Calling On The Name Of The Lord

Jarrod Jacobs

I am sure that our readers have heard people say words to the effect, “If you are not a Christian, all you need to do is call upon the name of the Lord, and you can be saved.” Some will teach that in order to be saved, you must say, “Lord, be merciful to me a sinner,” or similar things. Such teaching is a misapplication of what is said in Romans 10:13. There, the apostle Paul wrote, “For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” What does it mean to call on the name of the Lord? Let us read the context of Romans 10 and find out.

 “For ‘everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’ How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!’ But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, ‘Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?’ So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ” (Rom. 10:13-17).

Please notice that after the apostle Paul says we must call upon the name of the Lord to be saved, he asks a series of questions that point out what it means to call upon the name of the Lord. In order to call upon the name of the Lord, we must: 1) hear the gospel, 2) believe the gospel, and 3) obey the gospel! Therefore, calling upon the name of the Lord is a comprehensive thing, not simply saying the name, “Lord.” In Acts 2:21 we read the same phrase. Here, Peter quotes Joel 2:28-32. Peter shows that the events happening at this time on the day of Pentecost were a fulfillment of Joel’s prophecy (v. 16). At this time, he said, “And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Acts 2:21).

What did he mean? Were they commanded to simply say, “Lord”? No! They were told to “hear these words” (Acts 2:22). Peter then proves that Jesus truly is the Son of God (v. 23-35), and said, “Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified” (Acts 2:36). To “know for certain” is to believe. When the people asked what they needed to do to be forgiven of murdering the Son of God, Peter said, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins .... Then they that gladly received his word were baptized...” (Acts 2:38-41).

Therefore, when one calls upon the name of the Lord, he is simply obeying God’s plan of salvation to hear God’s word, believe that Jesus is the Son of God, repent and be baptized! Is this not simple? Of course, it is! Let this article be an encouragement to people to call upon the name of the Lord as the Bible directs before it is too late (II Pet. 3:9)!

What Is The Sermon For?

Jarrod Jacobs

            “How did you like the sermon?” is a question often asked after a worship service. In fact, this is a habitual question that is often asked of visitors and members alike. The “likes” of individual listeners vary amazingly. It is fine to “like” the sermon, but is that really the important thing? Is this really the only standard of judgment after hearing a sermon?

            Actually, sermons are preached, not to be liked, but to be lived! That is a fact. Take time and look into the Scriptures and read the sermons of Jesus, or the apostles, or of Old Testament prophets. Their sermons were preached so those listening (and us reading) would know how to live.

            Let’s suppose that on a given Sunday you do not like the sermon preached. What of it? Suppose that the hypocrite sitting there in services went away in a rage. The fact is that when the arrow of truth pierces the heart, curses often come out! John the Baptist, Jesus, Peter, and John were not anxious that their sermons should be liked. They wanted the folks to live them!

            The crucial question is not, “Did you like it?”, but “Did it help you?” “Did it give you new encouragement to obey God?” “Did it show you how to draw nearer to the Lord?” I encourage you to read the sermons preached in the book of Acts and see the response of the people. The concern was not whether folks “liked” it, but would these people lived what they had learned!

            The sermon may be measured, not by the pleasure of the people, but by their response in action and practice.

“What Is Involved In Salvation?”

Jarrod Jacobs 

                   Since Christ gave His life as “a ransom for many” and shed His blood “for the remission of sins” (Matt. 20:28, 26:28), He brought salvation to everyone (Titus 2:11). His sacrifice provided the way for us to be saved from sin.

                   Is Christ’s death on the cross all that was necessary to save man? If it was, then all people would be saved from sin because Christ died for all (Jn. 1:29; I Jn. 2:2). Yet, we know this is not the case because the Bible says some will be lost (Matt. 25:41). There must be something we must do to receive salvation.

                   In the New Testament, we see that not only did Christ die, was buried, and rise the third day for our salvation; we in turn must follow Christ’s plan for salvation if we wish to be saved (Mk. 16:16). We need to believe that Jesus is the Son of God, “for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins” (Jn. 8:24). Faith is so necessary that, “without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him” (Heb. 11:6). Is this all one needs to do to be saved? No! Faith is the beginning step leading to salvation. One must also obey the Lord’s will (Acts 2:38). Christ did His part, will you do yours?

                   “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.” These words are the Lord’s plan for saving man in a “nutshell.” If one wishes to be forgiven of sins, he needs to believe on Christ and be baptized. In a world that teaches that salvation is by “faith only,” or by praying a prayer, etc., let us be satisfied with the words of our Lord on this subject. These words are often called “The Great Commission” because Christ sent His apostles to preach this message to the world (Mk. 16:15). In like manner, we who are Christ’s disciples need to continue spreading the word (II Tim. 2:2). We need to let folks know that in order to be saved, we need to believe on Christ (Jn. 8:24) and be baptized (I Pet. 3:21). Be warned that if we reject Christ’s words, there is no other way to be saved from sin.

- Jarrod Jacobs

“So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” This verse is set in the midst of a context where Paul reminds the Romans what is necessary to be saved (v. 13-17). He goes on to say that the Jews had heard the truth, and yet they continued to disobey (v. 18-21). Let us learn that true Bible faith comes when we hear and make applications to self. Faith does not come without God’s word, but through it! All the great faith heroes are such because they first listened to God’s word and then obeyed what they heard (Heb. 11). Are we listening? Do we have faith?

- Jarrod Jacobs