Calling on the Name of The Lord

[Richard]

I'm curious to know exactly what it is to call upon the name of the Lord. I'm sure we'll all agree the best place to find that information would be in God's word.

But before I start my deep dive into the Bible some verses came to mind that I've read before. The first one is about Bartimaeus the blind beggar who called out to Jesus for mercy and healing. The faith of Bartimaeus is seen in how he addresses Jesus as the Son of God. While the crowd tells the blind man to be quiet, Bartimaeus just became louder! When Jesus tells his disciples to bring the blind man over, a miracle happens because of his faith.

Mark 10:46-52 - And they came to Jericho. And as he was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a great crowd, Bartimaeus, a blind beggar, the son of Timaeus, was sitting by the roadside. And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" And many rebuked him, telling him to be silent. But he cried out all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!" And Jesus stopped and said, "Call him." And they called the blind man, saying to him, "Take heart. Get up; he is calling you." And throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus. And Jesus said to him, "What do you want me to do for you?" And the blind man said to him, "Rabbi, let me recover my sight." And Jesus said to him, "Go your way; your faith has made you well." And immediately he recovered his sight and followed him on the way.

This one from Jeremiah sounds a lot like salvation.

“Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.” – Jeremiah 29: 12-13

For me this is an eternal principle and timeless promise - that the Lord is ever near to all who seek Him, and those that search for Him in truth, are certain of finding Him.

Calling on the name of the Lord is basic for salvation and presupposes faith in the Lord. God promises to save those who, in faith, call upon His name: “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” Romans 10:13

And everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved; for on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be deliverance, as the LORD has said, even among the survivors whom the LORD calls. Joel 2:32

Everyone who invokes the name of God for mercy and salvation, by or in the name of Jesus, shall be saved Acts 2:21

“There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved” Acts 4:12

 

[civic]

To Confess


NT:3670 ‎o(mologe/w ‎homologeo (hom-ol-og-eh'-o);

Strong's Concordance

homologeó: to speak the same, to agree

Original Word: ὁμολογέω
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: homologeó
Phonetic Spelling: (hom-ol-og-eh'-o)
Definition: to speak the same, to agreeUsage: (a) I promise, agree, (b) I confess, (c) I publicly declare, (d) a Hebraism, I praise, celebrate.

3670 homologéō (from 3674 /homoú, "together" and 3004 /légō, "speak to a conclusion") – properly, to voice the same conclusion, i.e. agree ("confess"); to profess (confess) because in full agreement; to align with (endorse)




Joel 2:32

32 "And it will come about that whoever calls on the name of the Lord
Will be delivered;
For on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem
There will be those who escape,
As the Lord has said,
Even among the survivors whom the Lord calls.



Here we see Paul quote this OT passage about YHWH and apply it to Jesus who is the one and only Lord according to the N.T.


Rom 10:9-13
9 that 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; 10 for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. 11 For the Scripture says, "WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED." 12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him; 13 for "WHOEVER WILL CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED."


So a person must confess Jesus is YHWH(Lord) to be saved. Confess means to agree with so the person confessing Jesus is Lord is in agreement that He is YHWH. Whoever will call upon the name of the Lord ( YHWH) will be saved.

 

[brightfame52]

Calling upon the Name of the Lord is for the regenerate, nothing the natural man dead in sin can do.

 

[Obadiah]

To Confess


NT:3670 ‎o(mologe/w ‎homologeo (hom-ol-og-eh'-o);

Strong's Concordance

homologeó: to speak the same, to agree

Original Word: ὁμολογέω
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: homologeó
Phonetic Spelling: (hom-ol-og-eh'-o)
Definition: to speak the same, to agreeUsage: (a) I promise, agree, (b) I confess, (c) I publicly declare, (d) a Hebraism, I praise, celebrate.

3670 homologéō (from 3674 /homoú, "together" and 3004 /légō, "speak to a conclusion") – properly, to voice the same conclusion, i.e. agree ("confess"); to profess (confess) because in full agreement; to align with (endorse)




Joel 2:32

32 "And it will come about that whoever calls on the name of the Lord
Will be delivered;
For on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem
There will be those who escape,
As the Lord has said,
Even among the survivors whom the Lord calls.



