Thoughts on the 3rd Commandment

Once upon a time, a sports caster said "boo-yah," and the world has watched the term grow. Years back, an "m" and a "c" were strategically placed in front of others words to associate them with the common fast food restaurant. On any given day, words are used that are not exactly words. It will start on a whim, become a trend, and before too much time, you will find it in the latest version of Webster’s. Look up the newest words added to the dictionary and you’ll find a list. I remember them being slang, and now they’re words in the dictionary. Go ahead, get out your dictionary. You’ll find some. My guess is, these words probably don’t even mean what they were originally intended to mean. Here’s one. An individual named Alan, who was referred to as Ollie by his friends, and who happened to be a skateboarder, developed a new trick in the late 70s. To make a long story short, an ollie is no longer a skateboarder from South Florida, it’s the most basic trick for any modern skater. Our culture shaped the term into something more than it originally was and forever altered what we think of when we hear the word "ollie."

During the first few centuries AD there was a group called "the Way," and they were Christians. In fact, they were the first Christians. The average person could tell there was something different about them, and when they found out that this strange behavior was because of Christ, they were termed Christians, which of course means, "little Christ." But these pioneers accepted this insult as a compliment. The insult was a badge of honor for those who gave all in the pursuit of Christ. And after all, being associated with their Savior was a compliment for them, even if others laughed. So the term "Christian" was coined as "someone who does what Christ did."

Ah, yes… Christian. I am a Christian. Except for some reason, I don’t really care for that title.
After hundreds of years of use, a change has occurred. Gradually, the term morphed. For whatever reasons, "Christian" no longer refers to "someone who does what Christ did." In fact, people who call themselves Christians don’t even try to do what Christ did, at least the ones I know. So what is a modern Christian? Here’s a few guidelines:

1 Go to church. Details don’t really matter here, you just show up.
2 Follow rules. There’s a lot of room to elaborate on this one. They don’t have to be relevant, and you can follow them completely blind, but you have to emphasize them, especially towards other people.
3 Say the right thing. The important thing here is that you say what sounds right, but don’t worry yourself about doing the right things, just sound good.

If that’s what a Christian is in my world, and sadly, that’s most of what I see it as, then I don’t think I want to be a part of it. Our culture has shaped the way we hear the word Christian. I prefer the original definition. But there are a lot less people doing that than there are "Christians." "Christian" has become the new Pharisee. It’s ironic, because "Pharisee" used to mean, according to Webster’s, a member of a Jewish sect of the intertestamental period noted for strict observance of rites and ceremonies of the written law and for insistence on the validity of their own oral traditions concerning the law. Basically, they were intensely pious religious leaders. They were their culture’s pastors. But the term changed over time. The reason Pharisees have such a bad reputation is because, for the most part, they were hypocrites. They made themselves look like they had everything together, but they were just following the rules and saying the right things. They weren’t doing the right things, and they weren’t even following the right rules.

But not us, we’re right. And we want to know we are right so we just keep following rules. We aren’t satisfied with needing and with thinking for ourselves so we get guidelines to follow. It’s because rules are comfortable. If we follow the ten commandments then we win. What about the third one; You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain. "Christian" rules tell us that we shouldn’t use God’s name irreverently. We shouldn’t, but how about using that dictionary again.

Vain:
1 an improper or irreverent manner
2 excessively proud of, or concerned about one's own appearance, qualities, achievements, etc.; conceited
3 ineffectual or unsuccessful; futile
4 without real significance, value, or importance; baseless or worthless
5 senseless or foolish
6 proceeding from or showing personal vanity
7 without effect or avail; to no purpose

Christians got the first one covered. The second and sixth both sound like Pharisees. The third, fourth, and seventh are all similar. It means, if we use God’s name, but nothing really changes. We have broken the commandment. And that’s what most modern Christians are doing. They categorize themselves as being among God’s people, yet there is no change. They go to church, yet they sing to an unknown God (like the pagans in Athens). They follow rules passed down from generation to generation, yet they do not seek to follow the heart of God. They say the right thing, but when it comes time for action, they are unheard and unseen. I know it, because I am among these Christians. At one time or another, I think anybody would have to admit the same.

Where are the Christians that will once again "do what Christ did?" There are masses of people who, for centuries, have taken the name of God and used it in vain. Culture has seen and concluded that this (foolishness, futile, worthless, senseless, conceited) vain effort is all that Christ has to offer. There’s no way for me to show the world that "Christian" means something completely different. Personally, I don’t think there’s anything I can do to tip the scale, but I’m standing on the scale.