“The Name Whereby We Must Be Saved”

Acts 4:9-12

9. If we this day be examined of the good deed done to the impotent man, by what means he is made whole;

10. Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole.

11. This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner.

12. Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

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f we are going to ask ourselves “are you saved,” we are going to have to come to be able to identify salvation. And once we have answered the question, if that answer is in the negative, we are going to have to know how to become saved.

The Bible very clearly teaches salvation through one Man—the Man Jesus Christ. Though very clear in its intent, this message is neither what is always accepted nor what is understood.

Let me say that as a servant of God, I do not believe that one is “saved” simply because he is baptized and filled. You see, just calling the name of Jesus and applying that name to things and situations is not all there is to salvation. Salvation is about a lifestyle which must represent Him.

That which Jesus requires of us after salvation is impossible for the “human being” to accomplish. In other words, it is impossible for the human being to live saved. Therefore, the only solution for one to be saved is that he must be put to death with Jesus!

Why? Because once one has been put to death with Him, he is raised to walk in “newness of life.” This new life supercedes the old—all that it involved, everything that was in it and the “old man” who “inhabited” it.

The Lord’s major “thrust” for these last days is getting Man to accept that he is either “saved” or “not saved,” “changed” or “not changed.” Anything still “in process” is not done.

The gift of Jesus was sent to Man that Man might be saved from himself. Even so, over all of these centuries since His death, we have looked for the wrong thing. You see, we have been looking to be saved from other things and other people!

All of this time, we have failed to realize from where our problems come. Our discontent, our unhappiness, and our misery have come from nowhere but within ourselves.

It would be much easier for our problems to be caused by others because then, the “one time deliverance” that we seem to crave would be enough. What is meant by this? Instead of desiring eternal deliverance, we just want day-to-day, periodic solutions to problems. You know why? Because “eternal deliverance” requires deliverance at the “core”—that core being us and the fact that we must be changed! This is exactly what deliverance is.

If Man will be free of man, he will have to be free from himself. Since what makes him “man” also “operates” him evidently that must be “killed.” So, to be freed from what one is, he must be willing to die.

Our interest in “hanging on” to what we are and refusing to be molded by God is tantamount to rebellion against Him. For you see, as long as one thinks that the operation of the human mind is proper, appropriate and acceptable, he will not seek the Spirit. See, this means that he will continue living life for himself—and the life lived by Man is the life lived against God.

We must understand the significance of the fact that Jesus came not out of concern or necessity for himself, but rather, to give His life for us! For one to go to such lengths, we must have had a great need.

Sadly, the death of Jesus goes to “waste” because of Man not understanding its benefits. Largely, the Man who accepts salvation finds himself no better off, no happier and no more content than he was before salvation. Does this mean that there is “inadequacy” in the Spirit? Heaven forbid. But it does mean that such an one has failed to submit to death with Jesus in the Spirit.

It is not as if the Lord wants to “kill” us over and over again. You see, once we accept our death, it is done and we are freed. We have been provided a way to be put to death without having to undergo physical death.

Now, our subject today speaks of the fact that there is a “name whereby we must be saved.” “What is the significance of the name,” you might ask. As we know, ones name is that which identifies him. When we speak of believing on the “name” of Jesus, we are speaking of having faith in the person of Jesus Christ. When one says “Jesus,” a whole host of thoughts, viewpoints, opinions and experiences is stirred.

If nothing else, the name “Jesus” evokes a sense of the Man Who represented His Father and tolerated no deviance from the path of “right.” To most of us, such a person represents the determination, self-assurance and confidence that we lack. This frightens us, because we immediately assume that the “better” Man will be granted “control” over us. Therefore, we find ourselves thinking for ourselves even when the thoughts are ludicrous and absurd. Through this, we are deceived into believing that we retain control over an aspect of our lives. It seems as if somewhere in the back of our minds, we understand that if we should accept deliverance from God (thus, gaining His guidance), we would “owe” Him—and that is a debt we shrink from incurring.

The name “Jesus Christ” identified the Man sent from God to save us. Invoked by that name are specific attributes, deeds, physical characteristics and opinions of and about that Man. What the Name should provoke in us is praise and thanksgiving for the victory stirred whenever His Name is uttered and His Spirit summoned.

Jesus stands for the best that Man can be and His success means that we, too, can be successful. And why was Jesus successful? Because He never “gave in” to flesh. That, alone, is exciting and hope-provoking.

No matter what comes to one as a result of his union with Jesus, the Lord is to be praised. You see, everything that comes to one after salvation is good; therefore, God is to be praised, for all that He does is good.

No longer should “the name whereby we must be saved” mean simply that once that Name is “called” over us, we are “free and clear.” The name identifies the Person and that Person exhibited for us and for all men for all time, exactly what it means to be saved. His example is as pertinent as it was 2000 years ago and so if followed, will make it easy to answer the question, “Are you saved?”