Sunday, December 4, 2011

Blasphemy

The Lord's name is sacred.  His name is not just a moniker but is an indication of His nature and character.  When we speak God's names we are in fact asserting its meaning.  God, Elohim, speaks to His role as creator and sustainer of the universe.  Lord, Yahweh, reveals His covenant keeping faithfulness.  Adonai pronounces His supreme and sovereign rank as the divine master.  The Holy Spirit defines His spiritual and holy nature.

The names of the Lord should not be taken or spoken lightly.  Flippant, glib, or obscene uses of the names of God are blasphemous.  Blasphemy is serious.  However, in our secular society where sin and the sacred have become diminished and personally assessed, blasphemy is not only glossed over, it is considered acceptable.  

When we speak the name of God without fear we are in fact asserting that He is not worthy of reverence.   Thus, blasphemy in every form is sin.  The Lord is to be exalted and praised with every breath and every thought.  Christians are to live lives that are examples of the Lord on the earth.  Therefore, when Christians blaspheme they are affirming what the world believes, that God is not worthy of the utmost reverence.

The name of Jesus means "God (Yahweh) saves."  There is meaning and theological import to the name of Christ.  Moreover, He is the Messiah, the holy and spotless lamb of God who, by His work, saves all of mankind.  Therefore, when we sing of Jesus' name(s), we are truly recognizing in reverence of who He is and what He has done.  This should be the only way that His named should be spoken or uttered.

God is God, the Lord of all creation.  He, and His name, should always and only be praised.  The challenge to this is the world, which stands in opposition to reverence of God.  When we blaspheme and speak the name of God in an unworthy manner, we are in fact acquiescing to the in-deference and irreverence of the world.  This should not be so.  Believers need to be disciplined and focused in their speech and thought as to always deal with the name of God in the manner that He deserves.  The Lord, Yahweh, God, Elohim, Jesus, we should speak these names as often as possible but always in reverent reference to the divine reality that the names refer to.

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