Brad Green
Beacon – August 4th, 2014

Our loving and merciful God wants “all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth” (1 Tim. 2:4). Since God desires that all men be saved, He provides for us His plan to save man (Rom. 1:16-17). How comforting it is to know that God loves us and sent His only begotten Son into the world that through Him we might be saved (John 3:16-17). It is also extremely comforting to knowthat we can know what God requires of us regarding salvation (John 8:31-32).

The Bible teaches that, “whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Rom. 10:13). What does it mean to “call upon the name of the Lord”? Many have defined calling on the name of the Lord as a prayer for salvation and for Jesus to come and abide in one’s heart. However, this definition contradicts the words of Jesus who said, “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven” (Mat. 7:21). Any interpretation of a verse in the Bible that contradicts another verse is, of necessity, deemed to be false. The inspired James writes, “be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves…Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone” (Jam. 1:22; 2:17). Additionally, there is no example anywhere in the New Testament of an individual praying for salvation. Therefore, calling upon the name of the Lord does not refer to a prayer or to any spoken act.

It is important to understand how to “call upon the name of the Lord” since it is necessary for salvation. To understand the meaning, we must study the statement in the context of the book and chapter in which it is found as well as the whole of the New Testament. In the immediate context, we find that there are prerequisites to calling upon the name of the Lord—Romans 10:14-15 teaches that one must hear and believe. Also, in the immediate context, verse 16 in particular, we find a phrase that is used in substitute for “calling upon the name of the Lord.” The inspired writer uses “obeyed the gospel” interchangeably with “call upon the name of the Lord.” To be saved, one must obey the Gospel of Christ—i.e., “call upon the name of the Lord.”

The apostle Paul further defines what it means to call upon the name of the Lord when he recalls the words spoken to him by Ananias, “arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord” (Acts 22:16). Here, calling on the name of the Lord is defined as arising and being baptized to have one’s sins washed away. This is in harmony with Paul’s letter to the Romans seeing that Paul told them:

Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life (Rom. 6:3-4).

It is also in harmony with the first Gospel sermon recorded in Acts 2. Peter and the other apostles preached, “whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Acts 2:21). Later, when the audience was convinced of their sins and asked what they must do to be forgiven and thus saved, “Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins” (Acts 2:38). The New Testament teaches that, following faith (Heb. 11:6), repentance (Luke 13:3), and confessing that Jesus is the Christ (Acts 8:37), baptism is the culminating act of God’s plan to save man (Mat. 28:19-20).

The act of calling upon the name of the Lord is inseparable from obedience to the Gospel of Christ and baptism. The Gospel of Christ “is the power of God unto salvation” (Rom. 1:16) and obeying the Gospel is used interchangeably with calling upon the name of the Lord (Rom. 10:13, 16). Being baptized is an act of obedience commanded by the Gospel of Christ and is eternally connected to calling upon the name of the Lord by God, Himself, in such verses as Acts 2:21, 38 and 22:16. The Gospel is God’s power unto salvation and baptism is the act at which the Bible teaches one is saved from past sins. According to the apostle Peter, “baptism doth also now save us” (1 Pet. 3:21) and Jesus proclaims, “he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved (Mark 16:16).

Calling upon the name of the Lord, therefore, is not something that is spoken; it is an act of humility and submission to the Word of God in simple obedience. Those who obey God’s plan of salvation, which culminates with water baptism, and remain faithful to God’s Word until they depart this life (Rev. 2:10) are they who are calling upon the name of the Lord and will be saved.

Lenoir City, TN

The Glorious Gospel of Christ
Danny Douglas

Gospel is translated from the Greek euangelion, and it means: “glad or joyful tidings, good message, good news.” Indeed, the Gospel is good news (Rom. 10:15). It is the God-given duty of the Lord’s church to proclaim it to a lost and dying world (Mark 16:15-16). And, as wonderful as the Gospel is, the soul who refuses to obey it will not be saved, but eternally destroyed (2 Thes. 1:7-9). Now, let us consider why it is such good news, and why it is so urgent for us to obey and teach it.
“As cold waters to a thirsty soul,So is good news from a far country” (Prov. 25:25). The good news of God, the Gospel, was brought down from heaven to earth by the Holy Spirit (1 Pet. 1:12). Inspired men have recorded this message for us in the Scriptures (2 Tim. 3:15-17). Man is lost and condemned without the Gospel (Rom. 1:16). To downcast man, lost in sin, hungering and thirsting for salvation—the Gospel has come!
If we really appreciated the Gospel of Christ, then we will be willing to: (a) suffer for it, like Paul (2 Tim. 1:8-9); (b) sacrifice for its proclamation, and realize that carnal things are very small in comparison to the spiritual blessings brought forth by the preaching and teaching of the Gospel (1 Cor. 9:11-18; Eph. 1:3-7; 3:8); (c) “be fellowhelpers to the truth” (3 John 8); (d) be “fellowlabourers” in the Gospel (Phil. 1:17); (f) spread the Gospel message ourselves (Acts 8:4; Prov. 11:30); (g) help others to be trained to preach and teach it (2 Tim. 2:2). In the Lord’s church today, we urgently need to have a greater love and devotion to the “glorious gospel of the blessed God” (1 Tim. 1:11), which is the “glorious gospel of Christ” (2 Cor. 4:4).

