Exodus 20:7 KJV
Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.
Often times I hear people loosely saying phrases like “Oh my God,” “Lord have mercy,” “Oh Lord,” “Bless God,” or “Sweet Jesus” to name a few. They say these phrases as an expression of surprise or frustration in situations that have nothing to do with God. This is an example of what it means to take The Lord’s name in vain (in other words, to misuse God’s name). This is a big sin! We all have to be very careful about how we use the name of God, because He is a great King who deserves our utmost respect. Using God’s name in joking manners or in place of a curse word greatly dishonors God. Think about it, if you were in the presence of a president or high ranking leader, would you dishonor them in that manner? How much more then should we seek to honor God?
If you have misused God’s name, you should sincerely repent and pray that God will help you to never to do it again. God is very forgiving when we our sincere in our repentance.
