Calling Upon The Name Of The Lord

Kent E. Heaton Sr.

In the final moments of life and with final words, a voice cries out, “Lord Jesus save me.” As an invitation is given to those who need to obey the message of salvation, a plea is given, “Accept Christ as your personal Savior and you will be saved.” A tract concludes with the statement that if the reader would rehearse a simple prayer to ask the Lord to come into their hearts that salvation would be given. Can salvation be assured only by “calling on the name of the Lord?”

“Calling upon the name of the Lord” is a doctrine of God’s holy Word. This phrase is found twice in the New Testament – Acts 2:21 and Romans 10:13. Peter in his sermon on the day of Pentecost and Paul in his writing to the Romans, quote from Joel 2:32.  How are we to understand the meaning of “calling upon the name of the Lord?”

The setting for Acts 2:21 is the day when the Holy Spirit came upon the twelve apostles of Christ as He had given them direction to linger in Jerusalem “until you are endued with power from on high.” (Luke 24:49) As the apostles were filled with the Holy Spirit they began to speak in tongues (languages) and the people were amazed and perplexed, “saying to one another, ‘whatsoever could this mean?’ Others mocking said, ‘They are full of new wine.'” Peter begins to explain what is happening and says, “This is what was spoken by the prophet Joel,” and then quotes Joel 2:28-32. It is here we find the statement of Acts 2:21, “And it shall come to pass that whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

Peter continues in his sermon to preach about Jesus (Acts 2:22-36) with the conclusion in verse 36: “Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.” Convicted in their hearts concerning the message of the Christ, the question is asked, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?” These people wanted to know what to do to be saved. Peter did not tell them to accept Christ as their personal Savior nor just to call upon Him – rather Peter said: “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.” Calling upon the name of the Lord means to repent and be baptized for the remission of sins.

Paul quotes Joel 2:32 in his letter to Rome in Romans 10:13. In the context of Romans 10, he explains this to include submission (v 3), confession and belief (v 8-13) and the necessity of preaching (vv 14-17). Romans 10:17 affirms the meaning of “calling upon the name of the Lord” when Paul writes: “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” Faith is respondent upon hearing the word of God and believing it.

Salvation is something beyond just saying some words. Further, the letter written to the Romans includes the same teaching of Peter in Acts 2 – baptism is necessary for salvation. Calling upon the name of the Lord affirms baptism as seen in Romans 6. This reflects the same action taken by Paul in Acts 22:16, “And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.”

Salvation is more than calling upon the name of the Lord as men teach today. Jesus said in Matthew 7:21-23, “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. Many will say to Me in that day, `Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, `I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!”