Just Call Upon the Name of Jesus? That is it?

Rom 10:13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved
The bible, which is the Word of God and the Revelation of Jesus Christ to man, promises that whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. Seems easy enough, but is that really all there is to it? Just name the name of Christ and tell him you believe and voila, you are saved from hell and death? I really don’t think that is what God had in mind when he said ‘call upon the name of the Lord and thou shall be saved’ I think it is a much deeper calling than just with the mouth confessing unto salvation. What does it mean exactly to call upon the Lord? Strongs and Thayer’s Greek Definitions defines the NT phrase ‘to call upon’ as:

‘4) to invoke
a) to call upon for one's self, in one's behalf
1) any one as a helper

2) as my witness

3) as my judge

4) to appeal unto

To call upon the Lord is an act of admission that one’s own provision is not sufficient and that you have been enlightened to the depravity of your own wretched soul. It requires great humility to Bow down to a Holy God and confess that you are a broken, sin-sick and perverted, wicked, vile being full of the devil in need of a Savior. It is to place your full confidence that Christ is King of King and Lord of Lords and is our Mediator-witness in heaven making intercession night and day for our souls. It is Christ who is the Judge and jury for all of humanity which will be weighed by the ultimate standard and proclamation of the Word of God. We must make our appeal unto the Father on that day in Christ Jesus who alone is our propitiation for sin. He alone is our mediator to the Father for all of eternity. We must call upon the Name of Christ in full and complete submission. It is impossible for carnal man to do this. For the natural man is proud, boastful, rebellious at heart. However, with God all things are possible. (Phil 4:13) It is by his spirit that man is able to Call upon his name. (John 6:44) Additionally, we must call upon his name not in word only, but God causes a change in the heart unto belief which, not only worships in word, but also in deed. The book of James declares that …..faith without works is dead……James 2:20. Dead faith is certainly no faith at all. Living faith is saving faith and active faith which propels you towards the prize of the high calling in Christ Jesus. This is the kind of faith that serves God in everything. This is the kind of faith that is self-sacrificial always abounding in the Work of the Lord.

2Co 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

This new man does not work to get saved, he works because he has been saved. His spirit has been reborn, his spirit nature is different in Christ for all things are made new. Not that all at once your whole attitude and actions change like magic. Sometimes God works miraculous deliverances instantly, others take some diligence and intestinal fortitude and resolve. Sanctification which is the cleaning up unto holiness in Christ, by putting off the old man and putting on the new in a daily walk with God in Christ, is a lifelong process. The Christian is forever involved in a state of temporary seclusion being changed from Glory to Glory as the Holy Spirit indwells and empowers the believer to bear fruit. That fruit being kindness, compassion, faith, forgiveness, Love, patience. This is not always’s comfortable or the easiest route to take. It is however, God’s will that we not grow stagnant but go on to maturity in Christ. So now we see it isn’t just by the words of our mouth which prove our salvation, it is the evidence of a changed life, fruit of the spirit, and our manner of character and integrity which either testifies for or against our lips proclamation of salvation unto Christ. It is important to know that not all who name the name of Jesus are his. Only those who, with the heart believeth unto righteousness, meaning: their actions back up their words not in reformation only, but newness of heart in Christ Jesus which comes about by the regeneration of the Holy Spirit indwelling in the heart of man.

Rom 10:10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. Rom 10:11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.