Confess With Your Life
Read: Luke 6:46-49
Do you remember the Third Commandment? In case you need a refresher on your Old Testament trivia, the Third Commandments states, “Do not use the Lord your God’s name as if it were of no significance” (Exodus 20:7, CEB). Growing up, I thought “Thou shalt not take the Lord’s name in vain” meant that there were certain cuss words or phrases I shouldn’t say. It was only as a young adult that I learned the deeper meaning of this commandment. Taking God’s name in vain has more to do with defaming God’s name: putting the name of God on something that clearly does not represent the values of a Loving Savior.
As in today’s passage, we misuse the Lord’s name when we declare we belong to Christ, yet then live in such a way that misrepresents the name of Christ. We take God’s name in vain when we say “Lord, Lord!” but then act against Jesus’ commands. Jesus compares those who call him “Lord” but do not follow His words to people who build a house without laying a firm foundation first. Their house is quickly brought to ruin because their faith was shallow and missing a solid foundation. They wanted to wear the name “Christian” without doing the hard work of being a disciple of Christ.
Our entire lives should be a confession that points others toward Jesus. We wear the name of God well when we confess Christ with our words, actions, and character. May we declare Christ as Lord not only with our lips, but also with our lives.