Whoever calls on the name of the Lord — what 'name' means, and why it matters how you use it

From a sermon · Joel 2:28–32; Acts 2:14–40; Romans 10:8–13

One promise shows up three times across the Bible, hundreds of years apart. Joel prophesied it: "whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered" (Joel 2:32). Peter quoted it at Pentecost, then preached Jesus crucified and risen and told the crowd to repent and be baptized in His name (Acts 2:21, 38). And Paul wrote it to Rome: "whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved" (Romans 10:13). So it's worth asking: what does "name" mean?

What a name is

To the writers of Scripture, a name wasn't a label. It was what a person stood for — the substance of their character and their authority. The Hebrew word carries reputation, fame, honor, authority, character. The Greek word covers everything the name brings to mind: rank, authority, interests, commands, excellences, deeds. To know the name of God is to see His attributes on display and grasp the character the name stands for. A name is three things: rank, reputation, and reign.

Rank

Jesus' rank is His position — in relation to the Father and to all creation. "God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow" (Philippians 2:9–11). He "sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high" and inherited "a name more excellent than" the angels (Hebrews 1:3–4). He is seated "far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come" (Ephesians 1:20–21). He is head of the church, "that in all things he might have the preeminence" (Colossians 1:18) — "the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords" (1 Timothy 6:15). There is no higher rank.

Reputation

Jesus' reputation is His character — how He's known. He "went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil" (Acts 10:38). He came "full of grace and truth" (John 1:14). He taught, preached, and healed all through Galilee (Matthew 4:23), and people "wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth" (Luke 4:22). And above everything, love: "By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another" (John 13:35); "Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins" (1 John 4:10).

Reign

Jesus' reign is His rule over all of it. "All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth" (Matthew 28:18). "KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS" (Revelation 19:16). "All things were created by him, and for him... and by him all things consist" (Colossians 1:16–17). God "hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church" (Ephesians 1:22). And "the kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever" (Revelation 11:15). Highest rank, a reputation of grace and truth and love, and a universal, eternal reign. That's the name.

Three things we do with that name

We call on it for salvation. When we call on and believe in the name of Jesus, we're invoking and relying on His authority, His power, and His sole ability to save us. Men first "began to call on the name of the Lord" in Genesis 4:26. Abram "called on the name of the Lord" at his altar (Genesis 13:4). "As many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name" (John 1:12). "This is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ" (1 John 3:23). "These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life" (1 John 5:13). Calling on His name is leaning your whole weight on who He is.

We pray in it to align with His will. "Whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son" (John 14:13). Think of a police officer saying "Stop, in the name of the law." He can say that because he stands in the place of the law and speaks for it; the moment he steps outside the law he loses that authority, however loudly he says the words. Praying in Jesus' name isn't stamping His power onto our requests at the end. It's starting the prayer inside His name — His desires, His character, His will — so that His power works through our prayers instead of the other way around. When we try to use the name of Jesus to accomplish our purposes, we've taken His name in vain. History is full of that. Instead we take His name to accomplish His purposes: "Your will be done."

We act in it as His stewards. When we do anything "in the name of Jesus" — pray, baptize in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, serve — we're acting in His authority, in His place, on His orders, consistent with His desires. Suppose a millionaire hired you to manage his portfolio, gave you his resources, his advisors, and his knowledge of the future, and one condition: every trade is in his name and every profit goes to his account. You'd have to quit trading for yourself. You'd have to die to your own account and live for his. And you'd do it because his reward is greater than anything you could earn on your own. That's what it is to hire on as Jesus' servant. He gives us power of attorney to transact business in His name and infallible guidelines in His commands. We stop doing good deeds on our own account to earn salvation; every deed is in His name and credited to Him, and we work to be found faithful stewards of His trust.

That's also what the third commandment is about. "Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain" (Exodus 20:7) isn't mainly a verse about cursing. It's about taking everything that comes with God's name and using it according to His will — or not. "Whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him" (Colossians 3:17).

Call on it

The apostles were ordered "not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus" (Acts 4:18) and kept doing it, "and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified" (Acts 19:17). The name still saves. If you've never called on it — you can, right where you are. Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

You've said that name your whole life. Maybe as a curse word. Maybe on a Christmas card. Maybe never on purpose at all. Saying it isn't calling on it. Calling on it means you're done running your own account and you're signing over to His. Jesus died for your sin, He was buried, and He came up out of that grave, and He carries the only name with the authority to settle what you owe. Call on Him right now, out loud, in your kitchen or in your truck. Everyone means everyone. That includes you.

If you're already His, you're carrying His name into everything you do this week. So do this with one thing. Pick something already on your calendar — a shift, a repair for somebody, a hard phone call — and before you start it, say out loud that you're doing it in His name. Then don't tell a soul you did it.

That's not modesty. That's stewardship.

Related: Two ways to finish your course well and King Jesus.