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Salvation Promised to Faith Romans 10:13
If you would be saved, you must call upon the name of the Lord. The way of salvation is set before us in very plain, simple language. — ÒWhosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.Ó Paul is telling us that a personal acknowledgement of God and trust in God as he is revealed in Christ is the way to obtain salvation. Look at the verse more closely.
A Broad Word Here is a very broad word — ÒWhosoever.Ó It is my understanding that when making a will, if you want to leave everything you own to one person, it is best to simply say, ÒI leave my entire estate to Shelby Fortner,Ó and not mention any particulars, lest you leave something out. This is what God does here. — ÒWhosoever.Ó ÒWhosoeverÓ includes you and me. Anyone of any age, condition, or character in the whole wide world who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. Those who call upon the name of the Lord have been called by the Lord (Joel 2:32). The Lord called upon, the Lord by whom alone sinners are saved, is Jesus of Nazareth, our Lord Jesus, who is the Christ. There is no other God; and there is no other Savior (Acts 2:31). The grace of God is not restricted to any race, nationality, or social class. It is better to read ÒwhosoeverÓ than to read ÒDonald Stewart Fortner.Ó ÒWhosoeverÓ draws a circle around the globe and includes everyone.
A Simple Word Here is a very simple word — ÒCall.Ó The smallest child knows what that means. A little boy falls down and bruises his knees, or scratches his hands, and with tearful eyes, looks up to his daddy. That look is a call. The boy is saying, ÒDaddy, help me. IÕm hurting. And I know you can help.Ó The call itself implies faith in the one called upon. Sometimes the call is vocal. Sometimes it is silent (Luke 18:13; Matthew 8:25; Matthew 14:30; Luke 8:44).
A Sure Word Here is a sure word — ÒShall.Ó There is not an ÒifÓ in the text. There are no conditions to be met. There are no qualifications. — ÒWhosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.Ó This word is as sure as the throne of the eternal God.
A Precious Word Here is a precious word — ÒSaved.Ó To be saved is to have life, eternal life. To be saved is to be pardoned of all sin, acquitted from all charges, cleared of all guilt. To be saved is to be accepted, favored, received by God. To be saved is to be a child of God (1 John 3:1-3). To be saved is to be an heir of God and joint-heir with Christ. If you call upon the name of the Lord, you shall be saved, immediately and eternally saved. But you must call upon the name of the Lord yourself.
Don Fortner
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Pastor FortnerÕs
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