Men began to call on the Lord's name
It was in the days of Seth's son Enosh that men began to call upon the name of the LORD. (Gen 4:26). This is interesting, since Enosh was the third generation from Adam, so it seems like it took a while before this practice started. Of course, Adam had a relationship with the Lord God, and before the fall, God would walk in the garden during the cool of the day and talk with Adam (Gen 3:8). Later on after the fall, Adam's son Abel sacrificed offerings to the Lord. But the first reference to men in general calling upon the name of the Lord was during the days of Enosh.
His Name is Immanuel
The name Immanuel means "God with us", and that is the name of Jesus, who was born of a virgin. "Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel." (Isa 7:14).
He'll Be Called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father...
The prophet Isaiah foretold, "For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." (Isa 9:6)
From the Womb He Has Spoken My Name
God actually spoke the name of Jesus while He was still in the womb. Isaiah prophesied about Christ with these words:
"Listen to me, you islands; hear this, you distant nations: Before I was born the LORD called Me; from my mother's womb He has spoken My name." (Isa 49:1)
This passage is part of the Servant Song about the Messiah beginning in Isaiah 42, which some people mistakenly assume is referring to Israel or to the prophet Isaiah. The things that are said of the Lord's Servant indicate that they are speaking of Christ.
His Name is Jesus (Yeshua)
The angel Gabriel gave this news to the virgin Mary:
"But the angel said to her, 'Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus.'" (Luk 1:30-31)
"On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise the child, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he was conceived." (Luk 2:21)
Salvation in His Name
"If you declare with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. As Scripture says, "Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame." For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." (Rom 10:9-13)
Peter said on the day of Pentecost who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved:
"And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." (Act 2:21)
He was quoting the prophet Joel who said:
"And everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved; for on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be deliverance, as the LORD has said, even among the survivors whom the LORD calls." (Joe 2:32)
In the passage from Joel, the fact that the Bible publisher printed the name of the LORD all in CAPS means that the original Hebrew word in this passage is YHWH or Yehova (also spelled Jehova). Thus we see in Joel that everyone who calls upon the name of Yehova will be saved, and Peter cites this passage with reference to the Lord Jesus, which indicates that Jesus is Yehova.
My Name is the LORD
Yehova says, "I am the LORD; that is my name! I will not yield my glory to another or my praise to idols." (Isa 42:8). Again, the fact that LORD is all in CAPS means that the Hebrew word is Yehova, so He is saying, "I am Yehova; that is My name!"
Protection by the Power of the Name Given to Jesus by the Father
In His high priestly prayer on the night He was betrayed, Jesus prayed to the Father:
"I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name, the name you gave me, so that they may be one as we are one. While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name you gave me. None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that Scripture would be fulfilled." (Joh 17:11-12)
From this passage we learn that the name of Jesus is also the Father's name, which the Father gave to Him. During His days on earth, Jesus protected His disciples by that name, and now He was praying that after His departure from this world that the Father would continue to protect His disciples by that same name.
Likewise, David wrote: "May the LORD answer you when you are in distress; may the name of the God of Jacob protect you." (Psa 20:1)
The Name Above All Names
The apostle Paul wrote that the Father gave to Jesus the name above all names:
"Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (Php 2:9-11)
No Other Name by which to be Saved
Peter said that salvation is found in no other name:
"Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved." (Act 4:12)
Preaching Repentance and Forgiveness in Jesus' Name
Jesus said: "repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem." (Luk 24:47)
Repent and be baptized in His Name for the Forgiveness of Your Sins
Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." (Act 2:38)
Life in His Name
The apostle John said that by believing in Jesus as the Messiah, you may have life in His name.
"But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name." (Joh 20:31)
Cast out Demons, Heal the Sick, Speak in Tongues, Do Miracles in Jesus' Name
Here are the signs that follow those who believe in the Lord:
"And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well." (Mar 16:17-18)
Healing in Jesus' Name
Peter said of the lame man who was healed:
"By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus' name and the faith that comes through him that has completely healed him, as you can all see." (Act 3:16)
"...then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed." (Act 4:10)
Those Who Call on His Name
Ananias was the brother who laid hands on Saul of Tarsus when he first came to Christ. Up to that point Saul had been persecuting those who call on the name of Jesus.
