Should we use Gods name?
Why God’s Name Matters—and Why We Should Use It
Most people have no difficulty believing in God. Yet when it comes to God’s name, many Christians hesitate to use it, avoid it altogether, or have been taught that it no longer matters. That hesitation is understandable, since tradition has long replaced God’s personal name with titles such as “Lord” or “God.” However, the Bible presents a very different picture.
From beginning to end, Scripture shows that God wants his name to be known, spoken, and honored. The Bible repeatedly speaks of God having a name that is to be remembered, made known, sanctified, and called upon across generations (Ex 3:15; Ps 83:18; Isa 8:13; Jn 17:6; Mt 6:9).
God Introduced Himself by Name
When God revealed himself to Moses, he did not remain anonymous.
Ex 3:15 — Thus you are to say to the sons of Israel, “Jehovah, the God of your forefathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.” This is my name forever, and this is how I am to be remembered from generation to generation.
Jehovah did not describe his name as temporary, symbolic, or optional. He tied his name directly to remembrance across generations. A name meant to be remembered must also be usable.
Jesus Made God’s Name Known
Some assume that God’s name belonged only to the Hebrew Scriptures. Jesus himself corrected that idea.
Jn 17:6 — “I have made your name manifest to the men you gave me out of the world.”
Jn 17:26 — “I have made your name known to them and will make it known.”
Jesus did not erase God’s name from worship. He made it known. His role was not to replace God’s name with titles, but to restore clarity about who God is.
Common Objection: “We Don’t Know the Original Pronunciation”
It is true that ancient Hebrew was written without vowel markings, and the precise ancient pronunciation of the divine name is not preserved. But that does not mean the name is unusable.
The divine name appears nearly 7,000 times in the Hebrew Scriptures as YHWH. The existence of the name is not disputed. The uncertainty concerns only vowel sounds, not identity. Spoken Hebrew always included vowels, and pronunciation was transmitted orally until later tradition discouraged saying the name aloud.
Language adaptation does not invalidate Gods identity. Jesus’ Hebrew name was Yeshua, yet English speakers say “Jesus.” That does not change who he is. In the same way, “Jehovah” is a well-established English form that preserves God’s personal name in a usable way. When somebody says Jehovah, people know who they are talking about.
If God’s name were not meant to be used today, then the many scriptures that speak of remembering, making known, sanctifying, and calling on God’s name would lose their meaning. A name that cannot be spoken, identified, or used is no longer a name in any practical sense.
When Jehovah said, “This is my name forever, and this is how I am to be remembered from generation to generation,” he was not describing an abstract concept, but a usable personal name. “Jehovah” preserves that function. Even if ancient pronunciation details were lost over time, the Scriptures remain accurate only if God’s name continues to be identifiable and spoken by later generations.
Common Objection: “God Knows Who We Mean When We Say ‘Lord’”
God certainly knows the hearts of those who worship him. But Scripture shows that knowing God’s name benefits us, not God.
Ps 83:18 — That people may know that you, whose name is Jehovah, you alone are the Most High over all the earth.
Titles such as “Lord” and “God” are shared by many beings, both true and false. Jehovah alone has a personal name that distinguishes him from all others. Using that name brings clarity and closeness to worship.
Common Objection: “Using God’s Name Is Disrespectful”
The Bible teaches the opposite. What dishonors God’s name is not using it, but misusing it or removing it.
Isa 42:8 — I am Jehovah. That is my name; and to no one else shall I give my own glory.
Jesus taught his followers to pray:
Mt 6:9 — “Our Father in the heavens, let your name be sanctified.”
A name cannot be sanctified, or put on high, if it is never spoken or acknowledged.
(Isa 12:4) “. . .: “Give thanks to Jehovah, YOU people! Call upon his name. Make known among the peoples his dealings. Make mention that his name is put on high.”
Common Objection: “The New Testament Doesn’t Use God’s Name”
While most surviving Greek manuscripts use titles, the Hebrew Scriptures quoted by Jesus and the apostles did contain the divine name. The gradual removal of the name from later copies was the result of tradition, not divine instruction.
Acts 15:14 — God for the first time turned his attention to the nations to take out of them a people for his name.
Christians were not merely a people for a doctrine or an institution. They were a people for God’s name.
Jesus made his fathers name known, as a Christian, isn't it our responsiblity to also do the same?
Calling on God by Name Is Scriptural
Rom 10:13 — Everyone who calls on the name of Jehovah will be saved.
Calling on God’s name does not require perfect ancient pronunciation. It requires recognition, trust, and loyalty to the God who bears that name. Jehovah is not an abstract force or an unnamed mystery. He is a personal God who invites people to know him.
Therefore, when someone insists that “Jehovah is not God’s name,” the issue is not merely linguistic or academic. It is a matter of trust in what Scripture itself says. The Bible repeatedly speaks of God having a name that is to be remembered, made known, sanctified, and called upon across generations. If that name is dismissed as unusable or illegitimate, then those statements cannot be taken at face value. In that sense, rejecting the use of God’s name is not placing full confidence in the Scriptures’ own testimony about how God wishes to be known.
A Simple Conclusion
Using God’s name is not extreme, unnecessary, or disrespectful. It is biblical. Jehovah revealed his name, preserved it in Scripture, and sent his Son to make it known and honored. The consistent testimony of the Bible is that God wants to be identified, called upon, and remembered by name.
Removing that name from worship does not increase reverence. It replaces clarity with distance and turns a personal God into an abstract concept. Titles may describe authority, but they never replace identity. When God’s name is obscured or avoided, it becomes easier to misrepresent who he is and what he stands for.
From a biblical standpoint, obscuring God’s name serves the very objective Satan has always pursued: separating people from God by distorting their understanding of Him. A nameless God is easier to redefine, to fear, or to ignore. Scripture consistently shows that God’s adversary works through confusion and concealment, not clarity.
When we use God’s name, worship stops being vague and becomes personal, exactly as Jehovah intended. He does not ask for distant admiration, but for a relationship rooted in knowing him.
“Jas 4:8 — Draw close to God, and he will draw close to YOU.”
