God’s Word for You
Psalm 100:3-4 The name of God
by Pastor Timothy Smith on Monday, March 30, 2026
3 Know that the LORD is God.
It is he who made us, and we are his.
We are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
and his courts with praise.
Give thanks to him, bless his name.
Verse 3 reminds us that although we were brought into being after the fall into sin, and we have all therefore been created (or procreated) in the natural means that God set into motion, and yet with sin, we are nevertheless his creation. “It is he who made us, and we are his.” If we are to make a distinction, we could be permitted to say that “man’s substance, nature, essence, body and soul are on the one hand, and original sin, which inheres in the corrupted nature which corrupts it, is something else” (Formula of Concord).
Verse 4 ends with a call to bless God’s name as a means of giving thanks. Since God forbids using his name in vain, that is, misusing his name, in the Second Commandment, we know that he wants us to use his name in every good way.
The Second Commandment calls for us (1) To think reverently about the name of God and all of his attributes, and to be grateful that God has revealed himself to us through his name in his holy word.
(2) We will call on the name of the Lord, which is to invoke his name to teach about him, confess our faith in him, and proclaim and preach his word truly.
(3) We will give thanks to God, recognizing and confessing all of the benefits and blessings of every kind that come down to us from his hand, and to invite other people to the knowledge and proper use of God’s name.
(4) To preach the name of God, which means to share his Scriptural doctrine and instruct one another. Parents are especially to do this within their own families, as Dr. Luther says at the beginning of each of the sections of the Catechism: “As the head of the family shall teach it to his household.” David says, “I will tell of your name to my brothers” (Psalm 22:22), and Moses writes: “Seth and Enosh began to proclaim the name of the Lord” (Genesis 4:26).
(5) To confess the name of God, that is, to profess fearlessly and steadfastly the truth as it has been learned from the revealed Word of God, without taking into consideration and peril that might threaten us or ill will that might be generated in the heart of the wicked, for we are warned: “The chief priests gave their authority to arrest all who call on the name of Christ” (Acts 9:14). This is in order to draw other people to Christ, who said, “Confess me before other people” (Matthew 10:32).
(6) To praise and glorify God’s name. This means giving God glory, not just with the mouth, but to do everything to the glory of God. This is done by teaching his word, to be sure (Isaiah 24:15), but even telling the truth when it means we might be punished (Joshua 7:19). Our inner battles and struggles of faith also give him glory, because they set God up as the most important thing in our thoughts and hearts and lives (Romans 4:20).
(7) To swear by the name of God, when either the glory of God or the well-being of a neighbor requires it, as an oath taken or witness given for their benefit. “Take your oaths only in God’s name” (Deuteronomy 6:13). And the prophet says: “Whoever takes an oath in the land must swear by the God of truth” (Isaiah 65:16).
(8) To be zealous for the glory of God’s name. When we hear of God’s name being misused, we will genuinely grieve, and we will defend him in the proper time and place. “Zeal for your house has consumed me” (Psalm 69:9).
So failing to call on God’s name, thinking impious thoughts, failing to give thanks to God, passing by opportunities to instruct others, denying the truth out of fear or on account of a greedy hope for reward, being neglectful of using God’s name rightly, refusing to take a lawful oath, or to feel no sadness when God’s name is insulted, are all sins against the Second Commandment, properly understood. But even these are sins that Christ forgives with his blood on the cross, and sharing that message is the right use of his name.
“Do not use his name to curse, swear, lie, or deceive, or use witchcraft, but call upon God’s name in every trouble, pray, praise, and give thanks.”
In Christ,
Pastor Timothy Smith
Pastor Smith serves St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in New Ulm, Minnesota. To receive God’s Word for You via e-mail, please visit the St. Paul’s Lutheran Church website.