When God sent down the 10 commandments with Moses on Mount Sinai it was done specifically to instruct His people on how to conduct themselves in their everyday relationships and duties. Serious biblical scholars would notice that the first few commandments in this list of spiritual laws found in Exodus 20 are dedicated solely to the treatment and honoring of God, and the remainder to treatment of your fellow man.  To ministers of the Word studying these rules is especially important to the believer who truly aims to improve their spiritual well-being.  They say an important key to mastering spiritual well-being is to not only know the 10 commandments but how to live by them daily. They are as follows:
o I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery; do not have any other gods before Me.
o You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them.  For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My Commandments.
o 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.
o Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy.  Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work; you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.
o Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God is giving you.
o You shall not murder.
o You shall not commit adultery.
o You shall not steal.
o You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
o You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor's.
The best way to jump-start your spiritual journey is knowing how to properly honor God, says a number of religious leaders. They say it is the one of the most important parts of being a Christian but many people neglect the commandments that help to guide them in their duty.
The third commandment found in Exodus 20:7, "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," is one such guideline. It may seem like one of the most straightforward and unnecessary of the 10 Commandments, but religious leaders say this commandment is a powerful one that clearly promises unwavering punishment from the most high for those who go against it.  Even with this in mind many Christians may still not fully comprehend just what calling the Lord's name in vain means.
Canon Basil Tynes, rector at St. Barnabas Anglican Church, says understanding this commandment is not as literal as some Christians would think.
"What it means when you talk about the wrongful use of God's name has to do with witchcraft or using it for evil purposes. This is not referring at all to people who call out to God in distress as a kind of prayer or call for help.  I am talking about looking back at the original context in which it was meant. In the old days there was a lot of witchcraft and people practicing evil. God was commanding persons not to involve His name in their practices as His name is powerful and should not be used for evil. Even in saying this, a lot of people misunderstand what calling the name of God in vain means still. They think that just because someone calls out to God, "Oh Lord" that it is blasphemy -- it is not.  People need to understand that using His name for evil or other unsavory practices is what is wrong."
Using God's name for your own personal gain is also another means to dishonor the third commandment, says the priest.  He says using your religion, faith and God's name to get around life for free, or to pressure people to support you because they don't want to displease God is an example of misuse that he has witnessed throughout the years.  While it is okay to call on God for His assistance in your time of need, he says do not misuse His influence to force someone's hand.
On the other hand, although it may sound silly to some people that there should be a whole commandment dedicated to not using the Lord's name in vain, Pastor Daniel Simmons, pastor of Carmichael Bible Church, says it is an absolute necessity.
"It was necessary for God to make this specific commandment because as with all things that people are unfamiliar with, there will be misuse and abuse of it without proper guidance.  So while God does want you to know His name, He wants you to know how to use it and not use it as well.  But in order to understand what the third commandment means you need to understand what the name of God is in the first place be it Jesus, Christ, God ... Our Father," says Pastor Simmons.  "To say the name of God is to say the name above all names.  He is holy, righteous in all He does and He is the almighty.  What God meant when he stated that we should not use His name in vain is because His name is to be regarded as precious and it is not to be used frivolously.  This is not to say calling the Lord's name at all is out of the question, but it all depends on the context.  For instance, calling out to God by saying 'Oh Lord!' or 'Oh Christ!' when you are in a moment of distress and in need of His strength and guidance can be seen as a prayer.  Praying is always legitimate and good, but sometimes we use His name frivolously to joke or swear and this is not acceptable.  I remember that there was a man I had met a while ago who jokingly said 'Oh Christ, I don't eat no rice!' and while it was a joke it was not appropriate. God's name is powerful and you shouldn't play with it."
Taking the Lord's name in vain is one of the worst things a Christian can do, says Ann Higgins, co-pastor of Creative Christians Arts Ministries International.
"The third commandment where God commands people not to use His name in vain is very important.  He made a point to make this commandment because His name has power and to misuse it is a very bad thing.  There is healing in that name.  Demons flee at His name.  So when you are going to use it, you have to use that name with authority so that God will be glorified," said Pastor Higgins.  "You only use that name when you have authority.  If you don't have it then you are using it in vain.  It will have no effect and you are wasting your time. Demons are cast out in the name and the sick is healed in that name which means if you are not doing something to honor God and do His work when you are calling His name then you are using His name in vain."
Pastor Higgins says not just anyone can use the Lord's name without His authority and that it is a serious, powerful thing.  She says no matter what you do whenever the name of the Lord comes out of your mouth that you should ensure that it is to the glory of the Father.
 
Over the next eight weeks, The Nassau Guardian will engage a number of ministers of religion on the topic of the 10 Commandments, as they dissect each one and talk about the relevance of the Commandments to the twenty-first century society.

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