Here we see Paul quote this OT passage about YHWH and apply it to Jesus who is the one and only Lord according to the N.T.


Rom 10:9-13
9 that 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; 10 for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. 11 For the Scripture says, "WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED." 12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him; 13 for "WHOEVER WILL CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED."


So a person must confess Jesus is YHWH(Lord) to be saved. Confess means to agree with so the person confessing Jesus is Lord is in agreement that He is YHWH. Whoever will call upon the name of the Lord ( YHWH) will be saved.

That sounds good to me. To confess that Jesus is the Lord of our Salvation.

I will lift up the cup of salvation and deliverance and call on the name of the Lord.
Ps 116:13.

I've always looked at it this way to “confess with the mouth” is simply part of “believing with the heart.” They both mean to “profess” faith in Christ. Anyone who does believe expresses this belief.

 

[Richard]

Calling upon the Name of the Lord is for the regenerate, nothing the natural man dead in sin can do.

And put on the new nature (the regenerate self) created in God’s image, [Godlike] in true righteousness and holiness
Eph 4:24.

Paul reminds us that “anyone” can do this—there is no difference between Jew and Gentile when it comes to the necessity of Christ’s salvation, nor when it comes to its availability

For everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord [invoking Him as Lord] will be saved.
Romans 10:13.

Joel 2:32 also sums up these wonderful truths “Everyone [Jew or Gentile, religious or irreligious, good or bad] who calls on the name of the Lord [recognizing who Jesus is, and our need for him] will be saved [utterly loved, blessed and justified eternally by God].”

 

[Doug Brents]

I'm curious to know exactly what it is to call upon the name of the Lord. I'm sure we'll all agree the best place to find that information would be in God's word.

But before I start my deep dive into the Bible some verses came to mind that I've read before. The first one is about Bartimaeus the blind beggar who called out to Jesus for mercy and healing. The faith of Bartimaeus is seen in how he addresses Jesus as the Son of God. While the crowd tells the blind man to be quiet, Bartimaeus just became louder! When Jesus tells his disciples to bring the blind man over, a miracle happens because of his faith.

Mark 10:46-52 - And they came to Jericho. And as he was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a great crowd, Bartimaeus, a blind beggar, the son of Timaeus, was sitting by the roadside. And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" And many rebuked him, telling him to be silent. But he cried out all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!" And Jesus stopped and said, "Call him." And they called the blind man, saying to him, "Take heart. Get up; he is calling you." And throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus. And Jesus said to him, "What do you want me to do for you?" And the blind man said to him, "Rabbi, let me recover my sight." And Jesus said to him, "Go your way; your faith has made you well." And immediately he recovered his sight and followed him on the way.

This one from Jeremiah sounds a lot like salvation.

“Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.” – Jeremiah 29: 12-13

For me this is an eternal principle and timeless promise - that the Lord is ever near to all who seek Him, and those that search for Him in truth, are certain of finding Him.

Calling on the name of the Lord is basic for salvation and presupposes faith in the Lord. God promises to save those who, in faith, call upon His name: “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” Romans 10:13

And everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved; for on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be deliverance, as the LORD has said, even among the survivors whom the LORD calls. Joel 2:32

Everyone who invokes the name of God for mercy and salvation, by or in the name of Jesus, shall be saved Acts 2:21

“There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved” Acts 4:12

I would also look to passages like Acts 22:16 and Heb 5:9.
Calling on the name of the Lord must include taking actions of obedience that show Him as your Lord. If you do not obey Him, then He really isn't your Lord, no matter how much or how ardently you proclaim it so.

 

[Richard]

I would also look to passages like Acts 22:16 and Heb 5:9.
Calling on the name of the Lord must include taking actions of obedience that show Him as your Lord. If you do not obey Him, then He really isn't your Lord, no matter how much or how ardently you proclaim it so.

Acts 22:16 And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.

I read what you posted in the other thread about baptism and have been thinking about it. I've been through the controversial debate on baptism many times. My conclusion is baptism is a good thing. It was good enough for Jesus and it's good enough for me.

