What does it mean to know God and His Name? --by Luke Hendricks

Given by Chaplain Luke Hendricks, on 22 February 2002 at First Priority

"I'll give you a hundred dollars," said a man to one who was in the habit of cursing, "if you will go into the graveyard at twelve o'clock tonight and there, when you are alone with God, repeat the same curse you just uttered."� "I agree," said the man, "it's an easy way to make a hundred dollars."� "Come back to me tomorrow, and say you have done it, and you shall have the money."� Midnight came.� It was a night of great darkness.� As the man entered the cemetery not a sound was heard; all was still as death.� The other man's words came to his mind, "Alone with God!" and rang in his ears.� He did not dare utter a curse, but fled from the place, crying, "God be merciful to me, a sinner!"

What does it mean to know God and His Name?

I.� God's Name is sacred and has a right and wrong way to use it.
II. God's Name is precious and is how we are saved.

Grace, mercy, and peace from God our Father and Christ Jesus our Lord!� The theme for this message is "What does it mean to know God and His name?".� We will be looking at two parts:� first, God's Name is sacred and has a right and wrong way to use it; second, God's Name is precious and is how we are saved.� Let us look at the following text:

Exodus 6:2,3,6-8� " 'I am the LORD.� I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob as God Almighty, but by my name, the LORD I did not make myself known to them.� . . . I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians.� . . . I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God.� Then you will know that I am the LORD your God, who brought you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians.� And I will bring you to the land I swore with uplifted hand to give to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob.� I will give it to you as a possession.� I am the LORD.' "

�� When I read that passage, I have to just say, "Wow!"� God can be cocky sometimes, but you know? He has that right!� Flip over to Exodus 3:13-14:� "Moses said to God, 'Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, "The God of your fathers has sent me to you", and they ask me, "What is his name?"� Then what shall I tell them?'� God said to Moses, 'I AM WHO I AM.� This is what you are to say to the Israelites; I AM has sent me to you.' "� Wow!� The� Hebrew word for the name of God is "Yahweh" which means "I am" in the third-person.� Wherever you see the word "LORD" in your Bible, that is where the Hebrew said "Yahweh", which is the Name of God.� Continue on, verse 15:� "God also said to Moses, 'Say to the Israelites, "The LORD, the God of your fathers'--the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob--has sent me to you."� This is my name forever, the name by which I am to be remembered from generation to generation.' "� God has reveled Himself by this Name, "I AM", and isn't He?� Think about it.� Our God "is", He is not "was", or "will be"; like He has not begun yet, but He simply is.� "I AM"--pretty powerful stuff.� So much so, God tells us there is a right and wrong way to use His Name.� "You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name." (Deuteronomy 5:11)� Again, "Do not swear falsely by my name and so profane the name of your God.� I am the LORD." (Leviticus 19:12)� Martin Luther, in his Small Catechism asked the question, "What does this mean?" in relation to the second commandment and answered it:� "We should fear and love God that we do not use His name to curse, swear, lie or deceive, or use it superstitiously, but call upon God's name in every trouble, pray, praise and give thanks." (Luther)� The Second Commandment both forbids the improper use of God's Name and requires the proper use of it.� The Jews are so afraid of breaking this commandment they will not even write out the word "God", they write
"G-d".� And God is very serious about this, in Deuteronomy He says, "If you do not carefully follow all the words of this law, which are written in this book, and do not revere this glorious and awesome name 'the LORD your God' the LORD will send the fearful plagues to you and your descendants, harsh and prolonged disasters, and severe and lingering illnesses." (28:58,59)� And again in Leviticus:� "Anyone who blasphemes the name of the LORD must be put to death." (24:16a)� God's Name is powerful and is not to be used incorrectly.� We can use His Name incorrectly by cursing, swearing, superstition and witchcraft, lying, and deceiving.� Swearing is giving an oath.� Jesus says, "Simply let your 'Yes' be 'Yes', and your 'No', 'No':� anything beyond this comes from the evil one." (Matthew 5:37)� We know lying and deceiving are wrong by the Eighth Commandment, and using God's Name to do it just makes it worse.� Cursing is telling someone to go to hell.� We can do this many different ways, but the most common is to use the word "damn".� Coupled with God's Name, makes this a powerful curse.� Elisha did this once to some youths who were making fun of him, and God sent two bears out of the woods and the bears mauled forty-two of the youths. (II Kings 2:23,24)� There are many ways to misuse God's Name, so what, then, is the correct way to use His Name?� "Call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you and you will honor me." (Psalm 50:15)� When we are in trouble, we can call on God's Name to help us out, and He promises to help us.� Jesus said, "And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father." (John 14:13)� In every prayer, we are to do so in God's Name.� What a wonderful gift!� In Old Testament times, a thick curtain separated the people from God, and only the high priest could enter that Most Holy Place, and only twice a year.� Now we can come before God, as our heavenly Father, and present our requests before Him.� God's Name should be the first called in trouble.� For many of us, it is the last.� This should not be, my brothers.� A hymn explains why: (See "What a Friend We Have in Jesus")� "The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe." (Proverbs 18:10)� In addition, people are baptized in the "name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit". �(Matthew 28:19)� Did not the apostles drive out demons and perform other miracles in the name of the Triune God?� This is because God's Name is powerful.� Praise in the LORD's name is also pleasing and we are to "Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever." (Psalm 118:29)

God gives us many correct ways to use His Name and the way He wants us to use it the most is to call upon it and be saved.� "Everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved." (Joel 2:32)� Jesus' name is that name by which we are saved.� "Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (Philipians2:9-11)� It is that faith in Christ that calls upon God's Name that saves.� "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved." (Acts 4:12)� "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--not by works, so that no one can boast." (Ephesians 2:8,9)� Remember we are baptized into God's Name, the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.�� In Acts, Peter says, "Repent and be baptized every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins." (2:38)� And in Romans, Paul tells us, "Don't you know that all of you who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?� We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life." (6:3-4)� God tells us, again using His servant Paul, that, "You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise." (Galatians 3:26,27,29)� Always through Christ's name does these things happen.� We become heirs and as sons, we take on the name of God,� just as most of you have the last name of your earthly father.� We call ourselves Christians.� Acts tells us of a time Peter healed a man in the name of Jesus Christ, and he said about it, "By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong.� It is Jesus' name and the faith that comes through him that has given this complete healing to him, as you can all see." (Acts 3:16)� God's Name is powerful, and as we have seen there is a right and wrong way to use it.� Moreover, God feels strongly about this and warns of harsh punishment for those who fail to keep His commands.� However, God's Name is also precious and is how we are saved.� And in that salvation, we receive the forgiveness of sins, including those sins against the Name of God.� Rejoice and be glad!� AMEN.

Copyright: Luke Hendricks 2002

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