Why Is the Gospel Such Good News?

1. The Gospel is good news because it tells man of the Savior who came to earth to save him (Luke 2:10-12; 19:10). As the song says: “Why Did My Savior Come To Earth…Because He Loves Me So” (1 John 4:8-10; Phil. 2:5-11; Rom. 5:6-11; Rev. 1:5). In the Gospel we learn about: “the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me” (Gal. 2:20b). A wonderful Savior is Jesus my Lord.
The Gospel announces: “how that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures” (1 Cor. 15:3-4). Man, under the condemnation of sin, has a Savior who loves him, and who shed his precious blood to save him and wash away his sins (Mat. 1:21; Rev. 1:5; 1 Pet. 1:19). Man does not have to be lost in hell (Rom. 5:8-9). Now that is truly good news!
2. The Gospel is for all people (Rom. 1:16; Acts 15:7). Jesus commanded His disciples: “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned” (Mark 16:15-16). Indeed, Christ “by the grace of God” tasted death “for every man” (Heb. 2:9).
3. The Gospel is good news because it is the “gospel of the grace of God” (Acts 20:24). “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us” (cf. Tit. 2:11-12). Because of God’s grace, man has the privilege of being taught the Gospel of Christ. Moreover, the Gospel is the message of God’s grace, and the grace of God has made the Gospel possible. By it we have access to God’s grace (Tit. 2:11-12; Eph. 2:8; Rom. 5:1-2; 10:17; Tit. 3:4-7; 1 Cor. 15:1).
4. The Gospel is good news because by it we are begotten by God—we become His children (1 Cor. 4:15; James 1:18; 1 Pet. 1:23). When one obeys the Gospel of Christ, he is begotten by God and born into His house, the church of Christ—the kingdom of God (1 Tim. 3:15; John 3:3-5; Col. 1:13-14). As physical children are begotten by their fathers, God’s children have been begotten by His seed, the Word of God (Luke 8:11; 1 Pet. 1:23). What a privilege to be a child of God (John 1:12-13)! “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not” (1 John 3:1).
5. The Gospel is of God. It is the “gospel of God” (Rom. 1:1; 15:16; 2 Cor. 11:7; 1 Thes. 2:2, 8-9; 1 Pet. 4:17). It is from God—not men! Inspired men received it from God; they did not receive it from man (Gal. 1:11-12; 1 Cor. 2:6-16). Unlike the teachings and inventions of man, it is perfect and eternal (Eph. 1:13; John 8:32; Tit. 1:14; Mat. 15:9; 15:13; 2 John 9; 1 Pet. 1:25; Rev. 14:6). “For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe” (1 Thes. 2:13).
6. Christ’s Gospel is good news because it tells man of heaven and makes the hope of heaven possible (Col. 1:5). Yet, we must be stedfast and faithful, and be not moved away from the Gospel hope if we are to reach Heaven.
We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, Since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which ye have to all the saints, For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel… And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight: If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gos- pel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister (Col. 1:3-5, 21-23).
7. The Gospel of Christ brings peace. It is the “gospel of peace” (Eph. 6:15; Rom. 10:15). By the Gospel, God has made peace between Jew and Gentile, and between Himself and man (cf. Eph. 2:11-22). Because of the Gospel, man is able to have his sins remitted by the blood of Christ, and therefore have access to God the Father (Eph. 2:13-18). “And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:7). By the Gospel “we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Rom. 5:1), which the world cannot provide! (John 14:27; 16:33).
8. We are called unto God by the Gospel, and by it we are able to obtain “the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Thes. 2:14). “God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord” (1 Cor. 1:9). Thus, the Gospel is the only means by which God calls men to Him. Thus, we can understand why God wants all men to hear the Gospel of Christ (Mat. 28:19-20; Mark 16:15-16). What are we doing about it?
9. The Gospel of Christ is good news because it is “the power of God unto salva tion to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek” (Rom. 1:16; cf. 1 Cor. 15:1-2). Our “Saviour Jesus Christ…hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel” (2 Tim. 1:10), “the gospel of your salvation” (Eph. 1:13). It informs man that to be saved, he must: hear and believe the Gospel (Acts 2:38; 15:7; Rom. 10:14-17); repent (Acts 2:38; 17:30); confess Jesus Christ as the Son of God (Acts 8:37; Rom. 10:9-10); and be baptized in His name for the remission of sins (Acts 2:38; 22:16). Having put on Christ (Gal. 3:27; Rom. 6:3-4), one must remain faithful (Rev. 2:10; John 8:31-32; 14:15, 21-24; 1 John 1:7). The sacrifice of Christ has made Gospel preaching possible (1 Cor. 1:18-25; 2:2; Eph. 2:13; 3:8)! How great it is!