"For we were all baptised by one Spirit into one body – whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free – we were all given the one Spirit to drink." (1 Corinthians 12:13)

And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him; Hebrews 5:9

You can't argue with that one. Take with the first thing Jesus said we must do to be saved and hold on to that and everything else that He instructed us to do.

A lot of people misunderstand "Lordship Salvation". To me Jesus being your savior and your lord go hand in hand.

 

[Tranquil]

When we call on the name of the Lord we are recognizing Him as Savior. Whether it is a first-time calling upon Jesus’ name for forgiveness of sins or a continuous calling as our relationship with Him progresses and grows, giving Him lordship over our lives in surrender to His will, calling on the name of the Lord is vital to spiritual life. Ultimately, calling on the name of the Lord is a sign of humility and dependence on God our Creator and Redeemer.

Baptism and obedience are both important or they wouldn't be in the Bible.

 

[Richard]

This brother discusses the first thing that came to my mind when I started thinking about "Calling on the name of the Lord" earlier today. But now I see there's so much more to it.

 

[praise_yeshua]

Calling upon the Name of the Lord is for the regenerate, nothing the natural man dead in sin can do.

False claim.

Rom 10:14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?

Notice the only requirement being a preacher.

 

[praise_yeshua]

I would also look to passages like Acts 22:16 and Heb 5:9.
Calling on the name of the Lord must include taking actions of obedience that show Him as your Lord. If you do not obey Him, then He really isn't your Lord, no matter how much or how ardently you proclaim it so.

There is more than one call. Faith is a life. Lifelong relationship. We cry "Abba Father".

 

[Speculator]

I've never given this topic much thought either. Good video, very informative. I did a quick study on Joel 2:32 And here's what my Bible showed me.

Joel prophesies the inauguration of the age of the church—a time when all people everywhere can call on the name of the Lord, be saved from their sins, and become participants in the kingdom of God. Through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, the church becomes the body of Christ in the world. The redemptive purposes of God are therefore extended and made available through every Spirit-filled believer.

Jack W. Hayford, Spirit Filled Life Study Bible

 

[Speculator]

Calling upon the Name of the Lord is for the regenerate, nothing the natural man dead in sin can do.

As God addresses the effective call of the gospel to us, he regenerates us and we respond in faith and repentance to this call. It's instantaneous it all happens at the same time.

Calvinist Matt Slick gives an illustration intended to demonstrate regeneration is logically prior but not temporally prior to faith. He illustrates it this way, “In a light bulb, electricity must be in place in order for light to occur. . . . Therefore, the electricity is logically first, but not temporally first because when the electricity is present, light is the necessary and simultaneous result. . . .When regeneration is in place, faith is the necessary and simultaneous result. . . . As with the light bulb and electricity, one is logically prior to the other even though they are simultaneous.”

 

[brightfame52]

And put on the new nature (the regenerate self) created in God’s image, [Godlike] in true righteousness and holiness
Eph 4:24.

Paul reminds us that “anyone” can do this—there is no difference between Jew and Gentile when it comes to the necessity of Christ’s salvation, nor when it comes to its availability

For everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord [invoking Him as Lord] will be saved.
Romans 10:13.

Joel 2:32 also sums up these wonderful truths “Everyone [Jew or Gentile, religious or irreligious, good or bad] who calls on the name of the Lord [recognizing who Jesus is, and our need for him] will be saved [utterly loved, blessed and justified eternally by God].”

Again, only the saved, regenerate can call upon the Name of the Lord. Everyone else is dead in sin

 

[brightfame52]

False claim.

Rom 10:14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?

Notice the only requirement being a preacher.

The dead in sin cannot call upon the name of the Lord. They are at enmity against God Rom 8:7-8

7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.

8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.

 

[praise_yeshua]

The dead in sin cannot call upon the name of the Lord. They are at enmity against God Rom 8:7-8

7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.

8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.

That leaves you out as well. All of mankind have this same issues. As referenced from The Gospel Paul preached, the requirement is a preacher who preaches the Gospel. That is the requirement. Not what you're "adding".

 

[brightfame52]

As God addresses the effective call of the gospel to us, he regenerates us and we respond in faith and repentance to this call. It's instantaneous it all happens at the same time.

