What does it mean to “Call on the name of the Lord”?
by Mckinley Pate
Acts 2:21 states “And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved”. Our denominational friends often misuse this this passage by saying, all one has to do to be saved is call on the name of the Lord by asking the Lord to come into their lives with a special “sinners prayer”. But let’s look at what it really means to “call on the name of the Lord”. Later in this same chapter verse 37 and 38 states, “Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? 38 Then Peter said unto them, 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”. Peter tells them to call on the name of the Lord by repenting and being baptized. In Mark 16:16 Jesus tells his apostles “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned”. Jesus tells them to preach the gospel and have every one call on the name of the Lord by believing and be baptized. And finally in Acts 22:16 Ananias tells Saul (later to be called Paul), “And now why tarriest thou? arise and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord”. By these three verses it is obvious that calling on the name of the Lord is not vocal calling but a series of action by obeying God’s plan of salvation. Hearing the word, Romans 10:17; believing what you hear, Acts 16:31; repenting of your sins, Acts 2:38; confessing that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, Romans 10:10; and being baptized for the remission of your sins, Mark 16:16, 1 Peter 3:21; calling on the name of the Lord.
1 Scriptures taken from the King James Version of the Holy Bible