Ask the Pastor

By Pastor Scott Denham of Harvest Fellowship, Shambaugh, IA

The Clarinda Herald Journal, publication date : 04/19/06

 

Cussin’ Up A Storm

Pastor Scott,

    “Why do people take Lord’s name in vain--why not Buddha, Confucius, or some other god?”

    The name of Jesus is “the name that is above every name (Phil 2:9), and yet it is misused above all others. To take the name of the Lord in vain, means to treat it as something with no worth. Take God’s name in vain enough, and you will no longer respect it enough to use it when you need it the most.
    The Scriptures teach that there is power in the name of Jesus--power for people to come to salvation, to work miracles, or to be victorious in spiritual battle. No similar promises are made concerning the name of Buddha, Confucius, Vishnu, Mohammed, or any other so-called god. For this very reason Satan works to minimize the power of that name. Many people have been used, unwittingly, as his tools to treat God as worthless--to their own harm.
    I do believe, by and large, that those who curse with Christ’s name, or the infamous “G.D”, do so, unaware of the implications. Cursing may be a bad habit picked up in the home, the military, or on the job, but it is a blasphemy against a holy God who will judge the world in righteousness. Use the Lord’s name in vain, but remember, “Men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned." (Matthew 12:36-37)
    If you’re someone who can curse a blue streak, or if only the occasional profanity escapes your lips, you must, either way, consider the eternal implication of Acts 4:12: “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.”
    So bite your tongue, and show a little respect for the One who paid a terrible price to save you. Someday you will need that tongue to confess your sin, to ask His forgiveness, and to proclaim Him as Savior.

       --Pastor Scott

To submit your anonymous question for Pastor Scott, you may write to: Ask The Pastor, PO Box 98, Shambaugh, IA 51651, or harvest@heartland.net, and on the web at www.askpastorscott.com