#callhisname

PERSPECTIVE MATTERS...

“You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.” ~ Exodus 20:7

I often shudder how loose and casual people handle the Word of God. Tradition can rob the Word of the power and succinctness of its intended meaning. There is a general “acceptance” of man-manufactured meaning of texts that often fly in the face of the context, not only of the text, but of the Author: God Himself,  His name and His nature.

Take for instance one of the most over-used Scriptures used to formulate the basis of a “guarantee” of virtually anyone’s salvation, Romans 10:13. “For ‘everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’" Tradition would have you believe, if you are not especially careful, that this one verse could be used as the lynchpin for the unbiblical notion of “cheap grace.” Anyone who so much as casually calls upon the name of the Lord will be eternally saved? My better sense - which I trust is the prompting of the Holy Spirit - suggests otherwise as I consider the nature of God as revealed by the largess of the entire Word of God. Homiletical accuracy is achieved not just relying upon one single verse which tradition may be guilty of abusing through misinterpretation.

Just as God is not a heavenly-dwelling Santa Claus on high, ready to grant your every wish like some divine genie, neither is God an almighty insurance agent freely distributing fire insurance policies against your burning in hell or a holy bail bondsman indiscriminately handing out “get out of hell free cards” to the hell-bound public seeking to save itself. The very idea of it cheapens grace to a blasphemy having only hellish consequences. The blood of Jesus shed on Calvary was anything but cheap. No, it’s priceless. It came at a price that none of us can ever even fathom of repaying. How is it that we have allowed tradition to make us think that the grace of God purchased on our behalf by the blood of Christ can be derived so incredibly cheaply? Well, I for one don’t buy nor will I sell it. I will not preach it or teach it in any ministry that I am called to be apart of.

Unlike the nuance of anything that we humans can contemplate, much less understand, God can and does discern the motives, intentions and sincerity of the human heart. As the above-captioned Scripture says, “You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain” (Exodus 20:7). I would venture to say, and the Word of God suggests, that there are those who indeed call upon the name of the Lord in vain. What is done in vanity only produces more vanity. You reap what you sow. Those who call upon the name of the Lord insincerely will likely be insincerely saved. This fact is likely the reason why the Apostle Peter admonished us to “make your calling and election sure” (2 Peter 1:10) and the Apostle Paul encouraged us to “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling” (Philippians 2:12). Not that you are saved in any way by your own works, but by your efforts combined with the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit activated within you, you are sanctified as evidence of your salvation. In other words, you will begin to bear the fruit of your salvation.

Remember, when you call on the name of the Lord, you call on His nature to invade your life and your life’s circumstances. It is the nature of the Lord whose name you call on to change your nature when you wear His name like a bride wears the name of her husband. To believe anything less is to call on His name in vain. If you call on the name of the Lord to be saved, expect your invitation to result in your life being eternally changed. Your calling on His name is one granting God permission to indwell you by the presence and power of the Holy Spirit who is coming at your behest to make a palace fit for a King out of the one-time condemned ghetto tenement of your old un-regenerated heart. If restoration and rehabilitation of your old self into a new creation is not your goal, then do not insincerely call upon the name of the Lord whose nature is to resurrect and make brand new out of what’s old and corrupting. 

There is no profit in making prank calls to God! When you call on Jehovah Jireh, you call on His nature to provide for you. When you call on Jehovah Rapha, you call on His nature to heal you. When you call on Jehovah Nissi, you call on His nature to fight for you, lead you into battle and secure your victory. Call on His name when you are in crisis. He will come to save all those who are sincerely in Christ. When you call on His name, you call on His nature. Just don’t call on His magnificent name in vain! If you do, you will likely reap a whirlwind rather than the perfect peace His divine presence assures. You better mean business because God certainly does! Perspective Matters...

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