A rather controversial subject in Christendom is taking the Lord's name in vain. I would probably burn a thousand years for the amount of times I have said "Oh my God" through my life. Yet I have no conviction that I have done anything wrong, because I honestly believe that I haven't.
I sat thinking about this a few years back and it suddenly occurred to me. Yes we use this as a common form of slang today, but would they have said "oh my God" back in the times it was first written? Of course not. They didn't speak that way. Slang has developed over centuries, we haven't always spoken this way. I believe it has another, much deeper meaning.
I believe with all of my heart that when we are told to not take the Lord's name in vain, He is actually telling us to not say that He has said something when He hasn't.
How offensive is it to you when someone tells your best friend that you said something, when you know beyond a shadow of doubt that you did not. And words are powerful, you can't just take them back. You have to then go about explaining yourself, trying to right the wrong that was done to you. Problem is, in the back of their minds, they are always wondering "what if". What if you really did say it, but you are just trying to cover your tracks? It's not a nice feeling.
Now imagine what God would think.
I had a friend who told me a story about a guy that had a crush on her. He walked up to her and said, "God told me I'm going to marry you". She didn't marry him by the way. Luckily she was strong enough in her faith to know that God had said no such thing. That guy was using God's name to meet his own ends.
This is why it is so important to have our own personal relationship with God. When we really know Him, it makes it easier to see if someone is actually speaking out of revelation that God has given to them, or if they are speaking to meet their own ends.
It does become particularly hard when the person speaking is someone that we know and trust. Sometimes the things that they say are so convincing, and said out of a heart that genuinely believes that they are doing the right thing. The problem is, that no one is perfect, and sometimes people get it wrong.
I was brought up to trust my "gut instinct", so this is what I do. If something is said (as in coming from God) and I don't understand exactly what they mean, i check it out for myself. If you know the scriptures and have a personal relationship with God then it will very soon become evident if what they are saying is the truth. If it is the truth, it will be backed up entirely by the scriptures, not just be a dubious interpretation of them. It will be in context with the scriptures. If revelation comes from a verse in the Bible, but the verses and chapters around it don't back it up, it isn't true. Further more, if it goes against or doesn't sit comfortably with who you know God to be, it isn't true. Through relationship comes truth.
There have been times when I have felt physically uncomfortable with what has been said. A couple of examples I can think of are "God says, if you want more money, give more money" or (and this one was quite recently), "God told me, the time when Jesus is to return will be.....".
Firstly, I'm not against giving to the church, I give, I love to give, and yes I get blessed in return, but:
1. I'm not always blessed with money (it happens, but God has other ways of blessing us), we can't force God into providing us with more money. He will always provide, but He is not a get rich quick scheme.
2. You can't force God into anything he doesn't want to do. God wants to pour His blessing into our lives, but you know what, someone shouting you a coffee or preparing a meal or just telling you how much they appreciate you is a blessing. And the blessing we get always suits what we really need at that particular time.
As for the time Jesus will return, and that one had my back up, who are we to assume that God would tell us when Jesus will return, when Jesus himself doesn't even know?
People get it wrong, we aren't perfect. Never ever say anything unless it is confirmed beyond a shadow of doubt through relationship and biblically. If you can't back it up 100% without any room for movement (no statements of "truth" that can be translated 10 different ways) then don't say it. Because if you do it is like going behind God's back and saying that He said something when he didn't.
I believe that this is taking His name in vain. But check it up for yourself to make sure.
We were not created to follow blindly, we were created as intelligent beings capable for working this out for ourselves, and with as much right to have "revelation" as someone preaching from a pulpit. Don't be an ignorant Christian, know WHAT you believe and WHY you believe it. And trust your gut, I believe that God gave us this internal warning system for a reason.
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