Whoever Calls on the Name of the Lord will be Saved

“For whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” — Romans 10:13

We can take great comfort in the fact that Jesus died so we could have eternal life. But what does it actually mean to “call on the name of the Lord”? Let’s look at the scriptures to understand this phrase.

The Context of Romans 10:13

In the first part of Romans, Paul explains that no one can earn salvation. The Jews under the Old Law failed to keep the law perfectly, and they could not make themselves righteous (free from guilt in God’s eyes).

Because sin separates us from God, we need a way to have our sins removed so we can live in harmony with Him.

Paul writes that we obtain God’s righteousness through faith.

• Faith is belief based on God’s Word (Romans 10:9, 14).
• True faith is always coupled with obedience (James 2:14-26).
• Without faith, it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6).

In Romans 10, Paul says we must believe in Jesus and confess Him to be saved. If this were the only passage in the Bible about salvation, that would be all we need to do.

However, we must look at all of scripture to see how the Bible defines “calling on the name of the Lord.” Other passages teach that repentance, baptism, and a faithful life are also necessary.

Joel’s Prophecy

Romans 10:13 is a direct quote from the Old Testament prophet Joel (Joel 2:32).

On the day of Pentecost (a Jewish festival when the church was established), the apostle Peter announced that Joel’s prophecy was being fulfilled. Peter quoted Joel 2:28-32 to explain the miraculous events of that day.

From that day forward, the apostles preached that anyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.

Peter’s Sermon

In Romans 10, Paul points out that to call on the Lord, one must first believe. And to believe, one must hear the gospel.

In Acts 2, Peter preached the gospel about Jesus so the crowd could believe. He showed them that Jesus, whom they had crucified, was indeed the Son of God.

Upon hearing this, many in the audience believed and were deeply convicted. Realizing they had sinned against God, they cried out:

“Men and brethren, what shall we do?”

They wanted to know how to call on the name of the Lord and be saved.

How Do We Call on the Lord?

Peter did not tell them to pray the “Sinner’s Prayer” or simply “accept Jesus into their hearts.”

Today, many religious tracts instruct seekers to say a prayer like:

“Lord Jesus, I do now by faith accept Thee as my personal Savior. I call on Thee to reign in my heart.”

While it is good to want Jesus to lead our lives, there is not a single example in the New Testament of someone being told to pray this prayer for salvation.

Instead, look at what Peter actually commanded the crowd to do:

“Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins.” — Acts 2:38

Peter explained that they were to call on the name of the Lord by repenting and being baptized.

• Joel’s Prophecy: Call on the name of the Lord = Saved.
• Peter’s Instruction: Repent and be baptized = Saved.

Later, in Acts 22:16, Ananias told Paul:

“Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.”

Paul was not baptized because he was already saved. Rather, baptism is the moment a person calls on the Lord to wash away their sins. This matches Jesus’ own command in Mark 16:16:

“He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.”

Complete Obedience to the Gospel

To “call on the name of the Lord” means to appeal to Him for help and forgiveness.

It is much more than just a verbal statement. Jesus warned that merely calling Him “Lord” is not enough to save us:

“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.” — Matthew 7:21-23

Calling on the Lord requires complete obedience to the gospel, which has the power to save us.

For more details, look at this SlideShare presentation:

[slideshare id=31106969&sc=no]