March 2025 Revealing Light Newsletter

Has someone ever misrepresented you? They went to relay your message to someone but they didn’t relay the message the way you meant it. The words they said were slightly different, the tone and emphasis of the message came across differently than what you intended or what you were trying to say. Afterward, you were left trying to correct the misinformation/miscommunication. In a way, your name was tainted, dragged through the mud, because your name was misrepresented, used carelessly in vain.

Oftentimes, when we hear, “Don’t take God’s name in vain” (Exodus 20:7; Deuteronomy 5:11), we usually think, “Don’t cuss. Don’t say “Oh My G. ...”! But there is more to this that we may not realize up front. God was bringing the Israelites out from being in the Egyptian culture for 400 years, and as God is telling them who He is, they would also now be representatives and reflections of God among other people. They have become His people. He tells them to have no other gods and to not take His name in vain -- carelessly using His name in empty vain ways. His Name is worthy of honor, praise, and is powerful. But carelessly using God’s name can also mean slapping His name on things that do not reflect Him and His character. "Israel, this is how you represent me in this world." Do not use God’s name in vain. As Disciples of Jesus, representatives of God in this world, made new and are living in new life through Jesus Christ, guided and empowered by His Holy Spirit, we bear God’s name. We cannot take what we say or do lightly as we bear God’s name in this world. Instead, in everything we say and do (Col 3:17; 1 Peter 4:11; 1 Cor 10:31), may it glorify God, pointing everything back to Him.

There are times when we’ve used God’s name in vain (on social media, in the community, among our family (household and extended family) and friends, or just carelessly slapping a “christian” badge to get the “perks” of being accepted among some people). There are times when we’ve misrepresented God by what we were saying or doing. Yet, as limited and fallible humans, we realize (and God knows) that we won't perfectly represent God every single moment of every day. He continues to shape us, sanctify us as we grow/mature in Christ. Thank God that He has given us the ministry of reconciliation with Him through Jesus Christ, that we get to confess, repent, and walk with Him each day as we live out that ministry of reconciliation with the people around us (read the following article, "What the World Needs Now...").

When it comes to “not taking God’s name in vain”, there is a pretty high calling on disciples of Jesus, who are made new in Jesus, bearing the image of God as representatives of Him with everything we say and do. That’s why we look forward to the ways God continues to shape us through His Word and Holy Spirit, as we continue to grow by living in the light and truth of Jesus Christ.

The last night in the Garden before Jesus faced darkness, sin, and death head on, Jesus prayed...
"Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth." (John 17:17–19)

- Daryl Struemph

Additional Passages:
2 Corinthians 4:5–6
For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 

2 Corinthians 3:18
And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.

Colossians 3:8–10
But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.

Ephesians 4:24
and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.
 
2 Timothy 2:14–16
Remind them of these things, and charge them before God not to quarrel about words, which does no good, but only ruins the hearers. Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth. But avoid irreverent babble, for it will lead people into more and more ungodliness, 

2 Timothy 2:22–26
So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant controversies; you know that they breed quarrels. And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will. 

1 John 1:5–9
This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 

Ephesians 4:1–3
I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

The answer to that song lyric which was written by Hal David and first released by Jackie De Shannon on April 15th, 1965, was “love sweet love.” These past few months I have noticed an increase in arguments, bitterness, divisions, lack of civility, and even hatred as groups of people defend their particular beliefs to one another. It sounds like what the country and whole world needs is reconciliation. I’m reminded of 2 Corinthians 5:17 and the following verses. “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things are passed away; behold, new things have come. Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation."

So we see in these verses that God wants both groups; us and our adversaries to be reconciled to Him because of Christ. That certainly makes it clear and easier for me to dish out “love sweet love” to those who may have a different view than I have. If they become reconciled to God, they are my Christian brothers and sisters. Listen to the next two verses “Therefore we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” So our mission as Christians is to share the news (be an ambassador) about what Christ did for each one of us and to live out a reflection of what God looks like to the world.
 
- Alan McNeely