Automatic Transcript Generated:
Speaker 1
So Paul is asking in 1 John 5:13, what is meant by these things? Have I written unto you that believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life and that ye may believe on in the name of God?
Speaker 2
All that is a really good question. And the thing is, when it’s talking about here, first of all, it’s talking about two really key points. One is having salvation, and one is belief in the name of Jesus Christ. I’ll quickly summarize this in that. How do we know we’re saved? How do we know we have salvation? And you see that very clearly in the Book of John, chapter 17, verse three, where Jesus himself says, and this is life eternal, that they would know thee, the Father, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you thou have set. So here we see Jesus is saying that we only have salvation by knowing God and knowing His Son. But the thing is, how do we know the Father? We know him through the Son, which is why Jesus came in the first place. Jesus. Is Emmanuel God with us? And again, like I said earlier in John chapter 14, verse six, it says Jesus says I’m the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father but through me. Now, why is it though in this first, it’s showing the importance of believing on the name of Jesus?
Speaker 2
And I’ll pinpoint something out to you that I think is kind of my thoughts on them. I’m sure Jay Wendy probably have some thoughts too. But looking back at when the angel came to Mary and said, you’re going to have a Son who’s going to be basically the Messiah, he said you’re going to name him Jesus. And if you look in Matthew chapter one, verse 21, and the angel says to Mary, and thou shalt call his name Jesus, for he shall save his people from their sins. And so the name of Jesus means the one who’s going to save them or the Savior. So if we believe in Jesus, it’s not just that we’re saying the name, like just saying the name Jesus by itself without any meaning behind it. It doesn’t have any power. People say Jesus Christ as a swear word. That doesn’t mean they’re going to get any blessing out of it. Obviously that’s taking the Lord’s name in vain. So we don’t want to do that. When we say we believe on the name of Jesus Christ, we’re basically saying we’re trusting in who he is, that he is our Savior, that he is the Son of God, and only through Him do we have salvation.
Speaker 2
Only through Jesus Christ do we have access to the Father in order to have salvation. And I like to think of Jesus. I know we’re kind of talking about Jesus earlier, as you remember when Jacob had fled from his brother. He had deceived his father and he fled from his brother and he said a prayer and said, god, please spare me and bring me back to this place. And he had a dream. And in that dream that night, jacob had a dream of a ladder going from heaven to earth. And the angels were going back and forth. And a lot of people have thought that this ladder in a way is a symbol of Jesus. Jesus is that bridge that connecting peace, that ladder that we have between heaven and earth to access our Father in heaven, to access heaven itself. Because it’s only through Jesus that we have salvation. Jesus is that mediator. He’s our savior. He’s our messiah. And so that’s really the importance of believing on the name of Jesus Christ. And we do see a picture of God proclaiming his name. And it’s interesting because when you look at this, basically in the book of Exodus, chapter 33, in this story, basically Moses was talking to God and he was saying, can you just show me your glory?
Speaker 2
And God says, I’m going to have proclaim my name. And when you go, then later in the next chapter, Exodus chapter 34, it’s really beautiful what God says here. So basically God’s saying, I’m going to tell you my name. And in Exodus 34 again, in verse 36, it says, and the Lord passed by the form and claimed the Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, long suffering and abundant in goodness and truth. So basically when God is saying his name, he’s saying, this is who I am, this is my character. This is who you believe in. And so when we’re saying on the name of Jesus, we’re saying this is my Savior. This is who I believe in to save me from my sins and to give me access to the Father. And if we believe that by faith, then we know that we can have salvation because it says in the Bible that there is not any other name under heaven and earth that we can be saved but by the name of Jesus Christ. So I hope that answers your question again, Jerry, Wendy, please let me know if there’s anything else you think we should add there.
Speaker 3
Yeah, so we cover some great things and just the name is so important. I know there are people of Christian faith, friends of mine even, who think when it means to call on the name of the Lord, you just say the Lord, the Lord, the Lord, or Jesus, Jesus, Jesus and think that that’s a special incentive that brings some special experience. And they experienced something, I’m not going to deny that. But as Tina was saying, the name means so much more to it. And we first started to see this language show up in Genesis 426 when it says and as for Seth, to him also a son was born and he named him inarsh. Then men began to call on the name of the Lord. And are we saying like, okay, they didn’t know God’s name until that time? If you look at it, though, really what it’s saying is this is when they really began to worship God, really began to understand better what God was about, who he is and know Him better. And I used the example of if anybody is the Lord of the Rings fan, you have these species called the ants.
Speaker 3
They were the trees, and they lived very long time, almost maybe immortal. And if you ask its name, basically it will recant its entire story of its entire life. It says that’s our name. And it really that is God. God is his story. Everything he’s done, who he is, what he does. And if you look at the Bible, there are so many different names for God because there are so many aspects to Him, so many different ways for us to appreciate who and what he is, to even go one step further. Now, it’s a big deal when we talk about the name. So we go to connecting the Dots, where we talk about the angel of the Lord and who that is. Exodus 23 20. We hear about this angel and God says, there’s this angel who’s going to go up before you. And it says, Exodus 23 21, beware of Him and obey his voice. Do not provoke Him, for he will not party in your transgressions. Or my name is in him. By saying this, jews looking back or he was looking at this, would understand. When God saying, my name is in this angel, they’re saying, this is Jehovah also.
