CALLING ON THE NAME OF THE LORD

“Whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Romans 10:13)

From the very dawn of human history, salvation has been tied to this simple yet sacred act — calling upon the name of the Lord. It is not a ritual for the lips alone, nor a mere whisper of desperation; it is the cry of the heart that knows its need and reaches toward the mercy of God. When Paul wrote, “Whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved,” he was not introducing a new doctrine but fulfilling an ancient promise that began long before the cross and culminated upon it.

The first mention of this phrase appears in Genesis 4:26: “Then men began to call on the name of the Lord.” This followed the birth of Enosh, the grandson of Adam. In a world already stained by sin, there arose a remnant that sought the living God. They turned their faces heavenward and began to “call.” The Hebrew word used there, qārā’ (קָרָא), means “to cry out,” “to proclaim,” “to summon,” or “to invoke.” It is not passive. It is the urgent plea of a soul that knows God is its only refuge. From the beginning, those who belonged to the Lord were those who called upon Him — not in theory, but in truth.

Abraham built altars and “called on the name of the Lord” (Genesis 12:8). So did Isaac (Genesis 26:25) and David (Psalm 116:13). Each time the phrase appears, it carries the same pulse of life — worship, dependence, and surrender. To call upon His name is to confess that He alone is God, that His mercy alone can save, that His will alone is good. It is not a casual murmur but the turning of the soul toward its Maker.

The prophets continued this theme. Joel declared, “Whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be delivered” (Joel 2:32). That promise is the very verse the Apostle Peter quoted on the Day of Pentecost when he preached the first gospel sermon (Acts 2:21). There, the prophecy found its full meaning. Peter’s hearers, convicted of their sin, cried out, “What shall we do?” And Peter answered, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.” They called on His name in faith, repentance, and obedience — not by empty words but by surrendering their lives to Him.

The Greek word for “call” in Romans 10:13 is ἐπικαλέω (epikaleō). It means “to invoke,” “to appeal to,” or “to call upon for aid.” It is an earnest prayer. It means to invoke God from the heart. It is the same word used when Paul recounted his own conversion. Ananias said to him, “Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord” (Acts 22:16). The word itself reveals that to call on Christ is to invoke Him as Savior, to come to Him personally, to place one’s trust wholly in His name, and to respond in the way He commands.

Calling on the Lord, then, is not a mere cry in the night; it is a movement of the heart and life toward God. It includes faith — believing that He is who He says He is. It includes repentance — turning away from self and sin. It includes obedience — expressing that faith and repentance through baptism, just as Paul did. And it continues throughout the believer’s life in prayer, worship, and devotion. Those who call upon His name do not stop calling. Their lives become a continual echo of that first cry for mercy.

True prayer is the surrender of the human will to God’s will. Salvation is not by the merit of the mouth, but by the faith of the heart that breathes out its cry to God. It leads us quietly to the foot of the cross, where every sinner can whisper, “Jesus, my Savior and my Lord, I call upon Your name.”

This is what it means to call upon the name of the Lord — to turn to Him in full trust, to invoke His mercy, to depend upon His power, and to submit to His will. The sinner calls, and the Savior answers. The one who cries, “Lord, save me!” finds that the hand of Jesus is already reaching down (Matthew 14:30-31).

And so the promise stands: “Whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Whoever — not the perfect, not the strong, not the wise — but whoever. That means you. That means now.

Lord Jesus, I call upon Your name. You are my only hope, my Redeemer, my Friend. Cleanse me, forgive me, fill me with Your Spirit. Let my life be a continual calling upon You — not in word only, but in faith, love, and obedience. In Your precious name I pray, Amen.

Bryan Dewayne Dunaway