Jesus and the ten commandments:

To take God’s name in vain is much more than simply using it as a curse word. Blaspheme is a symptom of something bigger. ‘In vain’ means 'to empty.' So, we’re called, not to empty God’s name of its fullness, but rather to fill it with the fullness of God's nature and His work.

By His name, God has made Himself known: He revealed Himself to the Israelites as ‘The great I am', the one and only true God, the 'Beginning and the End'. And, in the person of Jesus, he has fully revealed himself to the whole world. His name is Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Prince of Peace, Everlasting Lord.

When we fill God’s name with the fullness of His nature, we see Him more clearly, giving Him His rightful status and place in our lives and the world. To fill God’s name with its fullness is also to acknowledge the unique work Jesus has done in making us right with God, beckoning us into God’s presence.

When we don’t empty God’s name of its nature and work, our prayer and worship lives are transformed. We approach God with confidence, not in our own name but in Jesus’ name, knowing He is the great God, whose name is above all other names, who can do anything for us his children.

By Ed Flint