"Not everyone saying to Me 'Lord! Lord!' will be entering the kingdom of the heavens, but he who is doing the will of My Father Who is in the heavens."
Matthew 7: 21, Concordant New Testament
I have seen it far too many times, someone with a cause will proclaim the name of God and feel their cause justified. The current conflict in the Middle East rages between two populations who each proclaim that the Lord is on their side. One side kills in His name while the other seeks revenge while seemingly under the Lords guidance. This leaves me with one question, who would God kill? Jesus calls upon the Lords children to turn the other cheek when we're struck by another {Matthew 5:39}. Does turning that other cheek somehow involve taking revenge in His name? Don't get me wrong, I support the right of Israel to defend itself as I support the right of my own country to do the same. But, why is it that we feel the need to get the Father involved in our battles? Certainly there were times in scripture where the Lord stood with the Israelites as they battled the enemies of the One true God, but this is not that. Of course, invoking the name of the Lord is not limited to times of war. I have seen people declare their cause justified in the eyes of God in everything from politics to religious arguments. I often wondered, how does God view these situations? Does He sit in heaven and cast lots between who He considers worthy of His support? I doubt it. Jesus also proclaims that not everyone who calls upon His name will enter the Fathers kingdom {Matthew 7:21}. According to Jesus, those who do the will of the Father will be entering into heaven. Of course, I am of the belief that the desire of the Father is that ALL shall be saved {John 3:16-17}. However, that's a discussion for another day. As near as I can tell, mankind are the only ones using the name of the Father to suit their agendas. Somehow, slapping Gods name onto something makes it that much more believable. There used to be a beer brand which proudly proclaimed that it was brewed in "Gods country." Really? So, despite the Lord creating all which we will ever see, that part of the nation is Gods country? Just one more example of using the name of the Father for our own means.
I am Yahweh; that is My name, And My glory I shall not give to another, or My praise to carvings.
Isaiah 42: 8, Concordant Old Testament
How many of us Christians believe that taking the Lords name in vain is an abomination to the Father? I was told from a young age that using the Fathers name for anything besides His glory was forbidden. Of course, as I got older, these early life lessons had less of an effect on me. There are times when a thought is emphasized with the use of His name. Does this somehow make my point more legitimate? Hardly. Yet, I believe that we have lost the idea that the name of our heavenly Father is indeed holy and deserving of glory. He created all which we see. He chose us before we were even born. He has proclaimed that the name of Jesus is above all names {Philippians 2: 9}. Yet, we all too often toss around the name of Jesus indiscriminately as well. Are we not aware that the very name of the Lord is deserving of glory? Like I said, I believe that we have forgotten a good many things over time. Now, I'm not referring here to the calling of the Father in prayer. Nor to the calling of the Father in our praise to Him. No, what I am referring to is the indiscriminate use of the name of the Lord in common everyday slang language. I know that this might hit home with a few people, and maybe it should. Does proclaiming that God is on our side give Him the glory He deserves? Or, does it give our desires and causes more legitimacy? Are our actions doing the will of the Father? That is indeed the question we need to be asking ourselves. The Father is indeed worthy of our praise because we feel led by our hearts, not because we want to make a point.
~Scott~
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