You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold guiltless anyone who takes His name in vain.

— Exodus 20:7

The law of gravity says that if you step off the roof of a 30-story building, you will be dead. That is not a threat. It is a fact—a very simple fact. And if you take the name of God in vain, it is a fact that God will not hold you guiltless. What does that mean? It means you shall not go unpunished.

As a young man in my late teens and early twenties I, on occasion, used profanity and used the name of God in vain. Then I learned of the immense love of Jesus Christ. I learned that when He was on that Cross, He was agonizing for me; that what He endured there, He was enduring for my sake and in my place. As my substitute, in my stead the wrath of God fell on His head for my sins. And with many tears I fell to my knees and invited Him into my heart to be the Lord and Savior of my life. That was many years ago. To the best of my remembrance, and I think in this case it is accurate, since that time I have not once in all these years taken the name of Jesus Christ in vain. That is because I love Him, and I want to honor His name.

Question to ponder:
How can we honor God’s name?