To Be a Christian.
You can access the Audible edition here.
And the pdf version can be found here.
the third commandment
283. What is the third commandment? The third commandment is “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.” (Exodus 20:7; Deuteronomy 5:11; see also Leviticus 22:32; see questions 172–77)
284. Why is God’s Name sacred? God’s Name reveals who he is—his nature, his character, his power, and his purposes. All forms of God’s Name are holy. (Exo dus 3:1–15; 34:5–7; Psalms 8; 54:1; 79:9; Isaiah 57:15; Luke 1:46–49)
285. What does it mean to take God’s Name “in vain”? “Vain” means empty, meaningless, and of no account. To take God’s Name in vain is to treat it as such. (Leviticus 24:10–16; Ro mans 2:23–24)
286. How can you avoid taking God’s Name in vain? Because I love him, I should use God’s Name with reverence, not carelessly or profanely. (Deuteronomy 28:58–59; Psalms 86:11–12; 99:1–5; Revelation 15:2–4)
287. How might you use God’s Name profanely? By the unholy use of God’s holy Name, especially through perjury, blasphemy, and attributing to God any falsehood, heresy, or evil deed, as if he had authorized or approved them. (Deuteronomy 18:20–22; Proverbs 30:7–9; Jeremiah 34:15–16; Ezekiel 36:16–23; Amos 2:6–7; Jude 5–13)
288. How might you use God’s Name carelessly? Cursing, magic, broken vows, false piety, manipulation of others, and hypocrisy all cheapen God’s Name. These treat God’s Name the ten commandments as empty of the reality for which it stands. (Leviticus 5:4–6; 19:26b, 31; Psalm 10:2–7; Malachi 1:6–14; Matthew 5:33–37; James 3:5–12; Articles of Religion, 39)
289. How can you honor and love God’s Name? I honor and love God’s Name, in which I was baptized, by keeping my vows and promises, by worshiping him in truth and holiness, and by invoking his Name reverently and responsibly. (Numbers 30:2; Deuteronomy 10:20–22; Psalm 105:1–5; Matthew 15:10–20; James 5:12)
Read Leviticus 25
How would you explain the idea of Sabbath to someone based on this chapter?
Is there anything in here that surprises you, or shocks you?
How much of this should be, or even could be, observed by the Church today?
How does any of this point to Jesus?