"Calling on the Name of the Lord"

In Romans 10:13 we read, "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." In ACTS 2:21, as Peter quotes JOEL 2:32, he says, "And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”  

Our thoughts today will focus on the question, "What does it mean to call upon the name of the Lord?" 

Before we look at what it means, let's notice how some have grossly misinterpreted and misunderstood it's meaning.
Some have the idea that calling on the Lord is nothing more than crying, "Lord, Lord." 

However, Jesus asked in Luke 6:46, "But why do you call Me 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do the things which I say?"
Again He said in Matthew 7:21, "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven."

Still others will tell alien sinners to simply kneel at an altar and pray to the Lord for salvation. 

They insist that this is how anyone calls on the name of the Lord. Prayer, as we see in scripture, is a privilege of God's children. 
Notice in Matthew 6:9, as Jesus was teaching His disciples to pray, He tells them: "In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name."
No unsaved person is ever saved by prayer. We are told in I Peter 3:12, "For the eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, And His ears are open to their prayers; But the face of the LORD is against those who do evil."

Often in the course of a conversation of this subject, the matter of Cornelius, in Acts 10, will come up. 
It says of him in Acts 10:2, that he was 'A devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, which gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God always". 

Cornelius was not saved by his prayer. Cornelius was a man who reverently worshiped and served God to the best of the knowledge he had of Him.

The man described in Acts 10:2, in spite of his reverence, his sincerity and his good deeds, was lost. He was lost because his sins had not been washed away by the Savior's blood. 
God provided this devout man an opportunity to be instructed and taught the way of truth, just as He will anyone who desires to know HIS truth. 

Notice Acts 10:30-32, "So Cornelius said, 'Four days ago I was fasting until this hour; and at the ninth hour I prayed in my house, and behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing, 31 "and said, 'Cornelius, your prayer has been heard, and your alms are remembered in the sight of God. 32 'Send therefore to Joppa and call Simon here, whose surname is Peter. He is lodging in the house of Simon, a tanner, by the sea. When he comes, he will speak to you.'"

As Peter, the one who spoke to Cornelius and his household tells the account of this occasion, notice what he says in Acts 11:14, 'who will tell you words by which you and all your household will be saved.'

Cornelius had to first hear words that would bring him to salvation. What was he told to do? Acts 10:48, "And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord."

Many today teach that a person calls on the name of the Lord when he simply believes. They teach, "All you have to do to be saved is just believe on the Lord." God's Word teaches more than this alone!

James wrote in James 2:17,26, "Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead"....
26, "For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also." 

Obedience to the command of repentance, confession and baptism does not conflict with inspired statements made by Paul in Ephesians 2:8-9,
"For by grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of yourselves it is the gift of God, Not of works, lest any man should boast." 

When an individual is baptized, immersed, into Christ, he/she has done nothing to earn or merit their salvation.  They have simply complied with God's commands in order to receive the spiritual blessings made available by God's grace.

Paul indicated that those who call on the Lord are the ones who hear the gospel, believe the gospel and obey the gospel. Notice Romans 10:14-17, "How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall thy believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach except they be sent? As it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the Gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things! But they have not all obeyed the Gospel. For Isaiah says, 'Lord, who hath believed our report?' So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God."

The term 'name of the Lord' means by HIS authority. Paul tells us in Colossians 3:17, "And whatsoever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by Him."

His name is above all names and as we are told in Acts 4:12, "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under Heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." 

There is no other authority by which we can be saved, but Jesus Christ Himself. When a penitent believer comes to Him in obedience to the Gospel, that is, to be buried with Him in baptism for the remission of sins as instructed in Acts 2:38, he/she is calling on the Lord's name, or the Lord's authority to save them.

Now go do THE RIGHT THING...Obey God!