"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."
I was greatly amazed not long ago in talking to a man who thought he
was a Christian, to find that once in a while, when he got angry, he
would swear. I said: "My friend, I don't see how you can tear down
with one hand what you are trying to build up with the other. I don't
see how you can profess to be a child of God and let those words come
out of your lips."
He replied: "Mr. Moody, if you knew me you would understand. I have a
very quick temper. I inherited it from my father and mother, and it is
uncontrollable; but my swearing comes only from the lips."
When God said, "I will not hold him guiltless that takes My name in
vain," He meant what He said, and I don't believe any one can be a
true child of God who takes the name of God in vain. What is the grace
of God for, if it is not to give me control of my temper so that I
shall not lose control and bring down the curse of God upon myself?
When a man is born of God, God takes the "swear" out of him. Make the
fountain good, and the stream will be good. Let the heart be right;
then the language will be right; the whole life will be right. But no
man can serve God and keep His law until he is born of God. There we
see the necessity of the new birth.
To take God's name "in vain" means either (1) lightly, without
thinking, flippantly; or (2) profanely, deceitfully.