This site uses cookies to provide you with more responsive and personalized service and to collect certain information about your use of the site.  You can change your cookie settings through your browser.  If you continue without changing your settings, you agree to our use of cookies.  See our Privacy Policy for more information.

Question 4

What does the Bible mean when it says, “You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God” (Ex. 20:7)?

The name of God is a summary statement of the totality of His person. God commands us not to treat His name in a way that is careless, thoughtless, or empty of purpose. We are not to lift up the Lord’s name in a way that empties His name of its holy and redemptive content.

BY Dr. Winfred O. Neely

Dr. Winfred Neely is Vice President and Dean of Moody Theological Seminary and Graduate School. An ordained minister, Winfred has served churches across the city of Chicago, the near west suburbs, and Senegal, West Africa. He is the author of How to Overcome Worry (Moody Publishers) and a contributor to the Moody Bible Commentary and Moody Handbook of Preaching. Winfred and his wife Stephne have been married for forty years and have four adult children and nine grandchildren.

Find Questions and Answers by Month