Speaker 3
This angel is also Jehovah. This angel is also God. That is Michael. That is Jesus. Yeah, that name is huge.
Speaker 2
That just struck a thought in my mind. When you look at Revelation at the end of time, god’s, holy people, right before Jesus comes the 144,000. You see in Revelation, chapter 14, in verse one, it says, lo, I looked and a lamb stood on the Mount Scion and with them, 144,000 having His Father’s name written in their foreheads. Now, is it literally like God wrote a literal name in their foreheads? No, it was that they knew God and his character. It was in their mind they know God. And again, just as Jesus said in John 17 three, that this is life eternal, that you would know the only true God in Jesus Christ whom he has sent. And the name is so important. Sorry, what did you want to say?
Speaker 3
Yes, you look at major people who have major changes in their lives, like Jacob. Jacob has a major turnaround and he asks for a blessing. God gives him a new name. And you flash forward like Saul. Saul is persecuting the church and then he has a major conversion and Jesus gives him a new name. You will now be Paul abraham. Abraham starts off as Abram. Now he becomes Abraham after he passed the test of faith. And his wife goes from being Sarah to Sarah. This isn’t just some meaningless okay, now you’re going to be named this. No. God is saying that you have had a major change. You are now a different person. And I’m going to give you a name change that reflects you are a different person. In Revelation, even earlier in Revelation two or three, it talks about how God will give us a new name.
Speaker 2
Amen. And what’s interesting too. And if you want to, like whenever you look at anybody’s name in the Bible, it is always a very real significance, which, I mean, it blows you away. I mean, even the first name, Adam, that literally means like, man, that’s what he was. But there’s a really interesting story in the Bible around the time of the time of King David, where basically before David took the throne, he’d been anointed, but he was kind of wandering around in the wilderness and he meets this lovely lady named Abigail, and she was married to this awful husband named Nabel. And basically what’s really interesting is in one Samuel chapter, I believe it’s 25, verse 25, if I’m not mistaken. Yeah. First Samuel 25 25. So basically, he does something terrible to David and his men, and David has got a secret revenge. And this lady Abigail, even though her husband is awful, she comes in between and says, please don’t destroy him. And she says, as his name is, so is he, because Nabel meant fool. And that’s literally what this guy was. He was very foolish in what he was doing and how he lived his life.
Speaker 2
And so again, the fact that the Bible points out as your name is so are you. And when he came to the earth, god gave him the name Jesus, meaning Savior. I mean, that’s obviously one of his many characteristics. Just like we were looking at earlier, Michael, one who is like God. That’s what that literally means. And again, just like you’re saying, Jay, there are so many people in the Bible who God changes their name when they had a significant change in heart. Peter andrew. Exactly. I was thinking of him too. He’s my favorite. I relate to Peter a lot, but yeah, I totally agree. And I think that’s so important that we understand that exactly like you’re saying a name is much more significant than just like, oh, it’s just something my parents picked out for me. No, it means something about your character. And I think it’s beautiful that like you’re saying when we go to heaven that God will give us a new name. And there’s actually a really cool verse really quick where Jesus is talking to his church, in the church I believe in, Revelation, chapter two, verse 17, and he’s giving a promise of a blessing here.
Speaker 2
And Jesus says he that has an ear. Let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him that overcomes will I give to eat the hidden man? And I will give him a white stone. And in the stone a new name written, which no man knows except for him that receives it. So Jesus is actually going to give his people a new name written in a stone, basically something that’s unchangeable and it’s something special just between you and God that only you will know. It’ll be something that just, you know, because you’ve received it from God. And I think that’s something really special to think about, that God really values his people. And when he tells you, you’re my child, you’re my son or daughter, he’s giving you a new name. You are a child of God. And so I think we have to not forget the value we have in that. And that’s why that’s one of God’s commandments, to not take the Lord’s name in vain. Because it is important that we understand when we address God, we address who he really is that we talk about.
Speaker 3
Is even when you claim to be a Christian, you are taking on the name of Christ. And when you’re not acting Christ like at all while proclaiming, I am a Christian, you are totally taking the name of Christ and name of God in vainishing. His reputation punishing his name and I.
Speaker 2
Think that’s why he’s so serious about that. He said the Lord will not hold him guiltless. Who holds his name? In being like that’s part of the commandment. God is very serious about his name because when we understand his name, meaning his character, we need to represent that correctly. If we’re telling people this is what God is like, I’m a Christian and I keep my taxes or whatever you’re saying, like, this is what God is like. And you’re giving a false image of God and God hates that because that basically turns people from having a right relationship with Him. If you’re this mean, evil person and you’re calling yourself a Christian, you’re basically demonstrating or giving a false representation of, again, God’s name or his character, just like you’re saying. And yeah, that’s devastating to think about. How many people in the world I can think of that I know who said, I don’t want to go to church, I don’t want to know anything about God or the Bible, because this person who was a Christian did this to me. And I’m like, that breaks my heart. Sorry.
Speaker 3
There’s going to be a lot of shock and surprise, I think, on the Day of Judgment.
Speaker 2
Yeah, I think there’s a lot of people that here. I never knew you. I’m not saying that I hope that’s not me, but we have to be very careful because to make sure we.
Speaker 3
Know God and no one understands his name.
Speaker 2
Yes, exactly who he is, his character’s, love.
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In HIs Service
BibleAsk Team
