speak up to defend the name of God, or by any sin that's evident in our life where we give occasion for the name of God to be blasphemed by others. This commandment does apply, and we are guilty of sins against this commandment. And the Word of God calls each of us to repentance, sorrow, and to confession, and to turning from these sins as well, from our own violations of this third commandment. As we noted already in the introduction, this is a matter of the utmost seriousness. This isn't a minor and insignificant matter, although we may be tempted to think of it that way at times. Taking of the name of God in vain is a matter of the utmost seriousness. It's evident from the command itself, where God says, The Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain. And then the Heidelberg Catechism explains that. What we read again out of question and answer 100. We read the question a moment ago. The answer is this, 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. And that was the case in the Old Testament. For instance, in Leviticus 24 verse 16, we read there of a man that had blasphemed the name of God. And we read, He that blasphemeth the name of the Lord, he shall surely be put to death, and all the congregations shall certainly stone him. As while the stranger is he that is born in the land, when he blasphemeth the name of the Lord, shall be put to death. No sin greater, more provoking to God than the profaning of His name. Once again, it helps us understand that when we think about the importance of our own name. To a fault. We are jealous of our own name or our family name. We are ready in an instant to defend ourselves, to defend our name, our reputation, our family name and reputation. That's very precious to us. We don't want to see that suffer in any way. How much more Want we to be jealous of God's name? Sin is so serious because God is jealous for His name. Jealous with the right, holy jealousy. God's name is the holy name. And that means that it is set apart from all that's common and all that's sinful. It's exalted. It's unique. And that's the sense of Psalm 8 as well when we confess, O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth, who has set thy glory above the heavens. This name is an excellent name. It's a name that's attached to the glory of God and that he has exalted far above the whole of his creation and all of mankind. God is jealous for his name. and therefore is provoked and considers to be a matter so heinous and horrible when that name is taken in vain. And that ought to be then the way in which we view these sins, not only in others, but in ourselves. We ought not to view this third commandment with a mere passing thought as if it really doesn't apply and it's not something that is a struggle for us or is a matter of minor importance. We must be impressed with the holiness and the excellency of the name of our God so that we are jealous for the honor and the reputation of our God and His name. When we consider the seriousness of this command that drives us to see the need we have for the Lord Jesus Christ It's especially in the warning and the thread of judgment that is attached to this commandment that the law of God shows us our sin and our need for the Lord Jesus Christ. Is there any of us who can stand innocent, uncondemned before this third commandment? Is there any of us who have never in any way been guilty of taking the name of God in vain? Never has there been an opportunity where we speak up to defend the name of God when others fail in that respect? Never a time by our works That we've contradicted the name of God that we bear. All of us stand exposed and guilty before this law of God. None of us are as jealous for the name of God as we ought to be. All of us probably are more concerned about our own name than we are about God's name. We deserve, then, the judgment of God proclaimed in this third commandment to be poured out upon us. The truth of the Gospel is that our Lord Jesus Christ has taken that judgment upon Himself. He who is the name of God, who perfectly honored the name of His heavenly Father, was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of the cross. That's Hebrews 2 verse 9. We referenced it earlier. Hebrews 2 quote Psalm 8 and now applies it to the Lord Jesus Christ. But we see Jesus who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor. He by the grace of God should taste death for every man. Jesus Christ, remember, was condemned as a blasphemer. The leaders of the Jews put him on trial. They had nothing that they could accuse him of. All of the accusations were contrary to one another. But when they put the question to him, are you God? And Jesus' response is yes. They said that's it. He's condemned. He's a blasphemer. Condemned for sin against the third commandment. He's taken God's name in vain. Condemned as a blasphemer, Jesus Christ went to the cross. There to pay for our blasphemy and all of our violations of this third commandment. And to redeem us. So that with all of our sins against this commandment of God, we have refuge in the cross of our Savior. We know the guilt that's ours for those sins has been taken away and placed upon our Savior and the punishment borne by Him. So that for the sake of Jesus Christ we are forgiven. Seriousness of this command drives us in faith to the only refuge that there is which is the refuge of the cross of our Savior. In the cross of our Savior, we have not only the forgiveness of those sins, but also the power and the strength to live sanctified lives in obedience to this commandment. And as those who are privileged to bear the name of God as His redeemed people, and as those who are washed in the blood of Jesus Christ, our calling is to give expression to our thanksgiving to God in our right use of God's name. God has given us His name positively to be used. The third commandment is not to scare us off entirely from the use of God's name, but God has given us His name that we use that name. That we use it always, as the catechism says, with fear and with reverence. With a sense of fear, with a sense of awe and wonder and respect as we stand before the face of God so that when that name is going to come off our lips, we realize we're standing before the face of God. That our use of His name must be a use that's holy and sanctified. We're to use that name to confess The name of God. When as young people we publicly make confession of our faith in the church. When as Christians we live in the midst of this world and we have many opportunities to confess the name of Jesus Christ. When we confess that name, in the instruction that we give to our children and to our young people. We confess that name in speaking to one another about who God is and what God has done for us in the Lord Jesus Christ. To encourage and to comfort and to correct one another. We confess the name of God and use that name rightly when we worship God, when we gather for worship, when we sing the praises of God, taking His name on our lips, and we make confession of that name, when we confess our faith together, when we pray together, when the Word of God is proclaimed to us. We rightly, with fear and reverence, use the name of God. We keep this commandment in thanksgiving to God also by our works. Not only by our words, but also by our works. God has given us His name. He's adopted us into His family. He's blessed us to bear His family name. We're privileged to be called Christians. By the way in which we live in this world then, we are to manifest the honor of the name of our God. By living wholly, by living antithetically, by not living like the world, but by demonstrating that we are redeemed in the blood of Jesus Christ. We live to the glory of God's name. What that means is that we live in such a way that others may see the name of God reflected in us and that they may be led by the grace of God to praise God with us as they see the evidence of God's working in and through us. Thanksgiving For redemption in the Lord Jesus Christ. For the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ which washes us of our sins for the privilege of bearing the name of God. On Thanksgiving, use the name of God with fear and with reverence. Honor His holy name. And in all of your words and in all of your works, seek to bring glory and honor to His excellent name. Amen. Let us pray. Our Father who art in heaven, again, we've been exposed by Thy law. We've seen the many ways in which we are guilty of taking thy holy name in vain. We're thankful too that we've been directed by a schoolmaster to the Lord Jesus Christ, who alone has kept the law perfectly, and by His death has redeemed us of all of our violations of it. And so we rejoice in the cross of our Savior. We pray that for his sake thou wilt forgive us of our many sins and also strengthen us mightily by the spirit of the risen Lord. that more and more we might flee from sin, hate it, and live wholly before Thy face. Grant, Heavenly Father, that in the week to come, we might live to the glory of Thy name, so that in all of our words and works, Thy name is honored through us. Pray these things in Jesus' name. Amen. We pray that you were edified by the preaching of the gospel today. Please join us for worship if you are ever in the area. 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