I Declare Truth

I Declare Truth!

I am not a fan of all situation comedies on television. As a matter of fact I watch very few of them. With the few that I have followed it has been my m. o. to get interested in the sit com’s after they have gone into syndication. Such is the case with M.A.S.H., Seinfeld, Everybody Loves Raymond, etc. My latest interest is The Office. Now I warn you that in just about all the series, there are episodes that I choose not to watch because the subject matter is too offensive. But in most cases the shows are really funny. Such is the case with The Office.

So there is an episode with one of the lead characters, Michael Scott, facing dire money issues. Another of the characters tells him about this idea of bankruptcy. Specifically he suggests to Michael that he might need to declare bankruptcy. Then he could start all over. So Michael’s understanding is that all he has to do, and in fact he does, is loudly proclaim “I Declare Bankruptcy.” Funny. Of course, he was a simpleton and thought that that literally meant all he had to do was declare it and it would be done.

The Bible has an expression that is found in some form many times. The phrase is “calling on the name of the LORD.” I am afraid there is much misunderstanding about this phrase.

When Peter on the day of Pentecost was quoting from the Old Testament book of Joel (Acts 2:17-21), he said that whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved. So, as Michael Scott would say, does that just mean all we have to do to be saved is to verbally call on His name, just make that declaration?

Is that really what the expression means? If so, what do we do about a passage like Matthew 7:21? This passage says “Not everyone who says to me Lord, Lord will enter into the kingdom of heaven.” Here are people calling on His name who will be eternally lost. So surely, the expression means more than just a verbal recitation of the phrase.

Later in the sermon on Pentecost, the hearers that day were convinced they were guilty of sins. In verse 37(Acts 2), the text indicates they asked the question, “men and brethren what shall we do?” Again if the answer is a simple verbal response, Peter would have instructed them to call on the name of the Lord. The reader is encouraged to read verse 38 to note how Peter answered their question.

Later in the book of Acts, chapter 22 we find the phrase again. The context here is Paul defending himself against an angry mob. He recounts his own conversion and tells of his traveling on the road to Damascus (verse 6) when he was blinded by a bright light. The bright light was a miraculous way of Jesus getting his attention. Jesus then instructed him to go into the city and it would be told him what to do.

Going into the city as he was instructed, in verse 16 we find the instructions Paul received from a man named Ananias. It reads “And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the LORD.” Thus our expression is noted.

Now there are some things we should note about this account.

1. Faith alone is not enough to save man. Paul had faith. The scriptures tell us he addresses Jesus as Lord. In verse 10, he asked “What shall I do, Lord?” And when he was told, he did it. I am convinced Paul was a believer at that point. Why would he do what Jesus told him to do if he didn’t believe? Yet verse 16 notes he still had his sins (and he was still blinded). Paul was not saved on the road to Damascus.

2. So what does “calling on the name of the LORD” mean in verse 16? The phrase is a modifying clause further describing the verbs that have been used. Namely, when Paul followed the instructions, i.e. arise, be baptized, wash away your sins; he was in effect calling on the name of the LORD. Calling on the name of the LORD was synonymous to being obedient to His commands.

3. Further, to examine the original Greek, we find the phrase “be baptized….” is in the middle voice. This means it is something one does for themselves as opposed to something done to them or for them by someone else. So it would be altogether appropriate to read this “arise, and have yourself baptized and wash away your sins.” Paul was expected to follow through with what he had been commanded to do.

Is faith necessary for our salvation? Absolutely. Hebrews 11:6 tells us without it (faith), it is impossible to please Him.

Is faith alone going to save us? Absolutely not. This is the Michael Scott mentality. Matthew 7:21 in its entirety reads, “Not everyone who says to Me, LORD, LORD, shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.”

Calling on the name of the LORD will save us as long as we understand there is more to it than proclaiming a faith in Him or verbally articulating that faith. That faith must be accompanied by obedience, i.e. doing the will of the Father in heaven.

Why is that so easy to see on a television show and yet so hard to understand in religion?