704 Azalea Dr
Mt. Pleasant, TN 38474

Tim Smith
July 2007

“Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron’s beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments; As the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion: for there the LORD commanded the blessing, even life for evermore” (Psa. 133:1-3).

A study of the biblical subject of Unity is ever a timely one, and now is no less the case. There is now, and there always has been since shortly after the beginning of the church, much division within the ranks of those who purport to be followers of Jesus Christ. The Psalmist declared that it is a good and pleasant thing when brethren are united, but is this always the case? Is there any set of circumstances wherein unity is not good? Biblically speaking, the answer is yes. Let us take a few minutes to consider these matters.

Unity is Shared Between Brethren

As the Psalmist declared, unity is a family thing. We enjoy unity with each other based on our kinship with each other, and that kinship is based on our relationship with the Lord. We are brethren with each other because God is our Father. The point at hand is well illustrated in Paul’s dealings with the brethren in Corinth. He had condemned extending fellowship to “fornicators…covetous…idolaters” and the like (1 Cor. 5:9-10). That he was dealing with a family relationship was punctuated in verse 11: “But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat.” Clearly the point is that we do not “keep company with” (fellowship) those of this world in a spiritual sense. We do not have family responsibilities to those not in the family of God. Hear Paul again: “For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? do not ye judge them that are within? But them that are without God judgeth” (1 Cor. 5:12-13). We have family duties toward those in the family of God, no more, no less, and none else.

Unity Between Brethren Is Predicated Upon the Brethren Respecting the Principles of Truth

We are granted salvation upon proper immersion (Acts 2:38; 22:16; 1 Pet. 3:21), and we are granted entrance into the body of Christ at the same time (Acts 2:41, 47; 1 Cor. 12:13). But to maintain our salvation and our good standing in the body of Christ we are obligated to be faithful and true to the truth which saved us (James 1:21). Should we, in the course of time, leave the truth and replace it in our lives with error, what happens? Consider the case of the Thessalonians: “And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness” (2 Thes. 2:10-12). The sin under consideration in this passage warranted the ones guilty of it to be “damned,” but what was it? Murder? Extortion? Perversion? No, it was their lack of love for and submission to the truth. When they left the truth, they left their salvation. What was to be done with them? Were they to continue to enjoy the benefits of the family relationship afforded them in Christ? Hear the same inspired writer in the next chapter: “Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which he received of us…. And if any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man, and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed. Yet count him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother” (2 Thes. 3:6, 14-15). This man who left the truth lost his privileges as a member of the family of God and was to be “withdrawn from” by the faithful. He was no longer in “good standing” with God, and Paul demanded that the church recognize that fact. We may not, with the approval of God, enjoy unity with those who have left the truth.

The Prayer of Our Lord for Unity

Our Lord prayed that his followers might be united, and in this wonderful prayer He linked unity with acceptance of the Word of God. Hear him: “Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me” (John 17:20-21). Notice that the unity for which he prayed was linked with the acceptance of (belief in) the Word of Christ as revealed through the apostles. To this Paul adds: “Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment” (1 Cor. 1:10). To do our part in answering the prayer of our Lord for unity and in obeying the command of the Lord through Paul, we must believe in and obey the truth.

It truly is a “good and pleasant” thing for “brethren to dwell together in unity,” but it is only brethren who are so to dwell, and specifically brethren who are faithful and true to the principles of truth. All others are excluded from this relationship. We love the lost, whether they be lost as unfaithful Christians or as alien sinners; but our love for them is demonstrated by teaching them the truth; not extending fellowship to and dwelling in unity with them in their sin.

171 Radford Rd
Dothan, AL 36301