God's name is kept by those who bear it faithfully rather than in vain. The Hebrew word for "take" in the third commandment means to bear or carry, so the commandment covers all conduct, not just speech. Those called into the covenant bear His name as His children, and their speech, attitudes, decisions, and demeanor must reflect Him. Bearing it in vain means doing so thoughtlessly or unrighteously, and God holds such a person guilty. The name encapsulates His character: compassion, grace, patience, covenant loyalty, truth, forgiveness, and justice. Moses embraced the tablets of the commandments when God proclaimed this name to him, which pictures how to keep it: embrace His instruction and character. Baptism is "into" His name, bringing a person under His Lordship and starting the process of sharing His nature. In John 17, Jesus asks the Father to keep His people through that name so they may be one with Them and have Their love in them. The Philadelphia church receives the reward because they kept God's word and did not deny His name. Those who stay humble, obedient, and loyal will have the names of the Father, the Son, and New Jerusalem written on them, and will bear His name forever as His children.

Bearing God's name properly is the heart of the third commandment (Exodus 20:7), which concerns far more than avoiding swear words. It is about how believers carry His name as a witness to the world and to each other, honoring Him in every way and doing what He commands. Because a name expresses essence and ties a person to its meaning and expectations, those who bear Christ's name are bound to His character, His church, and His Kingdom. Believers have been baptized into His name and washed, sanctified, and justified in it (I Corinthians 6:11), so the name already rests on them. This is both a heavy responsibility and a high honor. Proverbs 22:1 links a good name with loving favor, which can be raised to the divine plane: upholding God's name and finding grace in His eyes outweigh wealth. In Luke 10:20, Jesus tells the disciples to rejoice not in power over demons but in having their names written in heaven, because living up to God's name matters more than spiritual powers. Christ earned the name above every name through humility and obedience (Philippians 2:9), and the faithful who overcome will have God's name and Christ's new name written on them (Revelation 3:12). God's grace and Spirit enable them to reflect that name with honor, loyalty, and loving obedience amid the world's hostility, and the name that ties them down also lifts them up.