Bible Studies
Acts 4:10&12 – “Then know this…it is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed… salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.”
Scripture often uses the phrase “in the name of…” so the question is, “What does this mean?” Most of us grew up believing that it meant that we tacked on the phrase, “in the name of Jesus” at the end of our prayers along with our “amen”. We say these things like we are saying goodbye at the end of a phone conversation. It has ceased to have any meaning to us anymore. Therefore, it is time that we rediscovered what this phrase, attached to so many promises in scripture, really means.
To do something by or in the name of Jesus Christ is to do so in line with the will of and by the power of Jesus Christ, that is the power of God. The apostles preached about Christ and performed miracles “in His Name” thereby demonstrating that all they preached about Him was true. God did miracles to authenticate the messengers and their message as coming from Him. The fact that miracles were done in the name of Jesus meant that it was done by His power, most specifically, it was done by Him through them. To speak of “the name” of Jesus Christ is to speak of who He is and all He does. To use His name is to identify yourself with Him. To do or say anything in God’s name is to be specifically identifying yourself with Him and to declare that you are doing it by extension of Him (i.e. by His leading and through His Spirit and according to His character). To truly do something in His name and not merely using His name, requires that it be Him doing it through you. Therefore, when Jesus says, “If you ask me for anything in my name, I will do it.” (John 14:14), this does not mean that you merely ask for something using His name like it’s a password or something. It means that He, first of all, moves you to ask for it by His Spirit at work in you and therefore, what you ask for is entirely in line with His will and in line with scripture.
For scripture says, “And this is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him.” (1 John 5:14-15) again, “"If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it shall be done for you.” (John 15:7) and again, “and whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do the things that are pleasing in His sight. And this is His commandment, that we believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as He commanded us. And the one who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. And we know by this that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us. (1 John 3:22-24) Therefore scripture also says, “You ask and do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures.” (James 4:3)
And so, the “name” we are given by which we must be saved is Christ Jesus Himself for salvation is found in no one else. He alone lived the perfect life we could not live and He alone died to take our sin away if we would only trust in Him for it. The name given to us is not “follow this ritual” or “do enough good deeds” but His name means “God my Savior” for it is He who will save their people from their sins (Matthew 1:21). As Scripture says, “For it is by grace you have been saved through faith and this is not your own doing, it is a gift from God – not because of anything you’ve done so that no one can brag about it.” Ephesians 2:8&9) To do this (to trust in Him to remove your sin/ to be saved) does not mean that you merely call upon His name in some one-time thing. It does mean that you receive Him into your life and your heart that He may live through you. That it would no longer be you who does or asks for anything, but that all your life from that moment on would be Christ living in you (Galatians 2:20) and thereby through you.
Everyone needs salvation and it is available to anyone. It does not matter who your parents are or who your forefathers were, it does not matter what kind of religious rituals you engage in, it does not matter how “good” you are, you still need forgiveness through Christ. It does not matter what wrongs you’ve done, God will forgive anyone. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son so that everyone who believes in Him may have eternal life.” (John 3:16) We all need to be saved, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). Every person is in the same leaky boat – everyone is stuck in the same pit and it is God alone in the person of Jesus Christ who can save us for we are, “justified freely by His grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus” (Romans 3:24). We are called to put all our faith and trust in Him alone and enter into relationship with Him. Everything that follows then will flow out of a grateful heart full of love and an eagerness to obey.
And so we pray, “God of heaven and of earth, thank You that You are mindful of us (Psalm 8:4). Thank You for dieing for us on the cross, for saving us from our sins and ourselves, for bringing us back to You. May we trust in You alone to save us so that anything good we do will be You at work in us and through us and would be motivated by love and gratitude. Every day, may our prayer be, Lord live and do and say through us what You will. Move in us by Your Spirit that we might ask and act in Your Name – in line with who You are. Teach us what it means to truly be Christian – a “Christ follower”. Help us to follow You all the way every day of our lives. May all that we are ever bring You glory. Thank You for Your promise that Your Spirit is at work in us giving us the desire to obey You and the power to do what pleases You (Philippians 2:13). Give us faith, give us strength, give us more of You. We pray this according to the will of and in the power of Jesus Christ who is God our Savior. Amen.”
In the name of / name – identify, specify, character
Name: Jesus = God my savior
Title: Christ = messiah, anointed one, God’s king
See these songs: "Jesus, Your Name", "At the Sound of Your Name"
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