Christians are known today by many things. For example, we are known as those who believe in Jesus, those who go to church, and those who believe the Bible. Sometimes we’re known by more negative things, like those who are haters, narrow-minded, and arrogant.
As a disciple, what do you want to be known by?
I want to emphasize for us a biblical identity-marker for Christians that I don’t hear very much of today. Perhaps in a short study of it, we’d take it on as what we’d want to be known by as Christians.
Ananias and the Damascus Church
In Acts 9 we have the story of Saul’s dramatic encounter with Jesus. It immediately left Saul physically blind, but quickly resulted in not only his physical healing, but the spiritual sight of salvation.
Part of this process involved God calling on a disciple named Ananias to assist Saul. It’s important to remember that Saul, prior to his Jesus-encounter, was a staunch persecutor of Christians. In fact, he was on his way to Damascus (where Ananias lived) with legal authority to imprison Christians.
But praise God, Jesus had other plans!
When God spoke to Ananias to be of assistance to Saul, Ananias—with some trepidation—said,
“Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints in Jerusalem. And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on your name” (Acts 9:13-14).
Notice how Ananias described what the disciples were known by in Damascus: those who “call on [Jesus’] name.” He could have easily described them as simply “all the Christians here” or “the members of the church,” but he instead chooses the active description of those who “call on Jesus’ name.”
Could it be that Ananias chose this identity-marker of the disciples in Damascus because it was truly what they were known by? I believe so. But what does it mean?
Calling Upon the Name of the Lord
To “call on the name of God” is a phrase sprinkled throughout the whole Bible (Gen. 4:26; 12:8; 1 Kgs. 18:24; Ps. 116; Zeph. 3:9; Acts 2:21; 1 Cor. 1:2; etc.). It’s not overly complicated to understand, for it simply refers to one’s active prayer of seeking God.
But let me note two other additions to this description. To truly call upon the name of the Lord means that one is depending on the Lord (e.g., for deliverance), and is calling on him with the expectation that he can and will answer. Therefore, calling upon the name of the Lord is the active prayer of seeking God expectantly, depending on his grace and power.
Coming back to Ananias, could it be that he was part of a community of believers in Damascus that were generally known by their active and expectant prayer to God, depending on him for life and salvation?
Yes! And I think it’s what the church ought to be known by today as well.
Let us be known by who we call upon!
Let’s join with the church of Damascus and call upon the name of the Lord! Let’s refuse to depend and rely on worldly avenues of salvation, and call upon Jesus!
And let our call not be clothed in religious theory or empty habit, but in the living and expectant faith of Jesus, along with all those men and women throughout history who exhibited a godly faith. For when Elijah called upon the name of the Lord to miraculously light his offering, he expected God to answer him with fire—and God did (1 Kings 18:24).
Imagine, the whole church calling upon the name of the Lord.
Not only would we gain a new identity-marker like those Christians in Damascus, but we’d see and experience the movement of God in powerful ways.
Make time this week to call upon the name of the Lord—with expectancy and dependence on him alone.