The Third Commandment by J. O. Corliss

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Mountain View, California · Nov 25, 1908

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 35, No. 17.

The Third Commandment

By J. O. Corliss

As already seen, the first commandment of the Decalogue presents Jehovah as the all-important Being in the universe. No other is to have a place in human affections in advance of Him. The second commandment does not even permit any supposed likeness of Him to be worshiped. God as He is,—the only supreme Being, He who so wondrously wraps Himself within His own holy righteousness to escape the vulgar gaze of the profane, that they die not,—He alone, without any symbol of His form, must be held uppermost as the Creator of all things, and trusted as the only source of help in time of need. Ps. 121:1-8.

It would seem as tho these minute directions were ample to guard every one against any lapse into spiritual darkness. But the third section of that marvelous code comes a little nearer, and touches what may be designated as one of the extreme outposts of danger. “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.” Ex. 20:7. The word “name” here used means more than a mere designation by which one individual

is distinguished from another of equal standing. It is derived from the word which means fame, or renown. Proclaimed by His supreme power as Creator, and also as deliverer of His people from bondage, His renown was in the mouth of all nations who had heard of His dealings with Israel. His desire was, and is, that that renown should be maintained, especially by those who receive signal benefits from Him.

To use this renown “in vain,” or falsely, as the original indicates, is held as a positive offense against the majesty of the Creator. It is quite generally supposed that the use of common blasphemy is all that this prohibition aims at. This indeed is a shocking violation of the commandment by wicked and unreasonable men, but there are other ways, evidently, by which even God’s professed followers may be adjudged guilty of the non-observance of this requirement. Take for instance the case of the people of Israel when in Babylonian captivity. They were permitted to go into heathen captivity because of their frowardness in the home land, that they might see the contrast between the blessings they had received in Palestine and the curses which attended those who walked after the lusts of darkened minds, and so they might be led to repent of their former perverseness.

But it seems that the effect on them was simply to make them boastful of their own standing, as children of the Most High, while their actions were nearly allied to those of the heathen among whom they found themselves. The situation seemed so absurd to their heathen associates that they ridiculed and blasphemed the name of Jehovah, and God condemned the Israelites for the result. Speaking of the matter for our admonition, the Lord said that, “when they entered unto the heathen, whither they went, they profaned My holy name, when they said to them, These are the people of the Lord, and are gone forth out of His land.” Eze. 36:20.

Profession Vain.

From this we gather that to proclaim oneself a child of God, and then to act like those who do not know Him, is to profane His holy name, that is to pollute it to a common level with human affairs. God’s name, or renown, is supported by His sacred attributes. To do anything to lower this name in the estimation of those who should know Him better, is to place His name falsely, or in a vain way, before them. This is to use His name in vain, and is therefore a violation of the third commandment of the Decalogue. But this could not occur if the Lord’s word as expressed in this commandment were written in the heart, because the motions of life in the commandment, which is the Spirit of God, would control the actions of the physical man, and cause him to represent the life power of Him whose presence attends His word.

The apostle brings this matter home to one’s comprehension in this forcible way: “Thou art called a Jew, and restest in the law, and makest thy boast of God, . . . and art confident that thou thyself art a guide of the blind, a light of them which are in darkness, an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, which hast the form of knowledge and of the truth in the law. . . . Thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal? . . . Thou that abhorrest idols, dost thou commit sacrilege? Thou that makest thy boast of the law, through breaking the law dishonorest thou God? For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you.” Rom. 2:17-24.

Here one who professes to walk in harmony with God’s requirements, and yet carelessly fails to do so, is held responsible for the blasphemy of God’s name by the Gentiles. The reason is obvious. Those who hold forth in words to sinners that they ought to yield themselves to God, must, in order to move them to action, present the advantage of having His keeping and saving power with them. But when sinners see that those who recommend the ways of God are not kept by His power, and in many respects follow the ways of the world, they simply scoff at the invitation, because they do not see the promised effect upon those who present the subject to them. God’s name and power are therefore blasphemed by sinners through the vain or false use of God’s name before the world.

How sad the consequences of neglected privileges! How disappointed some will be if they shall at last find themselves in the list with those who shall in anguish cry out: “Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Thy name? and in Thy name have cast out devils? and in Thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them,” says the Lord, “I never knew [acknowledged] you; depart from Me, ye that work iniquity.” Matt. 7:22, 23. The use of God’s name in the lives of such people had been but the formal calling of the name in perhaps hurried, and therefore undevotional, words used in the form of prayer. Perhaps they themselves wondered at times why they were so devoid of spiritual comfort, but hardly realized that they were violating a principle which debarred the keeping power of God’s presence from entering their life work.

Unbelief Sin.

To transgress God’s law in any particular is sin. 1 John 3:4. But we are also told that “whatsoever is not of faith is sin.” Rom. 14:23. This makes unbelief a transgression of God’s law. But how can that be, when one has not committed some overt act expressly forbidden in that law? Let us look at this question in the light of the commandment under consideration. The Lord Jesus says: “Not every one that saith unto Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven.” Matt. 7:21. To have thus uttered that name before God and then be lost, was to employ it in vain, and so was a violation of the edict: “Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.”

As before intimated, the formal use of the name “Lord” by an individual does not insure salvation. Any appeal to that name must be entirely devoid of formalism; the heart must really feel its need of God’s help, because of its own helplessness, and have such confidence in His power and willingness to help as to bring conscious relief. The relief must be as conscious as the need was conscious, otherwise no satisfaction is found in the use of the name of God. The help needed can not be wrought except by a “faith which works,” not only the individual in the ways of God, but which also moves the arm of God in behalf of the applicant. Without this, the name of the Most High is employed to ask for that which is not really expected, however much it may be desired.

This is but virtually to say to the Lord, You have requested me to make known my wants unto You. You even have said, “Ask, and it shall be given you.” But Lord, while I am inclined to ask, I can not quite believe that the thing I ask for will really be given. Is not this really putting God in a wrong light? Does it not virtually rob Him, at least in the mind of the petitioner, of the “renown” given Him in the word? Is it really committing the keeping of one’s interests “unto Him as unto a faithful Creator?” If not, then has not His name been taken in vain? Why should we not consider distrust of Him a sin against His name? Surely the Lord’s “commandment is exceeding broad.” Ps. 119:96.