The Small Catechism – part 33
Lessons in the Lutheran Confessions
Scripture Text: Matthew 6:9
Series: Lessons in the Lutheran Confessions
Click for a recording of today's lesson.
From the Confessions: The Small Catechism, The Second Commandment
You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain (for the Lord will not hold guiltless those who take his name in vain).
What does this mean?
Answer: We should fear and love God so that we do not use his name superstitiously or to curse, swear, lie, or deceive, but call upon him in every time of need, and worship him with prayer, praise, and thanksgiving.
Pulling It Together: The best way to use God’s name properly is in prayer, and the best prayer is the one Jesus taught us. In the Lord’s Prayer, we pray that the Father’s name will be hallowed, or “holied.” We ask that his name be made holy: that he be revered, set apart, and honored in our lives and throughout the world. We do so hallow his name each time we call upon him in prayer, worshiping him with praise and thanksgiving.
Prayer: Father God, holy is your name. Amen.
Click here for resources to learn the Ten Commandments.
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Author
Rev. Dr. Mark E. Ryman has served as Pastor for St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Salisbury, NC, since 2021. Previously, Pastor Ryman served congregations in North Carolina and Ohio, as well as a call to specialized ministry with Sola Publishing.
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