Calling On the Name of the Lord
“And it shall come to pass that whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Acts 2:21). What does it mean to call upon the name of the Lord? It is vital that we answer this question because whatever is involved in calling on the name of the Lord is essential to salvation. The Scripture says that the one who calls on the name of the Lord “shall be saved.” Therefore, we learn by implication that the one who “does not” call on the name of the Lord “shall not” be saved. Consequently, it is gravely important that we understand what it means to call on the name of the Lord.
We know that calling on the name of the Lord is not merely saying a prayer, uttering the words “Lord, Lord.” Jesus made that clear by saying, “Not everyone that saith unto me ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my father which is in heaven” (Matthew 7:21). According to Jesus, only those who “do” the Father’s will, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven. Saying “Lord, Lord” is not sufficient.
Putting together the information we have seen in Scripture, we can draw two conclusions: (1) Calling on the name of the Lord is necessary for salvation; (2) Calling on the name of the Lord is not the same thing as saying a prayer, calling Jesus, “Lord.” In view of these thoughts, we know what calling on the name of the Lord is “not”; yet, we have not learned what it means to call on the name of the Lord. So, what does it mean?
Acts chapter 2 will help. In verse 21, we find the statement that “whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” This is actually part of a sermon Peter preached on the day of Pentecost, as recorded in Acts 2. Peter told his audience to call on the name of the Lord. After instructing the people to call on the name of the Lord, the people inquired, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?” (verse 37). But why ask what to “do” when Peter had just told them to call on the name of the Lord? They asked what to do because they knew that in order to meet the condition of calling on the name of the Lord they would be required to “do” something. Peter then told the people what to do: “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost” (Acts 2:38).
To summarize: Peter told the Jews on the day of Pentecost to call on the name of the Lord. After Peter instructed them to call on the name of the Lord, they asked what to “do.” Peter then told them to repent and be baptized. Therefore, calling on the name of the Lord is the same as obeying the Lord, including the command to “repent and be baptized.”
