From the Pen of Paul

Calling on the Name of the Lord (2)

Note: This subject and the passage before us in this study has long been misused by those who seek to find a way around God's plan of salvation, seeking to eliminate action on man's part. There is only one plan of salvation and it is the same for all people everywhere. The following article is an excerpt from a good friend of mine written in 1982 from a sermon he preached entitled, "What Must I Do To Be Saved?" —Paul

"Whosoever Shall Call Upon The Name Of The Lord Shall Be Saved"

"But what about Romans 10:13?" someone inquires. Does it not teach: "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved?" Indeed, Romans 10:13 does teach this, but what does this mean? It surely means more than saying: "Lord, Lord." For Jesus asked: "And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things that I say" (Luke 6:46)? He also said, "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 7:21). So calling upon the name of the Lord certainly means more than calling his name. We ask, therefore, what does it mean to call upon the name of the Lord?

When Ananias visited Saul, he said unto him: "And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord" (Acts 22:16). But what does this mean? Notice the subject of the clause is the second person singular understood. That is, (you) arise, and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord. Notice that arise, be baptized and wash are all verbs; however, calling is not a verb. Calling is a verbal—a participle, and being a participle it is modifying a substantive, which is the understood subject of the clause. The subject of the clause is therefore the "calling-upon-the-name-of-the-Lord" man. And the verbs show how this calling is to be done. We call upon the name of the Lord by arising, being baptized, and washing our sins away!

Let me give you this illustration: Suppose I were to say: "We watched the little children leap, jump, and run, playing upon the sand of the beach." Question: How were the children playing? They were playing by leaping, jumping, and running. This is the way the playing was done. Had they not done this they would not have been playing. In the same manner, one calls upon the name of the Lord by arising, being baptized, and washing his sins away. This is how the calling is done. Furthermore, if one does not do this, then he is not calling upon the name of the Lord. But this is exactly what the Lord requires in Mark 16:16, and this is what the jailer was required to do in Acts chapter 16, and what Saul was required to do in Acts chapter 22. We see, then, that instead of having three different ways of saving men, the Lord has but one way, and though expressed differently in each of our texts studied, each text means exactly the same as do the other two. There is absolute harmony between them, and not only these, but all other passages that relate in any way to our question: "What must I do to be saved?" Behold therefore the beauty and the harmony in the word of the Lord and be not faithless but believing!

Therefore, if one wishes to be saved, he must believe, which is the initial act, and be baptized, which is the consummating act, in the process of his conversion. And between the beginning and the ending act, one must also repent of his sins, and he must confess his faith in Christ, which an inductive study of the subject will reveal. One must therefore believe, repent, confess, and be baptized in order to be saved from his alien sins. "Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is" (Ephesians 5:17).
—R. C. Oliver (Deceased)

From the Preacher's Viewpoint. . .

Unity in Christ

James tells us that in his day there were those who heard the Word of God but after hearing it they laid it aside and forgot about it. He says, "and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was" (James 1:24). There are those today that can give you a general run-down of things and how they should be according to the Bible. But after they preach and teach things which should be done and practiced in religion, they go their way and forget to do as they have taught.

These folks teach that we should be united in Jesus Christ but they go their way and in actuality sow and spread division. They are not willing to be united on the word of God. We have some that teach we should always be behind and support good, biblical causes, but they go their way and fight the good works of God. We have some that teach sectarianism is sinful and to be avoided, but they belong to a sect within the body of Jesus Christ. We have some who teach that we should love our enemies, but who do all they can to destroy those who do not agree with them.

I wish we could have a unity meeting in this area and try to settle some of these things. You can rest assured there would be some very red faces and embarrassed people if such a meeting should take place, and some of the reddest faces would be some of the preachers around here. We are ready to be examined; are they? Denominational preachers have little respect for the Bible but some of them have as much respect for the Bible as some preachers in the church of Christ that we know. Some church of Christ preachers are afraid to engage themselves in a unity meeting because they know they have not practiced what the Bible teaches on unity and good works. We are ready and encourage a unity meeting among the churches of Christ in the Upper Cumberland area.
—Malcolm L. Hill

Make your plans now to attend Spiritual Renewal
Week at Tennessee Bible College!
April 30 - May 4, 2008
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