Calling On the Name of the Lord

Text: Romans 10: 13-17

Thesis: To prove that calling on the Lord means to submit in obedience to God’s pattern

             of salvation.

Introduction:

1.      In the world today, there are many strange, man-made doctrines being taught.

2.      Tonight, we will look at one of those man-made doctrines where many people teach strange things from Romans 10:13 concerning what it means to call upon the Lord.

3.      Nevertheless, there can only be one truth and we can know it (John 8.32).

1. We are able to know what has been revealed.
2. We will go to the Bible for our answer.

4.      What does this passage teach?  We will look at three points:

Discussion:

I.                   Chapter Context:

A.    Paul has the desire for Israel to be saved; thus, he is writing about one’s salvation (Rom. 10: 1).

B.     Paul states that many of the Jews have a zeal of God, but that their zeal is not according to knowledge (Rom. 10: 2).

1.      Many, such as the Pharisees, were zealous about what they were doing, but they were still wrong.

2.      People today can be sincere about what they are doing, and still be sincerely wrong.

C.     Many had chosen alternate routes for righteousness (Rom. 10: 3).

1.      The word “righteousness” means to be legally justified, blameless in the eyes of God.

2.      Many will coin their own system that suits their needs and think that they will reach God because of it.

3.      There is but one way to seek God, His Way.

D.    God’s way for the righteousness of man is that he be in Christ (Rom. 10: 4).

1.      The Old Law was the schoolmaster (Gal. 3: 24-25).

2.      It should teach us that we must be in Christ (Gal. 3: 26-27).

E.     The Jews had rejected/forsaken God’s plan of righteousness.

1.      God’s plan was through Christ, His gospel (Rom. 1: 16).

2.      It was impossible for salvation to be attained by the Old Law (Heb. 10: 4).

3.      Christ said that He is the only way by which man can come to the Father (John 14: 6).

F.      The question then left to be answered from Romans 10: 1-4 is “How can one receive salvation?”

1.      Paul will write that confession is a part of God’s plan of salvation (Rom. 10: 9-10).

2.      Romans 10: 14-15 is an extension of what Paul is saying in verse 13.

3.      Whatever it includes it is:

a.       What God has always intended.

b.      Belief and Confession.

c.       It is the same as obeying the gospel (Rom. 10: 16).

II.                Various Claims:

A.    It is not simply saying “Lord.”

1.      Mat. 7: 21 – “Not everyone that saith unto me Lord, Lord, shall enter into the Kingdom of God…”

2.      Luke 6: 46 – “And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?”

3.      One does not have the Lord if he is not abiding in the doctrine (II John 9-11).

B.     It is not praying the sinner’s prayer.

1.      John 9: 31 – God will not hear the prayer of a sinner.

a.       The argument here is that the Lord is not speaking.

b.      What about Cornelius (Acts 10)?

(1)    There is a basic principle found in John 8: 32.  One seeking the truth will find it.

(2)    Cornelius was not saved by his prayer.

c.       We must define our terms.  Hearing is being used in the sense that God will not save one by his prayer.

d.      Why would John not have been led to make a correction in the text to show its error.

e.       The man must have been familiar with OT passages (Prov. 15: 29; Prov. 28: 9).

2.      Is not taught elsewhere in the NT?  “For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.” (I Pet. 3: 12).

C.     It is not faith alone.

1.      Romans 10: 14 – Belief is listed separately from the act of calling.

2.      Hearing is essential for belief, and belief is essential for calling.

3.      James 2: 19 – The demons even have faith, but they are not saved.

4.      James 2: 17, 26 – Faith without works is dead.

5.      The only place where faith alone is used in the Bible is James 2: 24, and it is taught against.

III.             What it constitutes:

A.    Romans 10: 16-17 – A logical, chain progression:

1.      One has not obeyed because he has not believed because he has not heard.

2.      Therefore, one must hear first, then believe, and then obey.

B.     Paul was told to arise and be baptized to call on the name of the Lord (Acts 22: 16).

C.     I Cor. 15: 1-4 – Paul is preaching the gospel in its fundamental parts.

1.      This is the foundation; thus, all the NT teaching hangs upon this (Mat. 26: 28).

2.      Can find a passage teaching how one can obey the gospel (the death, burial, and resurrection)?

a.       One is told that baptism is a death, burial, and resurrection (Rom. 6: 3-5).

b.      Therefore, baptism is obeying the gospel.

c.       Romans 6: 16-18 states we must obey a form of the gospel, and baptism is that form.

D.    Therefore, calling on the name on the Lord means that one must submit to the righteousness of God which requires one to be in Christ by means of obedience to the gospel plan of salvation.

Conclusion:

1.      We have examined what calling on the name of the Lord is.

2.      We must come to God on His terms.

3.      Have you submitted to God’s righteousness?

4.      If not, why not?  Why not tonight?