A Discussion of Evangelism:
Biblical Truths and Modern Evangelism

                         Outline

      Part 1
           I. Evangelism According to God's Word
           II. Access to the Free Gift of Salvation through Faith Alone

      Part 2
           III. Some Unbiblical Modern Evangelism Concepts and Practices
                   A. Asking Jesus into your heart
                   B. ' The prayer '
           IV. Believing in Jesus

      Part 3
           V. Confession in Romans 10

      Part 4
           VI. Calling upon the Lord

      Part 5
           VII. 'Confessing Jesus before men' in Matthew 10:32
           VIII. Conclusion

Part 4

VI. Calling upon the Lord

1. Scriptural use of "call on the name of the Lord"
   1. In Acts 9:14, "call on the name of the Lord" means to believe in the Lord and to live for Him.
   2. In Zephaniah 3:9, "call on the name of the Lord" means to worship and serve the Lord.
   3. In Genesis 12:8; 13:4; 21:33; 26:25, 'calling upon the Lord' refers to worshipping and serving God.
   4. These references show that 'calling upon the Lord' is not limited to a first time or a one-time acknowledgment of Jesus Christ.
   
   
2. In Romans 10, 'to call upon the Lord' means to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and to worship God.
   1. Faith in God and adoration of God expresses itself by addressing God and communicating with Him in grateful worship and service.
   2. 'Calling upon the Lord' is a total life commitment of one's dependence on God and service to God.
   3. 'Calling upon the Lord' is a life of worship and service that results from the new birth. ⁽¹⁴⁾
   4. 'Calling upon the Lord' refers to the constant relationship of dependence, service, communication, gratefulness, and worship a believer has with God. ⁽¹⁵⁾
   
   
3. 'To call upon the Lord,' a person must have correct and adequate knowledge about God and the gospel. Rom 10:14 ⁽¹⁶⁾
   
   
4. 'Calling upon the Lord' in Romans 10 is a result and an evidence of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
   1. It is a work after salvation (justification).
   2. It demonstrates the presence of faith. ⁽¹⁷⁾
   3. It is something a person does after being justified, rather than something a person does to be justified.
   
   
5. A person who 'calls upon the Lord' has already believed in the heart and has been justified (Rom 10:13-14).
   1. When one believes, he is justified (Rom 5:1).
   2. Since 'calling upon the Lord' is after belief (Rom 10:14), it is also after justification.
   3. Therefore, 'calling upon the Lord' is not a condition for justification. Rather, it is an evidence and a result of a person already having been 'born again.'

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Notes

14.  "This formula "call upon the name of the Lord" is a characteristic Old Testament way of expressing the worship that is addressed to God and applies specifically to the worship of supplication" John Murray commenting on Romans 10:12-13, Epistle to the Romans, vol 2, 57.
    "Unto all who call upon him; i. e., who invoke him, or worship him, agreeably to the frequent use of the phrase in the Old and New Testament, Gen; iv. 26, xii. 8; Isa. Ixiv. 7; Acts ii. 21, ix. 14, xxii. 16; 1 Cor. 1.1 2 ; 2 Tim. ii. 22. This religious invocation of God implied, of course, the exercise of faith in him; and, therefore, it amounts to the same thing whether it is said, 'Whosoever believes' or, 'Whosoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.' " Charles Hodge commenting on Romans 10:12, Epistle to the Romans, 345.  [Return]

15.  "... the invocation of His name includes all worship of Him, and exercise of grace upon Him" John Gill commenting on Romans 10 in John Gill's Exposition of the Bible.
    "It becomes therefore very significant when we find just this expression used of the Christians as the worshippers of Christ ... in order to designate them as part from all others. cf. 1 Cor i.2." Sanday and Headlam commenting on "who call upon Him" in Romans 10:12, Epistle to the Romans, 291.  [Return]

16.  "There can be no true invoking on God's name unless such invocation has been preceded by a correct knowledge of Him. Moreover, faith arises from the Word of God." John Calvin commenting on Romans 10:14-15, The Epistles of Paul to the Romans and Thessalonians, 230.
    "... the saving relation to Christ involved in calling upon his name is not something that can occur in a vacuum; it occurs only in a context created by proclamation of the gospel on the part of those commissioned to proclaim it." John Murray commenting on Romans 10:14-15, Epistle to the Romans, vol 2, 58.
    "... there cannot be faith except as the gospel is communicated in proclamation and comes within our apprehension through hearing." John Murray commenting on Romans 10:16-17, Epistle to the Romans, vol 2, 60-61.
    "Faith can only come from the message heard ..." Sanday and Headlam commenting on Romans 10:17, Epistle to the Romans, 292-293.  [Return]

17.  "the only true faith is that which brings forth prayer to God." John Calvin commenting on Romans 10:14-15, The Epistles of Paul to the Romans and Thessalonians, 231.
    "It was the distinguishing mark of New Testament believers that they called upon the name of the Lord Jesus {cf. Acts 9:14, 21; 22:16; I Cor. 1:2; II Tim. 2:22) and therefore accorded to him the worship that belonged to God alone. In the present text the formula is applied to initial faith in Christ but should not be restricted to the act of commitment to Christ which believing in Christ specifically denotes. Calling upon the name of the Lord is a more inclusive act of worship that presupposes faith." John Murray commenting on Romans 10:12-13, Epistle to the Romans, vol 2, 57-58.  [Return]

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L.D. Hammons © 2003 This article may be freely copied and distributed without charge if it is copied in its entirety (without editing) along with this notice - including the author's name and copyright notice.

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