Romans 10:13

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Saturday, 21 September 2013

For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Romans 10:13

Romans 10:13 should be a memory-verse for you. When speaking to others about the Lord, it is simple, concise, and reveals the heart of the gospel. It is an abbreviated form of Romans 10:9 which said –

“…that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”

There is nothing lacking in Romans 10:13 when compared to Romans 10:9. Only a simpleton would call on a dead Lord. Calling on the name of the Lord implies that one is calling on the risen Savior, Jesus. And so Paul begins with “For…” This is an explanatory phrase which should be taken in the entire context of the current paragraph. This is now the fourth time in a row Paul has used this connector –

“…that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture says, ‘Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.’ For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. For ‘whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.'” Romans 10:9-13

The first “for” explains the confession and belief; the second “for” explains the righteousness leading to salvation; the third “for” refers back to Paul’s discourse on the Jewish state before God and then ties it in with the plan of righteousness, which is for all people; the last “for” reaffirms what was said in Romans 10:9, explaining that “whoever” truly means “whoever.”

And so we don’t miss what God is doing, Paul cites Joel 2:23, an Old Testament passage which is referring to “Jehovah” –

“And it shall come to pass That whoever calls on the name of the Lord Shall be saved.” Joel 2:23

By citing this verse, he has made the obvious connection between “Jehovah” and “Jesus”; the two are the same. And his use of Joel 2:23 isn’t without precedent. Peter cited the same verse in the same manner in Acts 2:21. The incredible aspect of this isn’t that Jesus is, in fact, Jehovah. The inconceivable point is that so many deny this obvious truth. Either it is so, or the Old Testament pictures given by God were downright misleading, and the New Testament applications by the apostles are false misrepresentations of who Jesus is.

But when one grasps this premise, then the Bible fits beautifully into an amazing picture of God’s love for His people –

Whoever – unlimited in scope. Any person, anywhere, any color, any language, any background.

Calls – the limiting factor for “whoever.” One must actually exercise their faith, calling out from their wretched state in petition to God.

On the name – The Bible’s concept of a “name” is that of identification with the person or entity. Thus, for example, when Abram and Sarai’s identification changed, their names were changed to reflect what had occurred. They became Abraham and Sarah.

Of the Lord – Only when one understands who the “Lord” is from Joel 2:23 can they appreciate what Paul is stating. “Lord” in that passage is the tetragrammaton, the four-letter designation for “Jehovah.” Calling on the “name of Jehovah” is then to identify with who Jehovah is. This concept is found in Proverbs 18:10 –

“The name of the Lord is a strong tower;
The righteous run to it and are safe.”

Because Paul is speaking of Jesus (verse 9), then with clarity of mind we can know that Jesus is the incarnation of “Jehovah.” He is the God/Man and we are to call on Him as Lord.

Will be saved – Going to heaven isn’t the purpose of being saved. Going to heaven is a result of being saved. Being saved implies “from” something. God’s wrath is upon the people of the world because of sin. Jesus came to rectify this. By fulfilling the law and shedding his blood for our atonement, salvation from God’s wrath is now available to all who, by faith, call on Him as Lord.

Life application: Take time to memorize Romans 10:13. Think on it and be able to explain the “who”, “what”, “why”, and “how” of what this verse reveals. The “when” isn’t stated, but it’s anytime during this walk. As we don’t know our last day, it shouldn’t be a delayed “when.” Share the gospel with the urgency of a soldier on a battlefield.

Heavenly Father, in the New Testament, we see the magnificent fulfillment of all of the Old Testament types and pictures. The Lord above the ladder; the Ladder, and the Stone at its base; the Commander of the Lord’s Army; the Pillar of Smoke and Fire – all are realized in Jesus. What a marvelous display of wonder, beauty, and glory is seen in Him. Thank You for so revealing Your heart to us in our wonderful Lord Jesus. Amen.

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