The third commandment (Exodus 20:7) is usually reduced to a ban on profanity or careless oaths, but it reaches much further: it concerns how God's people bear His name in all of life. The Hebrew verb behind "take" is nā&347;ā', meaning to lift, carry, or bear, as in Cain's "My punishment is greater than I can bear" (Genesis 4:13). So the concern is how those in covenant with God carry His name in everyday activities, not merely in outbursts of temper. God's name (shem) is more than identification or reputation. It reveals His character and behavior, as when He proclaimed His name to Moses in Exodus 34. Bearing His name therefore means setting a godly example and making a righteous witness to others. "Vain" translates shāw', meaning deceit, lie, falsehood, and by extension emptiness and worthlessness. God forbids His people from speaking or acting in ways that deceive others about Him or devalue Him and His righteous character. The positive side is that they are to express the truth about God and His way in every thought, word, and deed (I Corinthians 10:31; Colossians 3:17). Christians, who bear His name (Matthew 28:19; Acts 2:38), are bound to a standard of conduct in which everything they do brings glory and honor to Him. This commandment, far from being minor, bridges the commands against idolatry and those against unrighteous behavior.

The third commandment forbids bearing God's name in vain, and the Hebrew verb nasha means to lift, carry, or bear, so the command covers all behavior and not merely speech. As God's children and signatories of the New Covenant, His people carry His name wherever they go. Their speech, demeanor, attitudes, decisions, advice, and even dress and grooming either honor or sully it. Others who know a little of God's way should look at them and see the family resemblance. "In vain" (shav) means empty, insubstantial, false, or worthless. It covers both doing something thoughtlessly, by rote, and doing it unrighteously, so bearing His name in vain is sin, and God will not hold the guilty guiltless. God's name encapsulates His character: compassionate, gracious, slow to anger, abounding in covenant loyalty and truth, forgiving, just, and merciful in limiting the effects of sin. Though His glory is unapproachable, His name is understandable and comforting. Baptism is "into" His name, which means coming into relationship with Him and under His Lordship, and beginning to share His very nature and character, becoming one with Him. Knowing His name keeps and guards believers. Those who keep His word and do not deny His name, like the Philadelphians, will have the names of the Father, the Son, and New Jerusalem written on them. They will bear His name forever as His children.

Bearing God's Name carries a profound responsibility for all members of God's church, as we inherit a Family name of immense value. We are tasked with upholding and honoring the nobility and dignity of God's name through our actions. The reputation we build for our church, businesses, or institutions becomes the legacy we pass on to our brothers, sisters, and children. Sadly, there are instances where individuals who have accepted this Family name bring disgrace upon us all, as seen in past events where inappropriate behavior by some has led to negative perceptions of the entire group. It takes years to build a reputation, but only moments to destroy it. Scripture warns that if we take on God's Family name and then show contempt for it through our behavior, our names risk being blotted out of the Book of Life. God holds His name in such high regard that one of His ten great laws addresses this, emphasizing that we must not take His name in vain, an admonition that extends beyond mere language to the way we live. If we claim His name and dishonor it, we fall below even those we might criticize. We must consider whether our behavior, as the sole representation of God's way to some, would lead others to acceptability before God. His name, now ours, surpasses all worldly riches in worth, and we must reflect on how others perceive and react to it when they encounter us.