Lessons in the Lutheran Confessions
Scripture Text: Acts 12:21–24
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From the Word: Acts 12:21–24
From the Confessions: The Large Catechism, The Ten Commandments
The Second Commandment
You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.
On the other hand, children should be constantly urged and encouraged to honor God’s name, and keep it upon their lips in all situations and experiences. Truly honoring his name means imploring it for all consolation, and expecting to be heard. Accordingly, as we have heard above, first, the heart through faith gives God the honor due him, and then the lips do so in confession.
Pulling It Together: In this example of Herod, we may quickly observe what is important to God. Herod was full of himself, wanting people to hear his words. When the people, wanting government welfare, wrongly honored him with the appellation of a god, he accepted their praise. Elsewhere in the Scripture, we see people correct this misappropriation of the honor due to God alone (Acts 10:26; Rev 19:10, 22:8-9). Herod was dealt a fatal blow, and his words died with him. But God’s word, and therefore, the honor due his name, will endure forever (Isa 40:8; 1 Pet 1:25).
Prayer: Grant me the wisdom, O God, and the courage to give you the glory always. Amen.
Speaking for Christ is a Bible study on evangelism and what it means to share the message of Jesus in our everyday life. It approaches the subject by focusing on how God uses us to be his ambassadors, and drives to the heart of the reason Jesus came into the world: to reconcile the world to himself through the proclamation of repentance and forgiveness of sins.
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Rev. Mark E. Ryman serves as Pastor for St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Salisbury, NC. Previously, Pastor Ryman has served other congregations in North Carolina and Ohio, as well as a call to specialized ministry with Sola Publishing.
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