His Holy Name (continued) man is always ready to get on his knees and pray to God, moments later from the same tongue, will flow pro fane, lacivious language. We are living in an age when, as a nation, we must be extremely cautious as to the way in which we use the Name of the Lord God Almighty. This is the holy, divine Name by which men and women are saved, “For there is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved.” If you are an alert Christian you, with me, are greatly concerned about the growing public use of profanity. As an illustration, several of the large television networks have declared, through their continuity acceptance de partments, that certain words which were formerly considered profane are now merely “expletives” and that if used after 9 o’clock, the time presum ably when the children have gone to bed, they will be acceptable. Their rea soning is that these words enable the actor to more adequately express him self before the camera. I wonder, if with me, you can remember a few years ago when if someone made a slip and out came one of these swear words, why, it would be in the newspaper the next day — now it is a common occur- ance. Then, our public figures are more and more using profanity. One of the most widely published magazines of our nation, “Look”, dwelt on the fact that our President’s favorite past time was swearing. In evidence, because of this use of public profanity by the chief executive, a man who had been apprehended for a crime and hailed into court, was released without pen alty by the judge because he pleaded, “I only used the same words as the President. If he did it, it must be all right. You cannot punish me.” He was let go. How tragic and how we need to pray for our leaders. It was George Washington who said in orders to his men, “The general most earnestly re quires and expects due benevolence and observance of those articles of war
which forbid profane cursing and swearing.” ' Now, Exodus 20:7 tells us that the Lord will not hold him guiltless who taketh His name in vain.. My friend, in a world of fall out shelters, the name of God is man’s only and last refuge. The word “guiltless” here means “clean.” God will consider no man “clean” who takes His Name in vain. If profanity did some good it might be said that profanity is, in some meas ure, useful. But the fact of the matter is, not only is it completely useless, but also it blasphemously misrepresents God. How often do we hear an un thinking person saying that he wishes God to damn this person or that one. Of course, the one who utters such words may be oblivious as to what he has said, that is usually the case. For the fact of the matter is, that God cannot, and does not, damn any man. The Bible forcefully points out that man by his own sin and wilfulness condemns himself. The Lord Jesus de clared in John, the third chapter, “He that believeth on Him is not condemned or damned, but he that believeth not, has already had himself damned be cause he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. Strange these tongues of ours. One mo ment we use them to praise our Al mighty Creator and the next moment we use them to curse and to swear. But for a few moments let us look at something else. I’m sure few of our listeners will fall prey to the devil’s devisements and take God’s name in vain through cursing or swearing. But there is another way by which people take the name of the Lord God in vain. That is through hypocrisy. Now the word “hypocrite” represents T H IN K IT OVER He who has everything except God has nothing. And he who has nothing except God has everything. God hath given to us eternal life . . . in His Son (I John 5:11).
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