Calvinist Matt Slick gives an illustration intended to demonstrate regeneration is logically prior but not temporally prior to faith. He illustrates it this way, “In a light bulb, electricity must be in place in order for light to occur. . . . Therefore, the electricity is logically first, but not temporally first because when the electricity is present, light is the necessary and simultaneous result. . . .When regeneration is in place, faith is the necessary and simultaneous result. . . . As with the light bulb and electricity, one is logically prior to the other even though they are simultaneous.”

One cant call upon the name of the Lord unless they are spiritually alive to God first. David said Ps 80:18

18 So will not we go back from thee: quicken us, and we will call upon thy name.

And this is from a man who already believed in God

 

[Fred]

I'm curious to know exactly what it is to call upon the name of the Lord.

It means to pray to YHWH.

1 Kings 18:24, 36-37
(24) And call ye on the name of your gods, and I will call on the Name of the Lord: and the God that answereth by fire, let Him be God. And all the people answered and said, It is well spoken...
(36) And it came to pass at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near and said, O Lord God of Abraham, Isaac and of Israel, let it be known this day that Thou art God in Israel, and that I am Thy servant, and that I have done all these things at Thy word.
(37) Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that this people may know that Thou art the Lord God, and that Thou hast turned their heart back again.

Psalm 116:1-4
(1) I love the Lord, because He hath heard my voice and my supplications.
(2) Because He hath inclined His ear unto me, therefore will I call upon Him as long as I live.
(3) The sorrows of death compassed me, and the pains of Sheol gat hold upon me: I found trouble and sorrow.
(4) Then called I upon the Name of the Lord; O Lord, I beseech Thee, deliver my soul.

Lamentations 3:55-57
(55) I called upon Thy Name, O Lord, out of the deepest dungeon.
(56) Thou hast heard my voice: hide not Thine ear at my sighing, at my cry.
(57) Thou drewest near in the day I called upon Thee: Thou saidst, Fear not.

The fact that to "call upon the Name of the Lord" (or variations of this expression) are used in reference to the Lord Jesus demonstrates He is to be prayed to as being YHWH (Acts 2:21; 9:14, 21; 22:16; Romans 10:12-14; 1 Corinthians 1:2; 2 Timothy 2:22; cf. Acts 7:59).

 

[brightfame52]

That leaves you out as well. All of mankind have this same issues. As referenced from The Gospel Paul preached, the requirement is a preacher who preaches the Gospel. That is the requirement. Not what you're "adding".

It leaves everyone out thats not born again.

 

[Doug Brents]

Acts 22:16 And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.

I read what you posted in the other thread about baptism and have been thinking about it. I've been through the controversial debate on baptism many times. My conclusion is baptism is a good thing. It was good enough for Jesus and it's good enough for me.

"For we were all baptised by one Spirit into one body – whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free – we were all given the one Spirit to drink." (1 Corinthians 12:13)

Some people read this as "spiritual" baptism, but 1 Pet 3:21 makes it clear that the baptism that saves is in water, and Col 2:11-14 make it clear that it is the Holy Spirit that is the active ingredient in baptism that removes our sin and unites us with Jesus' death and resurrection.

And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him; Hebrews 5:9
You can't argue with that one. Take with the first thing Jesus said we must do to be saved and hold on to that and everything else that He instructed us to do.

I believe that a lot of people want to take one verse here, and another there, and make them the sole reference of their doctrine. But if any passage speaks to a particular topic, then that passage must be included in your doctrine on that topic.
For instance: John 3:16 only says that we need to believe to be saved.
But Rom 10:9-10 says that we must believe and confess Jesus as Lord.
And then Acts 3:19 only says that we must repent to be forgiven (saved).
But then Acts 2:38 says repent and be baptized to receive forgiveness.
So which is it? I believe that all of them must be included, because none of those passages is more "truth" than any of the others, and if we exclude any of them, then we have ignored part of the Word of God that is important to the topic we are considering.

A lot of people misunderstand "Lordship Salvation". To me Jesus being your savior and your lord go hand in hand.

If He is not your Lord then He cannot be your savior.