"Lord," Ananias answered, "I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your holy people in Jerusalem. And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name." (Act 9:13-14)
Suffering for the Name of Jesus
The Lord told Ananias that Saul, later called Paul, would suffer for the name of Jesus:
"But the Lord said to Ananias, 'Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel. I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.'" (Act 9:15-16)
Endure Hardships for His Name
We must endure hardships for Jesus' name. Jesus told the Church in Ephesus:
"You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary." (Rev 2:3)
Remaining True to His Name
We must remain true to Jesus' name. He said to the Church in Pergamum:
"I know where you live—where Satan has his throne. Yet you remain true to my name. You did not renounce your faith in me, not even in the days of Antipas, my faithful witness, who was put to death in your city—where Satan lives." (Rev 2:13)
Don't Deny His Name
We must not deny His name. Jesus said to the Church in Philadelphia:
"I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name." (Rev 3:8)
Ask the Father in Jesus' Name
"Jesus promised His disciples He would do whatever they ask the Father in His name:
Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it." (Joh 14:12-14)
"You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you." (Joh 15:16)
"In that day you will no longer ask me anything. Very truly I tell you, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete." (Joh 16:23-24)
"In that day you will ask in my name. I am not saying that I will ask the Father on your behalf. No, the Father himself loves you because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God." (Joh 16:26-27)
Not Everyone Who Calls Him Lord Enters the Kingdom of Heaven
Jesus warned us that not everyone who calls Him Lord will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only those who do the will of the Father in heaven:
"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'" (Mat 7:21-23).
Notice that He said many people who call Jesus their Lord, who prophesy in His name and cast out demons in His name, will not enter the kingdom of heaven, because they are evildoers in His sight, who do not do the will of the Father in heaven.
Purified Lips to Call Upon His Name
The Lord said we need purified lips in order to call upon His name:
"Then I will purify the lips of the peoples, that all of them may call on the name of the LORD and serve him shoulder to shoulder." (Zep 3:9)
Jesus is Present Where Two or Three Gather in His Name
Jesus said He would be present whenever two or three gather in His name:
"For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them." (Mat 18:20)
Beware of False Christs Coming in Jesus' Name
Jesus warned: "For many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am the Messiah,' and will deceive many." (Mat 24:5; cf. Mar 13:6; Luk 21:8)
Welcome Little Children in Jesus' Name
Jesus said, "Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me." (Mar 9:37; cf. Luk 9:48)
Those Doing Miracles in Jesus' Name
"Do not stop him," Jesus said. "For no one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me," (Mar 9:39)
Give a Cup of Water in Jesus' Name
Jesus said that He would surely reward those who give a cup of water to one of His disciple because they belong to Him. He said:
"Truly I tell you, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to the Messiah will certainly not lose their reward." (Mar 9:41)
The Father Sends the Spirit in Jesus' Name
Jesus said the Father would send the Spirit in Jesus' name. He said:
"But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you." (Joh 14:26)
Pronouncing Blessings in His Name
The Levite tribe pronounced blessings in the name of the Lord and we should do so, too, if we know the Lord.
"At that time the LORD set apart the tribe of Levi to carry the ark of the covenant of the LORD, to stand before the LORD to minister and to pronounce blessings in his name, as they still do today." (Deu 10:8)
Speaking in His Name
The prophets of the Lord spoke and prophesied in His name. Jeremiah said he could not keep from speaking the word in the Lord's name:
"But if I say, 'I will not mention his word or speak anymore in his name,' his word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot." (Jer 20:9)
Living Securely in His Name
"I will strengthen them in the LORD and in his name they will live securely," declares the LORD. (Zec 10:12)
Believe in His Name
If you believe in Jesus' name, God gives you the right to become His child. John wrote:
"Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—" (Joh 1:12)
Many Believed in His Name
In the early days of Jesus' earthly ministry, many believed in His name.
"Now while he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Festival, many people saw the signs he was performing and believed in his name." (Joh 2:23)
Saved by His Name
David prayed, "Save me, O God, by your name; vindicate me by your might." (Psa 54:1)
"Then I called on the name of the LORD: 'LORD, save me!'" (Psa 116:4)
Put Your Hope in His Name
"In his name the nations will put their hope." (Mat 12:21)
Our Help is in His Name
David prayed, "Our help is in the name of the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth." (Psa 124:8)
His Name is Good
"For what you have done I will always praise you in the presence of your faithful people. And I will hope in your name, for your name is good." (Psa 52:9)
His Name is Majestic
David sang: "LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory in the heavens." (Psa 8:1)
His Name is Exalted
"Let them praise the name of the LORD, for his name alone is exalted; his splendor is above the earth and the heavens." (Psa 148:13)
His Name Reaches To The Ends Of The Earth
"Like your name, O God, your praise reaches to the ends of the earth; your right hand is filled with righteousness." (Psa 48:10)
His Name Endures Forever
Solomon prayed, "May His name endure forever; may it continue as long as the sun. Then all nations will be blessed through him, and they will call him blessed." (Psa 72:17)
His Name is Holy
David prayed, "Praise the LORD, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Praise the LORD, my soul, and forget not all his benefits— who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion," (Psa 103:1-4)
Since His name is holy, and since it is in His name that we have all these benefits -- like forgiveness of sins, healing from diseases, redemption from the pit, and being crowned with love and compassion -- we should praise His name.
