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)!

Christ Changes Us

Jarrod Jacobs

When reading about Christ, I am impressed with how Christ changes people’s lives. For example, when Christ chose twelve men to be His apostles, He told some: “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men” (Matt. 4:19-21). He later would turn these fishermen into mountain-climbers (Matt. 17:1)! On another occasion, Jesus met a man possessed with devils, and changed him from one who “wore no clothes … had not lived in a house, but among the tombs …. he was … bound with chains and shackles; but he would break the bonds”, to someone who was “sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed, and in his right mind” (Lk. 8:27, 29, 35). In addition to this, we see that when Christ went to a funeral, He would raise the dead (Lk. 7:11-16; Mk. 5:41-42;  Jn. 11:43-44; etc.). There was a definite change in those folks!

We also see that people changed when they heard and obeyed the words of Christ. For example, we read that some Corinthians had been, “sexually immoral ... idolaters ... adulterers ... men who practice homosexuality ... thieves … greedy ... drunkards ... revilers, and swindlers” (I Cor. 6:9-10). What happened to them? They heard the gospel, believed it and obeyed it (Acts 18:1-8; I Cor. 6:11)! Christ changed them! In the book of Acts, we read about the conversion of the Ephesians (19:1-7). They were also changed, and what a change! They were changed from “dead” to “living” (Eph. 2:1)! Note the degree of the change in their lives: “You were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus, you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ” (Eph. 2:12-13). What a change had taken place in their lives! This change was a result of the relationship they gained in Christ when they were baptized for the remission of sins (Acts 19:5; Gal. 3:27).

 “Change” is the very essence of repentance (A change of mind that results in a change of life)! Christ called for men to repent while He was on earth (Matt. 4:17; Lk. 13:3). Too, when the apostles took the gospel to the world, they demanded men repent of their sins (Acts 2:38, 3:19, 17:30,  19:19, 26:20). Regardless of their background, folks changed when they came in contact with the words of Christ.

It is no different today. If we will be Christ’s, we must change. He demands it! We must repent of our sins and be baptized in order to be saved (Acts 2:38). We must also continue to change and mold ourselves to the image of Christ. The apostle Paul taught: “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed …” (Rom. 12:2).

 “Change” can be difficult. Yet, Christ changes us, and it is a change for the better! We will be better in many areas of life when we accept what the Lord has said and follow Him (Col. 3:17; I Pet. 4:11) instead of following our own ideas as to how best to run our lives. Will you allow Christ to change you?

Spotlight On A Bible Verse: Matthew 17:5

"While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.” The context of this verse records the event when Christ was transfigured. At this time, He was joined by Elijah and Moses, as Peter, James, and John stood by. When Peter suggested that three tabernacles or tents be made for Jesus, Moses, and Elijah, God’s voice thundered from the cloud (v. 4-5).

Peter learned a lesson we need to learn. He needed to listen to Jesus Christ the Son of God. We need to do this as well! It is His voice that is authoritative (Matt. 28:18). It is His words that have life (Jn. 6:63). It is His words that will judge us one day (Jn. 12:48). Therefore, let us “hear Him” in everything and be blessed (Heb. 1:1-2, 2:1-3, 5:9, 12:25-26).

- Jarrod Jacobs

                   “And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.” God’s angel spoke to Joseph and promised him that his betrothed wife Mary, now pregnant, was carrying the Son of God. After millennia of waiting, the Promised Messiah was ready to enter the world. His name Jesus means “Savior” because this was His promised work. He would save mankind from sin and make it possible for us to escape Satan’s kingdom (Matt. 1:22-23). As we assemble today to worship, let us remember the Messiah who came into this world to save us from sin. Let us also remember the man and woman who were chosen by God to serve as parents for the Son of God during those crucial years.

- Jarrod Jacobs

“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?