Call On The Name Of The Lord!

…for “Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

  Romans 10:13

So, you have recognized your own depravity, sin, and need for a Savior, also knowing that Jesus Christ is that Savior, then there is only one thing left to do…call on the name of the Lord. The passage above, actually a quote from the Old Testament, proclaims that whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved! What a great and marvelous declaration! So, are you ready to move into a born again, vibrant, saving relationship with Jesus? You can do so now by prayer. Your salvation is a personal decision and is a spiritual transaction between Almighty God and yourself. It doesn’t require anyone else, the church, or the clergy for you to enter into eternal life. Calling on God is simply a matter of prayer. Below is a prayer that you can pray to usher in your eternal salvation. Remember that it is not the words but the condition of your heart that matters, something that God sees full well. If you are sincerely wanting eternal salvation, becoming a child of God, and entering into a relationship with God though faith in Jesus Christ, pray this prayer:

Father, I know that I am a sinner in need of a Savior. I know that I have broken all of your laws. I know that Jesus died for my sins on the cross and that His sacrifice is sufficient for me to come into right relationship with you, to be saved, and to enter into a new life in Christ. Please come into my life and forgive me and save me. Fill me with your Holy Spirit so I can become a new creation in Christ and live out my days in service to you. Thank you for your love, mercy, and grace. In Jesus name, Amen!

If you have sincerely prayed this prayer…Congratulations! You are now a new creation in Christ, having been born again, you now have eternal life in Jesus. Share your decision with a trusted, Christian individual. The first act of obedience, after salvation, is that of being baptized. Let’s talk about baptism.

Baptism: An Outward Expression Of An Inward Reality

Believer’s baptism is something that saved individuals do as a testimony to their new life in Christ. The word “baptize” in scripture means immersion. Jesus demonstrated this baptism for us as He began His earthy ministry. He stepped into the Jordan River and went beneath the water as an example of what we are to do as well (Matthew 3:13-17). Baptism is an outward expression of an inward reality. When we go beneath the water, we are symbolizing the death of our old life, apart from Christ and when we emerge from the water, we are symbolizing our new life in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17). Believer’s baptism comes after salvation and is our first act of obedience by demonstrating to the world that we are now followers of Jesus Christ. Talk to a pastor or trusted Christian friend about scheduling your baptism.

Why Calling On The Name Of The Lord Is Essential

It is possible to intellectually agree with a specific doctrine, creed, or religious philosophy yet not be saved. As we have demonstrated, salvation is a spiritual transaction between Almighty God and an individual, requiring no one else. We can literally be saved anywhere, at anytime. So calling on the Lord and praying a prayer like the one above is essential in making sure that we have truly been born again. What’s at stake is our very spiritual life and eternal destination. It could be the difference between being born again vs still living in the natural state. Consider the following: 

But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised. But he who is spiritual appraises all things, yet he himself is appraised by no one.

    1 Corinthians 2:14-15

One way that we can know that we are saved is that we move from thinking that the things of the Spirit of God are foolish to entering into a life with spiritual eyes, able to discern the things going on around us. Calling on the Lord and being born again is essential for us to be spiritually alive vs spiritually dead. Consider this:

For He (God) rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

Colossians 1:13-14

And perhaps the most important thing that happens to an authentically born again person, is that of receiving the Holy Spirit, who comes to live on the inside of us. Calling on the Lord and being born again can be the difference between being filled with the Spirit of God vs being void of the Spirit. All born again believers in Jesus Christ have the Spirit of God living and working within them. This power allows us to live lives that are different from the rest of the world. It is the Spirit in us that allows Paul to proclaim:

Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.

      Ephesians 3:20-21

A Challenge For The Religious

If you are currently practicing a form of Christian faith built on your participating in the religious motion prescribed to you by others and are uncertain whether or not you have been truly saved, I want to challenge you to make your salvation sure, by going through the ABC’s of authentic salvation in Jesus Christ. I encourage you to pray the prayer above and solidify your standing in Christ and in the kingdom of God. I also want to challenge you to go through believer’s baptism and testify to the world that you are indeed a child of God. Religious motion or good works will not save us. Only an authentic, born again, saving experience with Jesus Christ, in which you receive the Holy Spirit, will move you from spiritual death to spiritual life. If you’re unsure, pray and ask God to save you right now!

So the ABC’s of eternal salvation are as follows:

1. Admit, To God, Your Depravity And Need For A Savior!

2. Believe That Jesus Christ Is That Savior!

3. Call On God To Save You! (On The Basis Of What Jesus Did For You On The Cross)

It really is that easy…so simple that a child can understand it!

The Thief On The Cross

If we want to see how this worked in the life of another person, we need look no further than the thief on the cross. Examine each statement by the thief and Jesus Himself:

One of the criminals who were hanged there was hurling abuse at Him (Jesus), saying, “Are You not the Christ? Save Yourself and us!” 

        Luke 23:39

This thief was questioning whether or not Jesus was indeed the Christ. We see this from the unbelieving world all the time. If God is really there then…you can fill in the blank. But contrast that with the other thief:

But the other answered, and rebuking him said, “Do you not even fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? 

        Luke 23:40

The fear of the Lord…something that we haven’t even discussed in the ABC’s of salvation yet it is very important to our coming to the end of ourselves and recognizing our depravity in light of God’s righteousness and perfection. Consider this:

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

    Proverbs 9:10

Back to the thief on the cross:

And we indeed are suffering justly, for we are receiving what we deserve for our deeds…

Luke 23:41a

“We are receiving what we deserve for our deeds.” This statement reveals that this man understood his depravity and that the sin which he had committed was deserving of the punishment that he was receiving. But he continues:

…but this man has done nothing wrong.” And he was saying, “Jesus, remember me when You come in Your kingdom!” 

Luke 23:41b-42

This man recognized that Jesus was innocent and not deserving of the same punishment that he was receiving. This is believing, a proper understanding of who Jesus is. He adds, “Remember me when You come into Your kingdom.” He knew who Jesus was and that He would be entering into His kingdom. This was his calling on the name of the Lord by asking Jesus to “remember” him. And look at Jesus’ response:

And He (Jesus) said to him, “Truly I say to you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise.”

Luke 23:43

This man was saved that day! He was ushered into the kingdom of God along with Christ. Wow! Having never lived a day of his life for Jesus, he still found salvation by recognizing his own depravity, recognizing Jesus for who He is, and asking Him to remember him. And that led to his eternal salvation. Truly amazing!

In The Eyes Of God, There Are Only Two Kinds Of People

He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

  John 3:18

We are either saved or we are not. We have either been born again or we have not. We are either heaven bound or we are not. As many ways as humanity tries to divide ourselves, in the eyes of God there are only two kinds of people…those who belong to Christ and those who have yet to give their lives to Jesus. The above passage describes it quite well. 

Saved or unsaved? Which group describes you? Call on the name of the Lord today!

…if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.

    Romans 10:9-10