Believe and Call

Romans 10:13

 

The fact is that people will call upon the God they believe in, but they might not believe in the same God we do.

 

There is a promise to the people of all the earth, if they will call upon the name of the lord, they will be saved.  It is very important to understand that people must know who God is in order to call upon His name.  They cannot misunderstand this vital point, for there will be no salvation apart from understanding.  Proper preaching is very, very essential.

1.       I Kings 8:41-43 – Solomon’s prayer of dedication at the temple.  Any stranger from far off, who comes to Israel for the name of the Lord, and calls on the name of the Lord, shall be saved.  It is noted that in order to come to Israel, they must first leave their own homeland.  It is impossible to hang onto the world and cling to God at the same time.

2.       Joel 2:32 – The concluding verse of Joel prophecy, which starts in verse 28, reveals that whosoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.

3.       Heb. 11:6 – “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”  You must believe God is, before you will call upon Him, and receive the reward you desire of Him.

4.       Jonah 1:5 – When the mariners with Jonah called upon the name of their own gods, they got no relief, no help, and no nothing.  If you misunderstand who God is, there is no relief, no help, no nothing for you.  Verse 6-10 – All the mariners knew God was the true God and were very much afraid when Jonah revealed he was running from that true God.  Verse 13 – after the men knew the truth of what was required of them, they didn’t do it, and found no relief.  Verse 14 – after they cried exceedingly, and obey did they find any relief.  Verse 16 – that relief was coupled with fear.

5.       Matthew 9:20,21 – When the woman that had the issue of blood for 12 years believed Jesus could heal her, her belief caused her to act, and she pressed through the crowd and touched the hem of Jesus garment.  It was not touching the hem of the garment that caused her to be healed; it was belief in action.  It was not refusing to plow the fields in the 7th year that caused the ground to be prosperous in the other 6 years.  It was obedience to the Word of God.

6.       Matthew 15:21-28 – Jesus healed the daughter of the women who agreed that it wasn’t right to cast the bread of the children to the dogs.

7.       Mark 1:40 – The leper came, kneeling before Jesus and declaring, “…If thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.”  Do you see the believing, that causes the action of calling?

Luke 17:12-14 – These lepers were cleansed when they obeyed what Jesus told them.