The Name and Blasphemy

The “Name” of God in Scripture carries profound meaning.

Israel used it to refer to the reality and power of the covenant Lord God. One must never dishonor the Name of the one Lord God (Exod. 20:7). True believers must continually confess only the one Lord God (Deut. 6:4). 

The New Testament makes it clear that this confession of divine unity includes the truth that “Jesus is Lord” (Rom. 10:9-10). Jesus, enfolded in the divine unity, is the “one Lord” (1 Cor. 8:6). And the true believer must confess, like the inspired Apostle Thomas, that Jesus is “My Lord and my God” (John 20:28).

Jesus required his followers to be immersed in his one Name of “the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit” (Matt. 28:19). And his Apostles restricted eternal salvation to those who know his Name (Acts 4:12). Hearing his Name, believing his Name, and confessing his one and only Name is absolutely critical to salvation.

“Blasphemy” is the rebellious angelic or human abuse of the Name. And Jesus Christ warned that those false teachers who blasphemed God the Holy Spirit that they committed the unforgivable sin (Mark 3:28-30). Knowing and confessing the one and only true and living God, who is the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, is of paramount importance for your soul!

But here comes the rub, today: Sometimes, the very people calling for blasphemy laws abuse his Name.

Rather than inventing human laws for unbelievers not to abuse his Name, those who call themselves “Christian” ought to make sure they themselves truly hear, understand, and honor his Name. Jesus warned us that many “false Christs” would come, so that even the elect might be led astray if possible (Matt. 24:24). 

Historic and contemporary and future heresies and errors and blasphemies against the very name of God are enormous problems that must be taken into account. How many think they know the Name of “God,” “Lord,” “Father,” “Son,” “Christ,” and “Holy Spirit,” when they really don’t? How many false teachers don’t even know they are that which they dislike?

How can you ensure that you yourself truly honor God’s Name?

First, pray! Jesus said, if we pray “in his Name,” that is, with his divine authority, then God would hear and answer our prayers. Pray for God in Christ to help you honor his Name by his Holy Spirit (John 14:13).

Second, recall every knee shall one day bow and confess his Name (Phil. 2:9-11). Are you prepared for that day?

Third, learn to hear the Spirit’s witness to the Person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ through the testimony of the universal church of Jesus Christ. Beware those who protest that they alone can be trusted for truth. This cultic attitude easily bends over into sectarian behavior that can pervert the preaching of the gospel. Let us learn to rejoice in the witness of believers in other times and places, too (John 10:13). This is where the major creeds, like the Nicene Creed and its Christological clarifications in the subsequent ecumenical councils, become very important.