February 2010 Pastor's Highlander Column

FEBRUARY 2010
PASTOR'S COLUMN

Brothers and sisters,

As you read this 14 of us from Highland Church prepare for a week-long mission trip to Slidell, Louisiana, which actually gives us a wonderful opportunity to take up the second half of our study of the Third Commandment: “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain.” (Exodus 20:7)

On first glance these two items may not seem directly related, but they are because we are about to look at the positive side to the negative prohibition.

This commandment concerns far more than merely avoiding the bringing disrepute to God’s name or rashly yelling “Oh my God!” when we’re shocked, terrified or overjoyed. It is about the ways in which we, as God’s chosen covenant people, reflect His name and character to the world around us.

Since the beginnings of the Christian Church, the world has labeled us as Christians, or “Little christs”. It’s a name with which we may not be entirely comfortable because of the great weight it places on our shoulders. But that name, in itself, allows us to interact more closely with the purpose and seriousness of the command.

Last month we examined the negative side of the commandment, observing that God takes it so seriously that He tells He holds “no one guiltless who takes His name in vain.” That’s an enormously large stick to place before us, but when we look further we discover that it is also just the beginning of what we are called to know, do and be.

Consider the importance that God places on His name in His dealings with people. Two instances from the Old Testament provide good illustration of the point:

• [1] In Genesis 15:17 - 20 God appears to Abram in a dream and guarantees His promise that an old man and his barren wife would have a son and a heritage. As He does so, God, personified as a flaming torch, marches between two cut halves of a sacrificial bull. In effect, God says to Abram, “I swear upon My own self and name. If I don’t fulfill My promises, I won’t be God anymore" (Gen. 15:17-20).
• [2] When God first appears to Moses in the burning bush (Exodus 3:13 - 17) Moses asks God by what name He should be presented to the elders among the Hebrew slaves. God orders Moses to tell them“I am Who I am” has sent Moses on his mission. “Yahweh”, which means “I am” is the very definition of all being and existence. God Himself created us and all that exists from nothing and His name reflects His total sovereignty over all things.

Practically speaking, when our 14 travelers go to Slidell, we will be going in the Name of our Lord. We will be bearing on us the name of “Christian”. We will be representing God’s majesty, righteousness, grace and providence to people who have been badly battered and are in great need of the comfort that God provides. This, then, is the positive side to the negative command. By the power of the Holy Spirit at work in us, we will strive to bring God’s name glory rather than to put it in disrepute.

And this is precisely what St. Paul talks about in Philippians 2:1-13 when he says:

• 1 Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, 2 fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. 3 Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. 4 Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.
• 5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 Who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to equal with God, 7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
• 12 Therefore, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed me, not as in my presence, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; 13 for it is God who works in you, both to will and to do for His good pleasure.

The Shorter & Larger Catechisms ask us the question “What is man’s chief end?” and then answer with “Man’s chief end is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.” This confessional statement distills the Bible’s teaching (and especially Paul’s words here) about how to live out the Third Commandment.

Paul addresses both positive and negative aspects of how we bring glory to God’s name and reputation rather than shame, but he does so with full recognition that some won’t believe or obey. Those who do not will not like the end to which they are brought.

Paul leaves unvoiced the question "How is it that we glorify God and enjoy Him forever?” and jumps right into the answer: “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus . . .” This means that we can only approach and glorify God by the means He provides to us. The only glory we give Him comes through union with the incarnate Messiah. Emmanuel, God with us.

God saves us (justifies and makes us right with Himself) by His grace through the gift of faith in Christ, but we are called to follow and obey Him in all we do. Anytime we are disobedient and faithless, we devalue God’s name, reputation and the gift of salvation He gives. At first this may seem an overstatement of the case — surely we can honor God in the way seems best to us! Right?!?

NO!. That is exactly the strategy that God condemns as unacceptable. If we were to seriously argue this line of reasoning in purely human terms, it would be roughly the same thing as arguing that if we were to find some piece of exquisite craftsmanship, we could determine what we pay for it rather than paying the craftsman's stated price. Anyone who tried this would hear the craftsman yell, “STOP THIEF!”

Paul then hammers home the point with an analogy to the life and mind of Christ. Jesus of Nazareth was God “made man”. He voluntarily surrendered the use of His omnipotence, omniscience and omnipresence so He could become one of us. He didn’t cease to be God, but He became fully human. But, in this dual nature, He chose not to exploit His divinity. He honored and glorified the Father fully. He was totally obedient, right up to the fact of His sacrificial death for our redemption. In all He said, thought or did, Jesus glorified His Father and never regarded God’s name, character or reputation vainly. Because of this, Jesus is supreme. He is the appointed King, Mediator and Savior for His Chosen People who are called by His name. He is God and yet He is also what we are. And for those reasons God has both established and fulfilled in Christ the promise He made to Israel.

Christ indeed is lord to the glory of God the Father, but He is also a King like no other. He not only commands obedience to the Law for all of His subjects (everything He created is subject to Him), but He also enables and empowers those who willingly approach Him and surrender their rebellion to do what it is that He has commanded.

Thus we are commanded and empowered to produce the fruits of repentance that bring honor and glory to the Lord of Hosts and never dishonor, disgrace and shame. This is what Paul means when He says "work out your salvation with fear and trembling." It doesn’t mean that we work to be saved. It means we have already been saved by grace by faith so we can do the work He assigns us.

The God who warns that “He will not hold blameless those who make His name vain” is the same God who says through Paul that “every knee shall bow and every tongue will confess”. As we do the work and spread the word of Him who predestines, justifies and will glorify us, we actively surrender to Him. We uphold His name, His character, His honor, and His sovereignty. In that resides True life and freedom. Take not the Lord's name in vain because every knee will bow and every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is God to the glory of God the Father.

Grace & Peace,
Pastor Rusty+