Ezekiel 36:23 “And I will sanctify my great name, which was profaned among the heathen, which ye have profaned in the midst of them; and the heathen shall know that I am the LORD, saith the Lord GOD, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes.”
Not long ago, my family was eating at a restaurant with another family. We set up the ever-popular “kids’ table” and “adults’ table.” At the end of our meal, the waitress asked if she could treat the children to ice cream at no cost—she wanted to reward them for their good behavior. That was very kind of her, but it was also a good reminder for us that we are always being watched! More than you probably realize, people are evaluating your behavior as a Christian.
In this chapter of Ezekiel, the Lord recounts the bad testimony His people had been to the heathen around them. The Israelites had decided to go their own way and turn from the commandments of God. As a result, God judged them and scattered them abroad. Among the heathen, the people of Israel profaned God’s name because their lives undermined the greatness and power of God.
Normally, we think of the word profane as meaning to curse or to blaspheme; it actually means “to make common or to make nothing of.” They were profaning God’s name by giving the impression that God was not any different than the other heathen gods. Their lives were not “set apart” for God. Nothing they were doing or saying was pointing others to the one true God—they were actually turning others away from God.
What about you? Does your everyday living point the unsaved to God? The moment we disconnect what we are doing with what God is doing, we profane His name among the heathen. People will not think God ought to be worshipped unless He is set apart in our lives.
Notice in verse 23 that God desires that His name be “sanctified.” The word sanctified means the opposite of the word profaned; it means “to be set apart.” Does your life set God apart and lift Him up in the eyes of the world? Sanctifying God’s name leaves no room for mediocre living. Mediocre living may give others a good impression of you, but it will not point the unsaved to God.
Does God really care what the unsaved world thinks of Him? Sure He does, and He cares how we as Christians represent Him. Are you profaning (making common) or sanctifying (setting apart) God’s name today?
Prayer Requests:
1. West Branch Families on the Move Conference in Santa Maria, CA today and tomorrow (Oct. 17-18) 2. Recruiting of college summer staff today 3. Revival services tonight in Danville, IL 4. Ranch evangelists traveling to services this weekend in Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Nevada, and California
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