Seek His Name
Asaph prayed, "Cover their faces with shame, LORD, so that they will seek your name... Let them know that you, whose name is the LORD— that you alone are the Most High over all the earth." (Psa 83:16, 18).
Love His Name
The Lord promised a blessing upon those who love His name. He promised to bring them to His holy mountain, to give them joy in His house of prayer, and to accept their offerings and sacrifices on His altar. He said:
"And foreigners who bind themselves to the LORD to minister to him, to love the name of the LORD, and to be his servants, all who keep the Sabbath without desecrating it and who hold fast to my covenant— these I will bring to my holy mountain and give them joy in my house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house will be called a house of prayer for all nations." (Isa 56:6-7).
Notice that these people don't simply love His name, they bind themselves to Him 1) to minister to Him, 2) to love His name, and 3) to be His servants; they keep His Sabbath without desecrating it and they hold fast to His covenant.
Praise His Name with Dancing
"Let them praise his name with dancing and make music to him with timbrel and harp." (Psa 149:3)
Praise His Name in Song
David said, "I will praise God's name in song and glorify him with thanksgiving." (Psa 69:30)
"Praise the LORD. Praise the name of the LORD; praise him, you servants of the LORD, you who minister in the house of the LORD, in the courts of the house of our God. Praise the LORD, for the LORD is good; sing praise to his name, for that is pleasant." (Psa 135:1-3)
Praise His Name
David prayed, "I will bow down toward your holy temple and will praise your name for your unfailing love and your faithfulness, for you have so exalted your solemn decree that it surpasses your fame." (Psa 138:2)
"Let the name of the LORD be praised, both now and forevermore." (Psa 113:2)
Extol His Name Forever
"I will exalt you, my God the King; I will praise your name for ever and ever. Every day I will praise you and extol your name for ever and ever." (Psa 145:1-2)
Rejoice In His Name All Day Long
Ethan the Ezrahite prayed, "Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim You, who walk in the light of Your presence, LORD. They rejoice in Your name all day long; they celebrate Your righteousness." (Psa 89:15-16)
Glory In His Holy Name
We should glory in His holy name and proclaim His name:
"Give praise to the LORD, proclaim His name; make known among the nations what He has done. Sing to Him, sing praise to Him tell of all His wonderful acts. Glory in His holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice. Look to the LORD and His strength; seek His face always. Remember the wonders He has done, His miracles, and the judgments He pronounced," (Psa 105:1-5)
To His Name Alone Be the Glory
"Not to us, LORD, not to us but to your name be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness." (Psa 115:1)
Putting it All Together
The name of Jesus is the most wonderful of all names. Scripture teaches us that His name is Immanuel -- God with us. He is called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace. From the time He was in the womb God has spoken His name, which is Jesus (Yeshua), the name above all names. There is no other name by which we must be saved. Salvation is found in His name, which is Yehova (Jehova).
We preach repentance and forgiveness in Jesus' name, telling all men that they must repent and be baptized in His name for the forgiveness of their sins. We cast out demons, heal the sick, speak in tongues, and do miracles in Jesus' name. There is life in His name, healing in His name, and deliverance in His name.
All of us who truly follow Jesus are those who call on His name. Many believe in His name. However, not everyone who calls Him "Lord" enters the kingdom of heaven, but only those who do the will of the Father in heaven. We must suffer for His name, endure hardships for His name, remain true to His name, ask the Father in His name. We must not deny His name.
God purifies our lips so that we may call upon Jesus' name. Jesus is present where two or three gather in His name. We must beware of false Christs coming in His name. We must welcome little children in Jesus' name. When we give a cup of water to a disciple of Christ in Jesus' name, we will not lose our reward for it.
The Father sends the Spirit in Jesus' name, so ask Him to do so. We pronouncing blessings in His name, we speak in His name, we live securely in His name, we believe in His name, we are saved by His name, we put our hope in His name. Our help is in His name.
His name is holy, it is good, it is majestic, it is exalted, it reaches to the ends of the earth, it endures forever. We seek His name and love His name. We praise His name, even with dancing and songs. We extol His name forever. We rejoice in His name all day long. We glory in His holy name. To His name alone be the glory.
Author's note: If you enjoyed this post, I invite you to read my articles The Name of Jesus, Jesus is Yehova, If My People Who Are Called by My Name, The Titles of Christ, Repentance That Leads to Life, Seeking Him in the Wee Hours of the Night, Crying Out to God Loudly, Lifting Your Face in Prayer, and Lifting Hands in Prayer. You may find the Main Directory for this blog at Home, and you may also access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master."
Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus. Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?
“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15). He preached that we must repent and believe.
Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"
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Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International. He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.
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