LESSON FIVE
CALLING UPON THE NAME OF THE LORD

2 Tim. 2:22 But flee youthful lusts, and pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

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

CALLING IS TO CALL A PERSON BY NAMING HIM AUDIBLY

What’s the meaning of calling on the name of the Lord? Some Christians think that calling on the Lord is the same as praying to Him. Yes, calling is a type of prayer, for it is a part of our prayer, but calling is not merely praying. The Hebrew word for call means to “call out to,” “to cry unto,” that is, to cry out. The Greek word for call means “to invoke a person,” “to call a person by name.” In other words, it is to call a person by naming him audibly. Although prayer may be silent, calling must be audible. Hence, calling on the name of the Lord is to call Him audibly: “O Lord Jesus!”

THE PURPOSE OF CALLING ON THE NAME OF THE LORD

To Be Saved

Why do we need to call on the name of the Lord? Men need to call on the name of the Lord in order to be saved (Rom. 10:13).

To Be Rescued from Distress, Trouble, Sorrow, and Pain

To Participate in the Lord’s Mercy

Psalm 86:5 says that the Lord is good, ready to forgive, and plenteous in mercy to all them that call upon Him. The way for us to participate in the Lord’s plenteous mercy is to call upon Him. The more we call upon Him, the more we enjoy His mercy.

To Partake of the Lord’s Salvation

Psalm 116 also tells us that we may partake of the Lord’s salvation by calling on Him. “I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the Lord” (v. 13). In this one psalm calling on the Lord is mentioned four times (vv. 2, 4, 13, 17). The calling here is for the purpose of partaking of the Lord’s salvation. Isaiah 12:2-4we have seen earlier, the way to draw water out of the wells of salvation is to call upon the name of the Lord.

To Receive the Spirit

Another reason for calling on the Lord is to receive the Spirit (Acts 2:17, 21). The best and easiest way to be filled with the Holy Spirit is to call on the name of the Lord Jesus. The Spirit has already been poured out. We simply need to receive Him by calling on the Lord. We can do it anytime. If you call on the name of the Lord several times, you will be filled with the spirit.

To Drink the Spiritual Water and to Eat the Spiritual Food for Satisfaction

Isaiah 55:1 says, “Ho! Every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, And he that hath no money; Come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.” What is the way to eat and drink the Lord? Isaiah gives us the way in verse 6 of the same chapter: “Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near.” Thus, the way to drink the spiritual water and to eat the spiritual food for our satisfaction is to seek the Lord and to call upon His name.

To Enjoy the Riches of the Lord

Romans 10:12 says that the Lord of all is rich to all who call upon Him. The Lord is rich and rich to all who call upon Him. The way to enjoy the riches of the Lord is to call upon Him.

To Stir Up Ourselves

By calling on the name of the Lord we can stir up ourselves. Isaiah 64:7 says, “And there is none that calleth upon thy name, that stirreth up himself to take hold of thee.” When we feel that we are down or low, we can lift and stir ourselves up by calling on the name of the Lord Jesus.

THE PRACTICE OF CALLING ON THE NAME OF THE LORD

Now we need to consider how we should call on the Lord. Firstly, we must call on Him out of a pure heart (2 Tim 2:22). Our heart, which is the source, must be pure, seeking nothing but the Lord Himself. Secondly, we must call with a pure lip (Zeph. 3:9, Heb.). We need to watch our speech, for nothing contaminates our lips more than loose talk. If our lips are impure due to loose talk, it will be difficult for us to call on the Lord. Along with a pure heart and pure lips, we need to have an open mouth (Psa. 81:10). We need to open our mouth wide to call on the Lord. Furthermore, we need to call on the Lord corporately. Second Timothy 2:22 says, “Flee youthful lusts, and pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.” We need to come together for the purpose of calling on the name of the Lord. Psalm 88:9 says, “Lord, I have called daily upon thee.” Hence, we should call daily upon His name. This matter of calling on the name of the Lord is not a doctrine. It is very practical. We need to practice it daily and hourly. We should never stop breathing. We all know what happens when breathing ceases. Furthermore, Psalm 116:2 says, “Therefore will I call upon as long as I live.” As long as we live, we should call on the name of the Lord. I hope that many more of the Lord’s people, especially the new ones, will begin this practice of calling on the Lord. If you do it, you will see that it is the best way to enjoy the Lord’s riches. (Life-study of Genesis, pp. 341-344)

References: Life-study of Genesis, msg. 25; The Lord’s Recovery of Eating, chs. 3-4; Holy Bible Recovery Version, Acts 2:21, footnotes 1-2; Calling on the Name of the Lord.