Way back in Moses day, he was tending the sheep in the bleak desert. Off in the distance he sees a fire so he chooses to go investigate. I am sure that fires in a hot desert are not unusual, but no matter, fires always get our attention. When He gets there, Moses notices a bush is on fire, but the bush is not burning up. You have to admit, that IS unusual and very mind bending. Our logic and experience tells us that if something is on fire, it gets consumed and reduced to ashes. Not this time. No smoke, no black, no ash, just fire. Suddenly a voice speaks to Moses out of the fire. (I have often wondered if this fire was a normal looking fire or if it had something special about it.) This voice (God) began to give him instructions to go back to Egypt and confront Pharaoh and demand the Israelites be set free. Now you have to remember that Moses was 80 years old. Who starts a new career at 80? Especially someone that has had a past of bad doings (Moses was a murderer). Finally Moses had to ask. "When I get there, who should I say sent me?" God told him that I AM has sent him. If that was me, I would be thinking "I am what?" I am sure Moses was not sure what to think at this point, but he argued with I AM and as we know from reading further in Exodus, he lost that argument. In the end, Moses did as God asked and all of Israel walked out of Egypt a free people.
Now lets skip over to Exodus 20. "Then God spoke all these words, saying, “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. ... “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not leave him unpunished who takes His name in vain." (Exodus 20 1, 2, 7 NASB). God is speaking again to Moses and to all of us here. First God reminds them that He is I AM and that he brought them out of slavery. All of us have been in slavery f some kind or other, especially SIN. I know this because I know me and I also know that God has said in Romans 3:20 He says "For when you were slaves of sin, ..." Not if you were a slave to slave or if you become a slave, he uses the phrase "when you were." He also says in Romans 3:23: " for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."
Ok, back to Exodus 20:7. “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not leave him unpunished who takes His name in vain." Now if you have been around church long enough we have learned that this is using any form of the Name of God or Jesus as a swear word. That may be true and I am sure it is unwise to do so, but stay with me for a little longer. What is the name of God? In Exodus 3, He introduces himself as I AM. He also starts the Ten Commandments with " I AM the LORD your God ..." So let me cut to the chase and say it this way: When we say things like "I am Stupid", "I am a Failure", " I am bad", "I am worthless" This is also using the name of God in vain. Because God has said that everything He is, is who we are because we are in Him. We took His name. Just like when a woman gets married, she takes the name of her groom. When she says "I DO", suddenly all that is his, is now hers, including his name and his identity. We are the bride of Christ so therefore we have a new identity and a new name. Our identity is now in the I AM. So when we say those words I AM and follow them by self-defeating words and self-put downs, we are taking His name in vain. We are putting ourselves back in slavery to something that is not part of the Jesus identity. We have taken on His identity so that we won't be in bondage again, in slavery again. But we seem to take His name in vain even when we don't know we are. All those negative put downs, like I am a failure, is taking His name in vain because that is NOT who God is, and therefore if we are a new creature, neither are we. By taking His name in vain we are choosing to go back into slavery after He brought us out.
If we are truly and purposefully not taking the Name of God in vain, we can say with confidence and boldness: I am God's Child, I am A friend of God, I am united with Jesus, I am a member of Christ's body, I am complete in Christ, I am free from condemnation, I am free from any charges against me, I am established, I am anointed and I am sealed by God, I am hidden in Christ, I am confident that what God started He will complete, I am a citizen of Heaven, I am the salt of the earth, I am the Light of the earth, I am a branch in the Vine, I am God's Temple, I am God's co-worker, I am seated with Christ, I am God's workmanship.
When we use the words I Am and what follows it tells us and others what we believe about ourselves. Most of the time, when we take the name of the Lord in vain, we do it quietly and in our thoughts, which in turn play out in our actions and what we say and how we treat others. The words "I AM" truly are some of the most powerful words we can utter, because what comes after them define who we are and can either set or alter our destiny. If we truly believe we have taken on the image of Christ, then what follows I AM will put us squarely in the destiny and purpose God has for our life IF we choose to take on HIS identity and not our own. So do not take the Name in vain. Learn who you are in Christ and live it. If you are not sure how to live it, don't be afraid to ask the Name how you can and how to be more in Him and take on His identity.
Just remember: "It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery." (Galatians 5:1, NASB)
No comments:
Post a Comment