www.bible.com/1713/act.2.21.csb
On the contrary, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel: And it will be in the last days, says God, that I will pour out My Spirit on all humanity; then your sons and your daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, and your old men will dream dreams. I will even pour out My Spirit on My male and female slaves in those days, and they will prophesy. I will display wonders in the heaven above and signs on the earth below: blood and fire and a cloud of smoke. The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the great and remarkable Day of the Lord comes. Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.
(Act 2:16-21, HCSB)
The verse of the day from Youversion was a good one, but incomplete. If I were to take that single verse and make it the conditions for salvation, I would be offering a false teaching. In fact, the context of this verse isn’t offering a plan of salvation at all. It is a quote from Joel 2:32.
After this I will pour out My Spirit on all humanity; then your sons and your daughters will prophesy, your old men will have dreams, and your young men will see visions. I will even pour out My Spirit on the male and female slaves in those days. I will display wonders in the heavens and on the earth: blood, fire, and columns of smoke. The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the great and awe-inspiring Day of the LORD comes. Then everyone who calls on the name of Yahweh will be saved, for there will be an escape for those on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, as the LORD promised, among the survivors the LORD calls.
(Joe 2:28-32, HCSB)
Joel himself localized salvation only for those on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem. But Peter expands that idea to include all who follow the Lord in faith and upon whom the Spirit falls. Note that in context, Peter quotes this on the Day of Pentecost, when the Spirit fell upon many who then spoke in tongues.
Paul also uses this passage in Romans 10.
Now the Scripture says, Everyone who believes on Him will not be put to shame, for there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, since the same Lord of all is rich to all who call on Him. For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.
(Rom 10:11-13, HCSB)
So both Peter and Paul use Joel 2:32 to emphasize what they know to be true in the Christian dispensation. Only by the name of the Lord can anyone could be saved. The sign of the Spirit falling in Jerusalem was Peter’s sign to the people. Paul expanded this even more to say the promise isn’t just to the Jews but also to all who put their faith in Jesus Christ. Their emphasis isn’t upon the plan of salvation, for they explain that elsewhere (Peter in Acts 2:32 and Paul in Romans 6). but they are both certain that salvation comes only through the Name of the Lord.
Jesus tells us about this Name in Matthew 28:18-20. He says we are to be baptized in the one Name which is the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Joel says this name is Yahweh. Jesus says that the Name, which the ancients transcribed as “Lord” instead of the Divine Name is the Name of Triunity of God in His three Persons.
As I’ve mentioned before, we become a little tone deaf when it comes to salvation, since we often aren’t sure what the salvation is from. Our physical situation does not change. We remain the same person we were. Our name doesn’t change. In fact, the only change we feel is entirely subjective. When we “call on the Name of the Lord” by faith through baptism, we feel different. Our ability to endure challenges and even suffering changes. We are more directed, more hopeful, more possessed of purpose and meaning than we were before. These may not be changes we were expecting, but these are evidence of a new Presence living in us, the Presence of the Holy Spirit, the seal of our inheritance and the hope of heaven resting upon us.
Salvation is found in no on else but in the Name of the Lord. If this is something you want today, I encourage you to make that decision and become apart of your local church. If you don’t have a local church, I encourage you to find one or found one. Don’t try to go this alone. Let this hope and this salvation be yours today.
Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.
Repent of your sins and confess them before Him in prayer.
Confess the Name fo Jesus before others as witnesses to your Faith that, “Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God! He is my Lord and my Savior!”
Offer yourself to Christian baptism by allowing yourself to be immersed in water so that you may receive 1) cleansing from and the forgiveness of the eternal penalty of sins, 2) the free gift of eternal and abundant life, and 3) the most important gift of all, the Person of the Holy Spirit to take up residence in you.
If this is something you would desire today, call a local church or at the very least leave a comment here and I would gladly help in any way that I can. God bless you on your decision to follow Jesus!
Meritt Musings 