The Name

"...the Israelite's woman's son blasphemed the Name, and cursed...Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 'Bring out of the camp the one who cursed, and let all who heard him lay their hands on his head, and let all the congregation stone him...Whoever blasphemes the name of the Lord shall surely be put to death.'" Lev. 24:11, 13-14, 15

God's name is holy. It is is not to be blasphemed. It is to be the aim of all who trust Him to bring glory to this Name. To live lives that honor the Name.

Jesus is the revelation of God, God in the flesh, and it is his Name that we are to honor. In fact, the Christian is to do all in this Name. That is, of course, except blaspheme. To be a person of the Name is to take on a new identity and to live in accord with the Name you have taken.

"Let everything be done in the name of the Lord Jesus." Colossians 3:17

Just as a wife takes the name of her husband. So have Christians taken the Name of Jesus and have entered into a new family, a new covenant, in fact, have become new people.

I am one of the Name. How I desire to live a life that does not bring shame to the Name but to make the Name of Jesus famous. Christian's should hate the defamation of the Name of Jesus with brokenhearted hatred and reply not with hatred but with a life of love that takes on the calling of Jesus the embodiment of God's Name. The stones that we throw to those apart from us or even apparently with us (as this was an Israelite one of the covenant people of God) should be the Word of God, the Gospel of God, that breaks the heart of stone and makes hearts of flesh.

Whose Name are you carrying? Is it clear that it is not your own name but the Name?

Again: "Let everything be done in the name of the Lord Jesus."