From Discipleship Weekly

(a publication of the Presbyterian Church of Islip)

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A Word from Our Sponsor By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples. As the Father loved me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. -- John 15:8-9 The Heidelberg Catechism: Part 3 - Thankfulness Week 36: The Third Commandment 99. Q. What is required in the third commandment? A. That we must not profane or abuse the name of God by cursing, by perjury, or by unnecessary oaths. Nor are we to participate in such horrible sins by keeping quiet and thus giving silent consent. In a word, we must not use the holy name of God except with fear and reverence so that he may be rightly confessed and addressed by us, and glorified in all our words and works. [Lev. 5:1; 19:12; 24:10-17; Ps. 50:14-15; 99:1-5; Prov. 29:24; Is. 45:23; Jer. 4:2; Matt. 5:37; 10:32-33; Rom. 2:24; 10:9-10; Col. 3:17; I Tim. 2:8; 6:1; James 5:12] 100. Q. Is it, therefore, so great a sin to blaspheme God's name by cursing and swearing that God is also angry with those who do not try to prevent and forbid it as much as they can? A. Yes, indeed; for no sin is greater or provokes his wrath more than the profaning of his name. That is why he commanded it to be punished with death. [Lev. 5:1; 24:16] Suggestions for discussion and review: 1. You've probably been in a situation where you have been in some public place and someone uses "Jesus" or "God" while cursing, often loudly. How do you feel in this situation? Why? What do you usually do when this happens? According to today's Catechism, what should you do? 2. In the Scriptures, the "name of the Lord" is descriptive of God's nature as he has revealed it to his people at different times in history. If this is so, what are other ways besides cursing in which we "take the Name of the Lord. . .in vain"? * * * * * * * * * * There are two hundred and fifty-six names given in the Bible for the Lord Jesus Christ, and I suppose this was because He was infinitely beyond all that any one name could express. -- Billy Sunday