Have you called upon the word “jesus” or Jesus the Word?

I hope you will read this article with an open mind and heart. Trust the things quoted from the scripture and come to understand the difference between “Jesus” and “jesus”. Many today have been taught all one must do to be saved is to “Ask Jesus into your Heart—And live your life for Jesus.” The claim is that once Jesus is in you, all your sins are washed by His blood, and thus you are saved and can now live for Him. The problem with this teaching is threefold: 1). People are asking “jesus” and not Jesus into their lives. 2). The Bible clearly teaches we are to get into Jesus not the other way around. 3). How can you live your life for someone whom you do not know?

Problem: (1) People are asking “jesus” and not Jesus into their lives…

It is not the word “jesus” than saves: but every word Jesus spoke saves. Listen to His statement to His followers: “It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life” (John 6:63). The apostle John wrote by inspiration of Jesus saying, “¹ In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God….¹⁴ And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:1, 14). A little examination of the word “WORD” in these two passages will shed light on the meaning of “jesus” verses Jesus.

In John 1:1, 14: “In the beginning was the Word… the Word was…14 Word became flesh…” Vines: LOGOS (λόγος) denotes (I) the expression of thought – not the mere name of an object. In John 6:63: “the words I speak to you” Vines: RHEMA (ῥῆμα) denotes that which is spoken, what is uttered in speech or writing ‘in the singular, a word. E.g. (Matt 12:36) “…for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment.” Calling on Jesus means accepting the entire “expression of thought”, “every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God” (Matt 4:4), “words that I speak” plural (John 6:63), which include all the words of the Bible which is “God-breathed.” (2Timothy 2:16, ISV) Paul puts it “For I have not shunned to declare to you the whole counsel of God.” (Acts 20:27) Calling on “jesus” is calling on a mere object.

A “word” singular, really means nothing without all the descriptive words behind it. Example: “John” Are we talking about a men’s room or a person? By itself “John” means nothing. If we assume it is a name, whose? Add some descriptive words to it like: “F. Kennedy” and now you know something, president in the 60’s: “Scarpino”, my younger brother: “the Baptist”, the one who baptized Jesus, but just “John” means nothing specific. In the same way, the mere word “jesus” means nothing and has now power whatsoever.

Jesus asked, “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you?” (Luke 6:46, ESV). Nearly everyone I talk with who have, “asked jesus” into their hearts, have no clue concerning the things Jesus commands. When asked, “Can you list 10 commands of Jesus?”, most grow frightfully silent. People know what Jesus did, He died on the cross for our sins, rose from the grave, but what He commands is a mystery to nearly everyone. Why?

It is the plurality of words which Jesus spoke that give life and that would be the capital JESUS. When He was tempted of hunger by the devil, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread”, Jesus answered “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’” (Matt. 4:3-4). EVERY WORD that proceeds from the mouth of God is what saves and keeps us. NO POWER exists in a name if nothing is behind the name and that includes the name “jesus”.

Problem 2: The Bible clearly teaches we are to get into Jesus not the other way around

Paul wrote by inspiration, “Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?” (Rom. 6:3), that’s where the blood is. Again, Paul said, “For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ” (Gal. 3:27) We are put into Christ through the act of baptism into His body the church (Col. 1:18, 24). Certainly we cannot be saved without faith and grace: “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, ⁹ not of works, lest anyone should boast” (Eph. 5:8&9). But faith that saves is not a single word “jesus”! It is faith in every God spoken word rightly divided, and all in harmony with each other. Every teaching, every command! “All scripture is written by inspiration of God…” (2 Tim. 3:16). The source of all that is written whether by a prophet, apostle, or Jesus, every word is from the mouth of God. When Jesus said “the words I speak to you are the spirit and the spirit gives life” (John 6:63), He next said, “But there are some of you who do not believe” and there in lays the problem. The “Unbelieving Followers” walk away from the words of God because they have been taught to. Followers say, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.⁶⁹ Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

I hope that you can see what we all must do: “get God’s words into us:” “Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God.” (Rom. 10:17) and then obey it (Matt. 7:24-25) for if we don’t obey, we will be lost. (Matt. 7:26-27) We cannot “get Jesus into our hearts” without understanding which comes by the knowledge of the “words” He declared.

Problem 3: How can you live for someone whom you do not know?

The question is asked, “And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard?” (Romans 10:14b) The answer is they cannot. Another question is asked: How can you obey without hearing the command? The answer is the same, you cannot. Jesus said, “But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say?” (Luke 6:46) Constantly, loving, caring and sincere men and women are taught they can just call on the name “jesus”, live their lives for Him, and they are saved. Yet they do not know what He taught, commanded and what He requires of us. Most people today are living a “Christian” life because they have believed the false teachers who “…exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator…” (Rom. 1:25) Teaching only parts of the word, but God “desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” (1 Tim. 2:5) and the Word of the Lord is truth which all men need. (John 17:17) The truth of God is exchanged when men teach a different gospel.

Example: Men say: He who believes, and you don’t have to be baptized to be saved. Jesus said: “He who believes and is baptized shall be saved…” (Mark 16:16). Who’s right? “Let God be true and every man a liar.” (Rom. 3:4). Men say: Your sins are washed away when you ask Jesus in your heart. The Word of God says: “Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins…” (Acts 22:16). Who’s right? “Let God be true and every man a liar.” (Rom. 3:4). Men say: Baptism does not save you.” God says: “…in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water. There is also an antitype which now saves us—baptism” (1 Pet. 3:20-21).

Who’s right? “Let God be true and every man a liar.” (Rom. 3:4). How can you live for someone you do not know? You cannot! “We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.” (1 John 4:6). Salvation is in the power of the gospel, which is God’s Word. (Rom. 1:16).

Will you call on the name of the LORD, JESUS and obey Him? His own words: We must hear and be taught (John 6:45), we must believe (John 8:24), we must repent (Luke 13:5), we must confess Christ before men (Matt. 10:32), we must be baptized (Mark 16:16).

I hope this helps you to see that merely calling on a name, without substance, cannot save you. If you would like to study, please just call me.

In Love

David Scarpino

Welcome One and All!

Our faithful Creator is worthy to be praised in this assembly. All praise to Him who reigns above in majesty supreme! He gave His Son to die, for all mankind, that He might redeem all. Our blessed Redeemer suffered and died for our sins and is now risen and sitting at the right hand of God as only Head of the church. Let us offer the sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving, knowing that He is the author of eternal salvation to all those who obey Him (Hebrews 5:9). “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory!” (Isaiah 6:3)