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Where God Places His Name (Part Two)
Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughGod's name holds profound significance, as evidenced by the third commandment, which warns that the Lord will not hold guiltless anyone who takes His name in vain. This commandment, beyond mere speech, encompasses all behavior in bearing or carrying God's name. To bear His name means to represent Him in every aspect of life—through speech, demeanor, attitudes, behavior, decisions, and even appearance. As His children under the New Covenant, we are marked by His name, reflecting His being, character, and instruction wherever we go. Taking God's name in vain, translated from the Hebrew term meaning emptiness or falsehood, implies treating it thoughtlessly or unrighteously, rendering it insubstantial or worthless. Such actions are sinful, as they fail to honor the precious possession of God's name, which demands the highest quality of worship and representation in the world. We must not bear His name in a false, uncaring, or unworthy manner, for God holds us accountable for such failures. In the context of baptism, being baptized into the name of the Lord signifies coming into a relationship with Him and under His Lordship. This act sets us into everything God's name represents, initiating a process of becoming like Him by immersing us into His nature and character. It is not merely joining His family, but beginning the journey toward oneness with Him, fully included in His being, character, and presence, reflecting the ultimate goal of unity with God.
Basic Doctrines: Water Baptism
Bible Study by Richard T. RitenbaughBaptism into the name of God serves as the culminating step that inducts believers into both the church and the divine Family. This act literally places the name of God upon the individual, establishing it as a permanent Family name that carries the responsibility to honor and uphold it in daily conduct. The ceremony follows the prior requirements of repentance and belief, as well as the symbolic immersion that represents death to the old sinful life, burial of that life, and resurrection to newness of life in union with Christ's own death and resurrection. Once the candidate rises from the water, a minister places hands upon the person, at which point God grants His Spirit. This bestowal transforms the individual into a true Christian and a living member of the body of Christ. With the Spirit now dwelling within, the baptized person becomes a child of God and a joint heir with Christ, positioned to receive the promised inheritance of all things. In this way the physical rite of baptism functions as the spiritual gateway that both cleanses sin and supplies the power needed to live righteously, enabling the believer to advance from this foundational beginning toward the perfection God intends.
The Wonderful Ordinance of Water Baptism
Sermon by Martin G. CollinsBaptism symbolizes a burial and resurrection, or the crucifixion of the carnal self. After a person realizes his ways have been wrong, he should counsel for baptism.
The Third Commandment
'Personal' from John W. RitenbaughMany think the Third Commandment merely prohibits profane speech. In reality, it regulates the purity and quality of our worship of the great God.
The Third Commandment (1997)
'Personal' from John W. RitenbaughMany think the third commandment deals only with euphemisms and swearing, but it goes much deeper. It regulates the quality of our worship and glorifying God.
The Commandments (Part Four)
Sermon/Bible Study by John W. RitenbaughThe prohibition against taking God's name in vain is the least understood commandment. When we bear God's name, we are to bear His character and nature.
Holiness (Part 1)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughTo appropriate the name of God means to represent His attributes, character and nature. Our behavior must imitate Christ just as Christ revealed God the Father.
Acts (Part Four)
Sermon/Bible Study by John W. RitenbaughPeter, using the details of fulfilled prophecy, establishes the Messiahship of Jesus Christ and convicts the crowd of their culpability in His death.
Acts (Part Twenty)
Sermon/Bible Study by John W. RitenbaughPaul's success at promoting the Way started to undermine the prosperity of vendors promoting the worship of Diana, leading to a riotous assembly in her temple.
The Trinity and the Holy Spirit (Part Two)
Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)The Father and the Son are two separate personalities, with the Father having pre-eminence. The Bible contains no evidence of a third person in the God family.