Heidelberg Catechism, Lord's Day 36, question 99. What is required in the third commandment? That we must not, by cursing or by false swearing, nor yet by unnecessary oaths profane or abuse the name of God, nor even by our silence and connivance be partakers of these horrible sins in others, And in sum, that we use the holy name of God in no other way than with fear and reverence, so that he may be rightly confessed and worshipped by us, and be glorified in all our words and works. And then question 100. Is the profaning of God's name by swearing and cursing so grievous a sin that his wrath is kindled against those also who do not help as much as they can to hinder and forbid the same? Yes, truly, for no sin is greater and more provoking to God than the profaning of his name, wherefore he even commanded it to be punished with death. The third commandment, of course, does prohibit vain swearing, vain calling upon God for no reason, calling upon God for trivial purposes, for deceptive purposes, for sinful purposes. In other words, what it's getting at is that there ought to be an attitude of reverence for God, for his name. In other words, for God and for everything by which God reveals himself. So that at the heart of the third commandment, not to take the name of the Lord your God in vain, it's not a prohibition from taking the name of God. We are supposed to do that. We are supposed to call upon God, and we are supposed to call upon him by name. But it's a prohibition of doing so without an understanding, without a recognition of who God is. And so we keep this commandment, as Calvin explained in his 1545 catechism, by never thinking or speaking of God and his works without honor and reverence. You see, our God is holy, our God is majestic, our God is glorious beyond description, and his works are wonderful, as it says in Psalm 111, sought out by those who know the Lord. So that when we're talking about them or when we're thinking about them, it should never be just trivial matter because our God is so great. His name is so holy that to speak of him or to think of him properly requires reverence in the heart. So don't be discouraged from taking the name of God in vain by the third commandment. Take it, but take it rightly. Take it with reverence. Take it with a holy frame of mind and with all the honor that is due to God.