“For ‘whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.’”
Romans 10:13
God’s love that was poured into our hearts makes us sensitive to the fate of our neighbor. As the divine service for the departed approaches, we think especially of those who have lived on this earth or left it in very difficult circumstances. We feel deep compassion for them and ask God to help them in the beyond.
Our prayer is useful, but not enough. To achieve salvation, these souls must also call on the Lord’s name. In this respect, here are a few “bricks” you can use to build your sermon if you so wish.
To call on God, we must believe in His existence and care. This is not obvious for all the departed. Particularly for those who have called on God during their time on earth, but did not receive the help they expected. True faith is not based on God’s visible activity, but on His word: what God tells us is more important than what we see!
To call on the Lord’s name is to ask for His help but also to:
- believe in His perfection and love;
- be determined to do exactly what He says;
- be willing to wait for His word to be fulfilled.
We must believe in the salvation God offers. The Son of God did not come to earth to solve all the world’s problems, but to give believers access to eternal life.
In biblical language, the name expresses the very person, the nature of the one who bears it. Calling on God’s name does not just mean asking God for help. It is believing that He is as He reveals Himself to humankind through Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit.
You have to believe He is perfect — He does not forget, make mistakes or do injustices. His perfection is beyond our understanding. We can express our wishes to Him, but not tell Him what to do.
To be saved, we must call on God’s mercy, not His justice. No one is interested in being judged by God and no one can claim to be worthy of salvation. Only grace can save us. We cannot expect God to be gracious to us while at the same time asking Him to punish others.
Repentance is essential for forgiveness. We must acknowledge our sins and regret them, without trying to justify them. Repentance also means showing compassion for the suffering we have caused our neighbor.