My third Lutheran lesson is about the 2nd and 3rd commandments. Since this is a lot of ground to cover, I will split this lesson in two. I will discuss the 2nd commandment today and the 3rd commandment tomorrow.

Lesson 3 (Part 1): The Second Commandment

The second commandment is "You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God". This means we should fear and love God so that we do not curse, swear, lie, or deceive by His name, but call upon it in every trouble, pray, praise, and give thanks.

In order to understand this commandment, we need to understand the Name of the Lord. The Name of the Lord is anything that He reveals about himself. Let's read Matthew 12:1. "You are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins". Let's also read Matthew 11:27. "All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. So how does God choose to reveal himself. By our Savior, Jesus! Jesus is the only way that we can understand and see the true God and His nature.

So what does Jesus reveal about God? The first thing Jesus reveals about God is that God saves. In John 1:29, John the Baptist declares "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!". And in Acts 13:23, it is evidenced that Jesus is the Savior promised to us. "From this man's descendants God has brought to Israel the Savior Jesus, as he promised. God sent Jesus to save us!

The second thing Jesus reveals about God is that God redeems us and forgives us. Ephesians 1:7 declares "We have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins". 2 Corinthians 5:9 also declares "God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them". Just how you might redeem a coupon in exchange for a prize in return, God redeems us by purchasing us with the blood of His Son.

The third thing Jesus reveals about God is that God is merciful. This is evidenced in 1 John 4:10. "This is love; Not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.". There is nothing we can do to earn heaven. We can only receive heaven by God's grace and mercy.

So how do we approach God? 1 Thessalonians 5:17 says to pray continually. Furthermore, Psalm 118:1 commands "Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.". Last but not least, Ephesians 5:19-20 commands "Speak to one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ". Jesus said "My father will give you whatever you ask in my name". So how do we approach God? Through prayer, praises, and thanksgiving, always through Jesus.

From what do we refrain, if we wish not to misuse God's name? The first thing we refrain from is needless cursing. Romans 12:14 commands "Bless those who persecute you. Bless and do not curse.". But let's also not forget that cursed is the man who carves an image or casts an idol. Whether it's worshiping a physically statue or even creation an idol in your heart, you become cursed. And to the cursed, God will say "Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels". Sometimes we need to warn people that they will be cursed if they don't turn away from their idols. If we curse, we curse out of love and out of righteous judgment. But it is wrong to curse needlessly. There is no need to curse just because you stubbed your toe or because you are frustrated over something petty. Cursing in such a way is misusing God's name.

The second thing we refrain from is needless swearing. James 5:12 commands "Above all, my brothers, do not swear-not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. let your "Yes" be yes, and your "No" no, or you will be condemned. To swear is to make a promise. Some promises are good to keep such as swearing to follow Jesus. But if we swear needlessly, then we put ourselves into bad situations where we have made promises we cannot keep. It is a sin to swear, and then fail to keep those promises.

The third thing we refrain from is lying and deceiving. Jesus said in Matthew 15:9 "They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men". Jesus was speaking about the Pharisees of His day. Many modern pastors follow in the veins of Joel Osteen of Lakewood Church or Rick Warren of Saddleback Church, where they teach that our good works to God will give us riches and blessings. This is a false teaching. If you spread false doctrines, you are in hot water, for you are a liar that deceives others. It doesn't matter how big or small a lie is. A lie is a lie, and the devil is the father of lie. Let God be true and every man a liar. We must make sure that what we say is true, or else we are in danger of speaking falsely.

The fourth thing we refrain from is satanic arts/Witchcraft. Leviticus 19:31 commands "Do not turn to mediums or seek out spiritists, for you will be defiled by them. I am the LORD your God". The moment we gravitate towards tempting "fun games and quizzes" like astrological signs, palm readings, tarot cards, and fortune tellers, we find ourselves trusting in those to tell us what our personalities are, who we should marry, and what's going to happen to us rather than trusting in God. We must always put our trust in God and not in games of witchcraft. 

In Conclusion, we obey the second commandment by holding back improper cursing and improper swearing, and by refraining from false teaching and staying away from witchcraft. And by approaching God with prayer, praises, and thanksgiving. Call upon the Name for things that are good and true. Not for malicious intent. If you have ever misused the name of the Lord, check yourself and train yourself to use the name properly.