| A Heavenly Treasure from David Rich, February 20, 2026
Romans 10:13 – “For whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
Seems so simple. Whoever calls on the name of Lord shall be saved. The Gospel and good news of the Bible can be summed up with one simple passage. It’s so simple, yet the gravity of its meaning cannot be overstated. Salvation is NOT for those who led a great life with many great deeds. It’s NOT for those who attend church regularly. It’s NOT for those who witnessed endlessly, or read the Bible daily, or faithfully gives 10% to the church. No, it’s NOT for any self-righteous or religious reason. Salvation is solely reserved for those who call on the name of the Lord. Being saved is not always something the world can see. It’s very personable and can happen in the blink of any eye. It can be a loud public proclamation or a silent acknowledgement. Sometimes it happens in our final breath on earth.
Nevertheless, only calling on the name of the Lord can signal our salvation. Let’s look at two examples from Scripture.
First, let’s look at the final few minutes of the two thieves who died on the cross next to Jesus. In Luke 23:39-43, we see that one of the criminals mocked him. The other asked for mercy saying “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.” Jesus answered immediately by saying, “Today you will be with Me in Paradise.” Note two things. First, to the world, both men died unrepentant criminals sentenced justly to death. But it doesn’t matter what the world sees, only what God sees. Second, the saved thief acknowledged what truly matters, that Jesus is LORD. It would not have been enough had he merely said that Jesus was a “good man” or a gifted prophet. Only the realization that Jesus is Lord is the golden ticket to salvation.
Another example is Matthew 26. In this chapter, verses 17-25, Matthew recounts the story of The Last Supper. Jesus tells his disciples that “Assuredly, I say to you, one of you will betray Me.” And like clockwork, one by one, the disciples asked, “Lord, is it I?” Notice each one called Him “LORD.” When it got around to Judas in verse 25, Judas asked, “Rabbi, is it I?” Subtle but monumental difference. Judas did NOT recognize Jesus as Lord and therefore could NOT call on Him by name. Jesus swiftly replied, “You have said it.” No one CAN call on the name of the Lord if it’s not in their heart. No one WILL call on the name of the Lord if they don’t belong to Jesus.
The crucial point here is NOT the actual calling on the name of the Lord. That is a fruit, a by-product. The saving truth is what happens BEFORE you are even capable of calling Jesus Lord. It’s a matter of ORDER, and order matters.
So, here is an interesting question to ponder: Do you call on the name of the Lord, and as result, become “born again”, OR do you become “born again” and then, as a result, call on the name of the Lord?
I contend it is the latter. You must become born again FIRST to even be able to call Jesus your Lord. This is why Judas couldn’t do it. He was not born again, and being born again is solely the work of the Lord. More on that in a future Heavenly Treasure. For now, rest assured that if you call on His name, you, like the disciples have been born again, you are saved, and can claim Heaven as your ultimate destination. I don’t know about you, but that calls for a loud AMEN!
Prayer
Father, thankfully we call on your name, and we call on you as our Lord. And also thankfully we will not have to wait until our final breath like the thief on the cross to do it. We fall on our knees knowing we are able to call you Lord because you FIRST loved us. You called us out of darkness, knew our names before the world began, and wrote our name in the Book of Life belonging to Jesus before the foundation of the world. (Revelation 13:8). Anyone who calls on You shall be saved, but not everyone can heartfully do that. So, I shout from the tops of the mountain: Thank you Lord Jesus!!
AMEN!
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