Acts 2:21

Whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Salvation

I. Its nature.

1. Deliverance from--

(1) The guilt of sin.

(2) The power of sin.

(3) The punishment of sin.

2. Deliverance to--

(1) Acceptance with God.

(2) Conquest of evil.

(3) Heaven.

II. Its Condition. Calling on the name of the Lord, involving--

1. A sense of helplessness. A man in the water will not cry if he can wade to dry land, but only when he feels in danger of drowning without assistance.

2. A conviction of His power to help on whom we call. A beggar will not waste time in asking alms of another beggar; a sick man will scarcely rouse himself to seek medical help from one in the same condition.

3. An assurance that He on whom we call will help us when we call. This is faith. The call should be earnest and persevering.

III. Its score. “Whosoever.”

1. Poor as well as rich.

2. Ignorant as well as learned.

3. Bad as well as good. What an encouragement to convinced sinners, Sunday-school teachers, preachers, and missionaries. (J. W. Burn.)

Calling on Christ

There is a story concerning the father of Thomas a Becket, who went into the crusades and was taken prisoner by the Saracens. While a prisoner, a Turkish lady loved him, and when he was set free and returned to England, she took an opportunity of following him. But she knew not where to find him she loved: and all she knew about him was that his name was Gilbert. She determined to go through all the streets of England crying the name of Gilbert till she found him. She came to London first, and passing every street persons were surprised to see aa Eastern maiden crying, Gilbert! Gilbert! And so she passed from town to town, till one day as she pronounced the name the ear for which it was intended caught the sound, and they became happy. And so, sinner, to-day thou knowest little perhaps of religion, but thou knowest the name of Jesus. Take up the cry as thou goest along the streets, and say to thy heart, “Jesus! Jesus!” And when thou art in the chamber, say it still, “Jesus! Jesus!” Continue the cry and it shall reach the ear for which it was meant. (C. H. Spurgeon.)

The secret cry to God

Some years ago a young man was going home one night from the house of business in which he was engaged. The thought occurred to him that he was becoming more careless each year about his soul’s salvation, and that he would soon become utterly hardened. And he said to himself, “Why should this be? Why not seek the Lord now?” So he lifted up his cry secretly as he walked through the street, “Lord, forgive me, and help me to love and serve Thee.” The Holy Spirit, to whose voice he was then listening, inspired the cry for mercy; and the prayer thus offered was answered. The sleeper was awakened, and Christ gave him life. Let your conduct be like that young man’s, for the Holy Spirit is calling you now. If hitherto you have rejected the message, now determine to hear and obey it. An effectual cry:--I heard of two millers who used to keep the old mill going day and night, and at midnight one miller would go down the stream, pull his boat up two or three yards above the dam, and the other miller would come along the other way. One night the miller was going down as usual, and he fell asleep, and when he awoke, it was the water over the dam that woke him. He knew that if he went over he would be dashed to pieces on the rocks below. He seized his oars and he tried to pull back, but he found that it was too late. But he got hold of a little twig between the rocks. It began to give way; and if that twig had come away he would have been swept over the dam and lost; but there was just enough strength in the root to hold him; and so he sat there in that boat and held on, and he cried, “Help! help! help!” and he kept crying, until at last the cry of distress was heard by the brother miller, and he found out the situation, and he got a rope and threw it, and the man let go of the twig and laid hold of the rope, and they pulled him out of the jaws of death. He saved his life because it was an honest cry for help. And there is not a man or woman in this house to-night but that shall be eternally saved if he or she will send the cry up to heaven, “Lord, help me. Lord, remember me. Lord, save me, or I perish.” “It shall come to pass that whosoever calleth on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Put the promise to the test. (J. McNeill.)