TAKE NOT THE NAME IN VAIN.
We often hear the expression, “There’s nothing in a name.” This should never be said by the Christian. The Bible deals in names. Jesus Christ, the Creator of all things in heaven and earth, obtained by inheritance a more excellent name than even the angels. This is our family name, for the whole family in heaven and earth is named for Him. “Provoke Him not,” the Father says, “for my name is in Him.” Life in this family comes thru the operation of the Holy Spirit; “for,” said the Saviour, “except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he can not enter into the kingdom of God.” In the conception of Christ, we have a practical illustration of the spiritual birth. The angel said to Mary, “The Holy Ghost shall come unto thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee; therefore also that holy thing that shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.” So it is written of the Spirit, “He dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.” “I will not leave you orphans; I will come unto you.” Therefore, if any man be in Christ Jesus, there is a new creation, a new birth, a new life,—a life begotten of the Holy Spirit. At the first surgical case known to history, God administered an anaesthetic to the man whom He had made. While Adam was asleep, He took out one of his ribs, closed up the flesh, “and the rib which the Lord God had taken from man, made He a woman.” When He brought the woman to Adam, the man said, “This is now bone of my bone, and flesh of my flesh,” and she became his wife. Thus we have God’s idea of the marriage relation. The Saviour in commenting upon this said, “They are no more twain, but one flesh.” So the exhortation speaks to us, “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave Himself for it.” God makes use of the marriage relation to show the union between Christ and His followers. Christ was with the church in the wilderness; He was the Rock from which they drank. Tho they continued not in His covenant, yet He says, “I was an husband unto them.” And when they turned away from Him, He pleaded with them, “Return, O backsliding children, saith the Lord; for I am married unto you.” “I have espoused you,” says the apostle, “that I might present you as a chaste virgin unto Christ.” We are loosed from the bondage of Satan, that we may be married unto Christ. In this union, Christ has presented Himself as flesh of our flesh, and has not left us to any speculative theories. When the fulness of time had come, God sent forth His Son, made of woman, made under the law; forasmuch as the children were partakers of flesh and blood, He also Himself likewise took part of the same flesh and blood, so becoming, in very deed, bone of our bone and flesh of our flesh, and making of twain one new man. When a woman is taken as a wife, she leaves her own name and takes the family name of her husband. She becomes a child of her husband’s father. So when we unite with Christ we take the family name, a strong tower into which the righteous runneth and is safe. The Spirit whereby we are begotten, beareth witness with our spirits that we are the children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint-heirs with Jesus Christ. He is in us, and the Father in Him, that the world may know that the Father sent Him, and loves us as He loves Him. The words of Christ thru the prophet are, “I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for He hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, He hath covered Me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments.” So when Christ’s wife has made herself ready, she is arrayed in fine linen, clean and white; for the fine linen is the righteousness of the saints; and for this righteousness His name stands. Job specifies the simple material out of which the wedding-garment is woven: “Because I delivered the poor that cried, and the fatherless, and him that had none to help him. The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me; and I caused the widow’s heart to sing for joy. I put on righteousness, and it clothed me; my judgment was as a robe and a diadem.” The garment is the same to-day, and it is woven in the same kind of loom. “Deal thy bread to the hungry; bring the poor that are cast out to thy house; when thou seest the naked, clothe him, and hide not thyself from thine own flesh. Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily; and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the Lord shall be thy rereward.” Whosoever shall give even a cup of cold water in His name is remembered and shall be rewarded. His name is holy, and every deed that is truly done in His name is a holy deed. In His name is life, clothing, and power. It is holy and reverend, and in it are wrapped up all the blessings and possibilities of eternity to those who take it not in vain.