You Shall Not Take the Name of the Lord Your God in Vain

Resource 1: Secrets of Heaven

Forms of goodness related to this commandment:

  • Respect the things that come from the Word of God or from teachings on faith.

  • Uphold truth that comes from the Lord.

  • Acknowledge what is true and have faith in it.

  • Acknowledge the goodness and truth that are born of faith.

  • Live a life in keeping with what is true.

  • Worship the Lord by means of truth and goodness in life.

  • Believe what is true, and live a good and holy life.

  • Believe and live in one and the same way.

    • Unite truth and goodness in life.

  • Notes:

    • Believing belongs to the intellect, and living belongs to volition (or will).

    • When you believe what is true and live a good life, your thought and will become united in life

  • Unite thought and will in life.

    • Unite these dual things of heaven in life.

  • Live a spiritual life.

Resource 2: The Apocalypse Explained

“The name of God” means…

  • Every quality of God (or everything that comes from God) by which God is worshipped.

    • God is in His own quality, and He is His own quality.

    • His essence is divine love, and His quality is divine truth united with divine good.

      • With people on earth these things are the Word of God.

    • This is the reason it is said in John:

      • The Word was with God, and God was the Word.

  • That which is from God and which is God.

    • This is called the divine truth

    • It is called the Word of God by people on earth.

    • “The name of God” means the divine truth or the Word of God.

  • The teachings of genuine truth and good from the Word of God.

    • Note: Worship is according to these teachings.

Forms of goodness related to this commandment:

  • Acknowledge the divine quality of the Lord.

    • Honor the Lord’s quality.

  • Notes:

    • God’s qualities are many and various.

    • His overall quality is made up of everything that comes from Him.

    • For this reason He has many names.

    • Each name involves and expresses His quality in general and in particular. He is called:

      • Jehovah.

      • Jehovah of Hosts.

      • Lord.

      • Lord Jehovih.

      • God.

      • Messiah or Christ.

      • Jesus.

      • Savior.

      • Redeemer.

      • Creator.

      • Former.

      • Maker.

      • King.

      • The Holy One of Israel.

      • The Rock.

      • The Stone of Israel.

      • Shiloh.

      • Shaddai.

      • David.

      • Prophet.

      • Son of God.

      • Son of man.

      • And so on.

    • All of these are names of the one God, who is the Lord.

    • And yet where any one of them occurs in the Word of God, it means some universal, divine attribute or quality distinct from the other divine attributes or qualities.

  • Honor divine truth.

  • Honor the Word of God.

  • Note: The Word of God is divine and most holy in itself.

  • Respect the Word and teachings from the Word.

    • Do this from the heart, for these things are God’s “name.”

  • Honor and accept the Word of God; treat it with respect.

    • Note: When this is done, heaven is opened to you.

  • Acknowledge the holiness of the Word.

    • Do so from the heart.

  • Notes:

    • The Word of God is the only means of union of heaven with the church.

    • When the Word is received in the heart that union takes place.

    • There are two things by which heaven is opened to the people of the church.

      • One is acknowledging the Lord’s divinity.

      • The other is acknowledging the holiness of His Word.

    • The reason for this is that the Lord’s divinity is the “everything” of heaven, and the divine truth, which is the Word, is what makes heaven.

    • Therefore, people who acknowledge the one and the other also acknowledge that which is the “everything” of heaven, and from which heaven is and exists.

      • This invites communication and union with heaven.

  • Acknowledge the truth of the church.

  • Respect the good and true things of the church.

    • Note: This is accomplished by respecting the Word of God and also true teachings from the Word.

    • Do this from the heart, for these things are God’s “name.”

  • Have religion.

    • Do so from revelation, that is, from the Word of God.

  • Live from religion.

  • Live a life in keeping with the Ten Commandments.

    • Note: The name of God is inwardly acknowledged by a life in keeping with the Ten Commandments.

  • Think, will, speak, and act in keeping with the Ten Commandments.

  • Live for the Lord or for your neighbor.

Resource 3: Principles of Life

This resource discusses only the commandments on murder, adultery, stealing, and bearing false witness against your neighbor.

Resource 4: True Christianity

Forms of goodness related to this commandment:

  • On the earthly level:

    • Use the name of Jehovah God in appropriate ways.

    • Use it regularly in…

      • The holy things related to the church, as in prayers, psalms, and in all worship.

      • Preaching.

      • Writing on church-related subjects.

      • Note: The name of God, because it is holiness itself, ought to be used in the above ways. This is so because God is in all things of religion, and when He is solemnly called on, He is present by means of His name and He hears. The name of God is hallowed in such ways as these.

    • Note: There are many names of God that ought to be honored, such as:

      • Jehovah.

      • Jehovah God.

      • Jehovah of Hosts.

      • The Holy One of Israel.

      • Jesus.

      • Christ.

      • The Holy Spirit.

    • Note: The name “Jesus,” like the name of Jehovah God, is holy;

      • Therefore, at this name every knee is bowed or should be bowed in heaven and on earth.

  • On the spiritual level:

    • The name of God, in Scripture, symbolically means…

      • The Divine that goes forth from God and by which He is worshipped.

      • The Word of God.

      • Whatever truth and good the church has from the Word.

      • Everything true and good that the church teaches from the Word, and by which the Lord is called on and worshipped.

      • All worship.

    • The name “Jesus Christ,” in Scripture, symbolically means…

      • Everything of redemption,

      • And all of His teachings,

      • Thus everything of salvation.

      • Notes:

        • “Jesus” means everything of salvation through redemption.

        • “Christ” means everything of salvation through His teachings.

  • On the heavenly level:

    • The name of Jehovah God in the heavenly or highest sense means the divine humanity of the Lord. Therefore, people ought to…

      • Acknowledge the divinity of the Lord’s humanity.

      • Acknowledge the holiness of His Word.

  • Final notes:

    • The name of anyone means not only his or her name, but also his or her every quality.

    • In the spiritual world everyone is named according to his or her character.

    • Angels are named according to their moral and spiritual life.

    • In the natural world a name means not only a name, but also a person’s character.

      • People are celebrated for such things as are in them, for example…

        • Talents.

        • Learning.

        • Personal merits.

        • Etc.

    • Therefore, people ought to…

      • Praise and exalt the Lord by name.

      • Praise and exalt the Lord’s character and reputation.

      • Praise and exalt the actions of the Lord’s life.

        • Show respect for the actions of His life.

      • Pronounce the Lord’s name in a respectful tone.

        • Utter the Lord’s name with great respect.

      • Heap praise on the Lord’s majesty and dignity.