Exodus 20:7 You shall not take the name of your LORD God in vain… What does God’s name in vain really mean? We can search scripture to find out.

Dictionary definition of vain:
– no real value
– futile or ineffectual
– foolish or silly

Bible definition of vain:
– Matthew 6:7 meaningless repetition
– Isaiah 45:18-19 without purpose or usefulness
– Psalms 39:6 for show
– Job 21:34 with falsehood

Question: Based on the definitions above, is it possible to use God’s name in vain when saying any of the phrases below?

– Blurt out “Jesus Christ” out of anger, disappointment, etc.
– Gosh darn it (you get the idea)
– Oh my God
– Thank God
– For God sake
– God bless you
– God speed

Are we really (as a society) referring to God when using these phrases or are they just expressions? When we use these phrases, does God care if they are just expressions?

We hope you search our Free Bible Studies from Christian Fellowshipping for more encouraging ways to fellowship with God and other believes.

References:
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.