Call Upon the Name of the Lord
Matthew 1:21-23
She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins. All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”)
Adam and Eve did not Call Upon the Name of the Lord,but walked blamelessly before the Lord with clean hands and pure heart. They dwell habitually in the presence of the Lord “And they heard the sound of the Lord walking in the garden in the cool of the day …” However, when they disobey the command of the Lord and ate from the tree which He told them not to eat from, they hid themselves from the presence the Lord God among the trees of the garden. Likewise, sin also caused Cain to leave the presence of the Lord until the days of Enosh, when men began to call on the name. Subsequently,Abraham, Isaac and Jacob called on the name of the Lord, in fellowship and in remembrance of the covenant He made with them. (Genesis 12:8, 26:25, 35:1-15).
During the law, the Lord made a covenant with Israel that if they obey His command, He would established them in His name. “The Lord will establish you as a holy people to Himself, just as He has sworn to you, if you keep the commandments of the Lord your God and walked in His ways. Then all peoples of the earth shall see that you are called by the name of the Lord and they shall be afraid of you. (Deuteronomy 28:9-10.) Many prophets call upon the name of the Lord from Joel to David who proclaimed the name of the Lord is to be praised from the rising of the sun to its going down. (Psalm 113:3)
“Praise the Lord! Praise, O servant of the Lord, Praise the name of the Lord!
Blessed be the name of the Lord. From the time forth and forever more!
From the rising of the sun to its going down the Lord name is to be praised.”
The prophetic word to Mary, foretold to the prophets, particularly Isaiah: “Behold the virgin shall be with a child and bare a Son, that they shall call His name Immanuel, translated God with us”, conveyed God’s intent to dwell among men. And the word became flesh and dwell among us and we beheld His glory, the glory of the only begotten of the Father full of grace and truth. The birth of Christ convey God ‘s salvation plan for mankind- meaning the death of His Son, save men from sin, redeem us from the curse of the law, restore and reconcile us to God. God sent His Son to not only live in mankind but to dwell among us, as oppose to dwelling in temple created by human hands.
The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. Acts 17:24
For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more having been reconciled, shall we be saved by His life. (Romans 5:10)
In the dispensation of time, God rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, send His son, according to the flesh, to restore and reconcile us to God. Jesus said: most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of the water and the Spirit he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of flesh is flesh and that which is born on the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I say to you, you must be born again. (John 3:5-6) For God is Spirit, and those who worship him must worship Him in Spirit and truth. (Ezekiel 11:19, 36:26, John 4:24).
With the Spirit of God in us, we can call upon the name of the Lord as foretold by Joel and fulfilled in the books of Acts, when the disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit, and spoke with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance to speak of the wonderful works of God during worship. (Joel 2:32, Act 1-21)
In Christ, we not only behold the glory of God, but His glory is in us (Christ is you) and we are being transformed into His glory by the Holy Spirit, as oppose to the Holy Spirit being pour upon the patriarch who beheld a fading glory in worship. May we call on the name of the Lord, who fills us with the gift of His Spirit and pours His Spirit upon us to give us gifts -as He deemed necessary- to empower us to be witness of Christ in everyplace. (Acts 1:8)
Call Upon the Name of the Lord, let us go boldly to the throne of grace to obtain mercy to find grace to help in time of need: calling upon the name of the Lord to be save “For whosoever calls on the name of the Lord shall save.” And how shall they believe in Him whom they have not heard? Well, faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God, so when the word of God is preached, the Holy Spirit imprints the word of God on hearts and minds. (Hebrews 10: 15-17, John 14:26)
How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? God gives each person a measure of faith, knowing that we would believe in Him; and then He draws us to a place, a person, or a people where we are exposure to the written or spoken word to build faith in God. So, how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they are sent? Preachers are sent to proclaim the word of God, so faith would be imparted on hearts and minds to receive the spirit of faith.
Jesus said repentance and remission of sin should be preached in His name to all nations; beginning at Jerusalem. Whosoever believes in Him shall call on the name of the Lord for forgiveness of sin, to produce fruits of repentance, cultivate an obedience heart toward God, develop the mind of Christ and have faith in God.
As it written “ How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, who bring glad tidings of good things!”
For the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins... Mark 2:10
And if we confess our sin, He is faithful and just to forgive our sin and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.(1 John 1:9)
Call Upon the Name of the Lord, go into His presence, with hands lifted up, calling on the name of the Lord: singing psalms, hymns, spiritual songs, making melodies in your heart with thanks and praise to God who called us into fellowship with His Son. If we walk in light, as He is the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanse us from all sin.
As we fellowship with Him, His words dwell in our hearts through faith, and His words edifies us to comprehend with all the saints, serving Him in one accord to understand that God is in us, (1 John 4:16), God is for us (John 8:31) and God is with us: Immanuel. (Matthew 1:23), He will never leave nor forsake us because nothing can separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:39)
Let us call on the name of the Lord, who gives us the desire to do what pleases Him. May we exalt the name of the Lord, in our words, our choices and in our inner being for God desire truth in our inner ward parts. God himself has highly exalted Him and given Him a name, which is above every name. Call upon the name of the Lord who has obtained a more excellent name than angles, principalities, powers and any name in this age or the age to come. He defeated hell, death and the grave, His body did not see corruption and the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you therefore call on the name of the Lord.
“Oh death where is your sting, Oh Hades where is your victory?
Call on the name of the Lord, the “Wonderful Counselor,” who is wonderful in counsel and excellent in guidance, in all your ways acknowledges Him and He will make your path straight. In meekness and humility, draw near and call upon the “Might God” who is mighty to save and deliver, for the salvation of the righteous comes from the Lord. Cry to the “Everlasting Father” who does not grow tired or weary; He gives strength to the weak and power to those who do not have might. Keep our mind stay on the “Prince of Peace,” He will keep us in perfect peace, God is with us.
Jesus said, peace I give you, my peace I leave with you, not as the world give, do I give you. Let not your heart be trouble neither let it be afraid. (John 14:27)
To those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, and whosoever believes,may we call on the name of the Lord -Jesus Christ -our Lord in everyplace; whatever we do in words or deeds, may we do it in the name of the Lord giving thanks to God the Father through Him. Amen.