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Answer
The prophet Joel delivers a warning to the people of Judah, but his message transcends his time to speak to people of all time—past, present, and future. He speaks of God’s imminent judgment of sin and urges people everywhere to repent and return to God. Joel foresees the day when God’s Spirit becomes available to every believer: “I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days. . . . And everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved” (Joel 2:28-32).
The apostle Peter quotes this entire passage from Joel in Acts 2:14–21 to illustrate the manifestation of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost: “Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them” (Acts 2:2-4).
Peter sees this post-resurrection outpouring of the Spirit as part of the fulfillment of Joel’s prophecy. With its breathtaking signs and wonders in the heavens and on earth, the complete prophecy will not be fulfilled until the last days. However, God’s Spirit was poured out on Pentecost in a fresh way and remains available to all who call on the name of the Lord.
Calling on the name of the Lord expresses familiarity and connection, as in knowing God by name. The phrase signifies identification as a member of God’s family. Whoever calls on the name of the Lord claims Yahweh as one’s own God. This concept dates back to the beginning.Of time when “people began to call on the name of the Lord” (Genesis 4:26; see also Genesis 12:8). God has always sought a people, including representatives from all nations, to devote themselves to Him.
The apostle Paul cites Joel to support his claim that the message of salvation in Jesus Christ is for all people: “For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, ‘Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved’” (Romans 10:12-13). Jews, Gentiles, and people from every nation receive God’s promise of salvation on the same basis—through faith in Jesus Christ. No one is excluded. Everyone has an opportunity to call on the name of the Lord and be delivered from sin, forgiven, and saved «To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins. », (Acts 10:43).
Paul emphasizes calling on the name of the Lord out loud but also in one’s heart: “If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved” «that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. », (Romans 10:9). Calling on the name of the Lord involves admitting our own powerlessness and need for God, believing in His power to save us, and desperately crying out to God from the heart for His salvation (Isaiah 43:11; Acts 4:12; Hebrews 12:14; Romans 3:10-18, 23)
(1 Timothy 4:10). Those who invoke the name of the Lord place their trust in the living God, who is the Redeemer of all individuals, particularly those who have faith. This is why we toil and endure criticism, because we have faith in the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially those who believe.
Whoever relies on Jesus Christ through faith in Him will be saved (Acts 16:31). The plan of salvation is straightforward: “For God loved the world so much that He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him” (John 3:16-17).
The Bible clearly states that we do not need to perform any deeds to be saved (Ephesians 2:8-9). Invoking the name of the Lord does not save us. It is through faith that God’s grace saves us. Salvation cannot be earned through any actions. Our salvation originates from God’s grace, which we receive through faith. Calling upon God is an expression of our faith (Romans 5:1). As new beings in Christ, we will continue to call upon the name of our Lord and Savior throughout our lives «Because He has inclined His ear to me, I will call upon Him as long as I live.»
