Joel 2:32
And everyone who calls
on the name of the Lord will be saved;
for on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem
there will be deliverance,
as the Lord has said,
even among the survivors
whom the Lord calls. (NIV)
Today’s Reading: Joel 2:28-32 and 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11
Another prophecy that will come to be on The Day of the Lord is “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved”. This has both already been fulfilled and will continue to be fulfilled until the last day. The Day of the Lord marks the beginning of the period of tribulation when God’s wrath is poured out on the world until Jesus returns a second time. Even during that time, everyone who believes in Jesus will be saved in that they will receive salvation.
Paul wrote about this day as well:
“Now, brothers and sisters, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, ‘Peace and safety,’ destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape” (1 Thes 5:1-3).
Paul is acknowledging the destruction that will take place during this period. Many will not physically survive these days. But those who call on the Lord can be saved spiritually. Paul goes on to explain how Jesus-followers should behave during the tribulation:
“ So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be awake and sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet. For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him. Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing” (1 Thes 5:6-11).
There is an action component required when we follow Jesus. We can claim to follow Jesus but our actions must match our claims. Paul says that we must wear these actions like body armor in that we wear our faith, hope and love for everyone to see. We should encourage one another and build each other up. Those are the actions of the Jesus-follower.
Jesus taught this very directly:
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’” (Matt 7:21-23).
The hypocrites have no place in Jesus’s kingdom. The Pharisees were really good at saying one thing and doing another. Jesus loathed the Pharisees because at heart they were nothing but hypocrites. There are even people today who use the name of Jesus for personal gain. Jesus brings them popularity which makes them rich and powerful. So they use Jesus to gain worldly things. Jesus says you can recognize these people by the fruit they produce. It may look good to eat on the outside but it’s rotten to the core:
“Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them” (Matt 7:15-16).
James, the brother of Jesus, wrote extensively about our actions matching our faith:
“Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says” (James 1:22).
“What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,’ but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead” (James 2:14-17).
“You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone” (James 2:24).
“As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead” (James 2:26).
There will likely be many people during the tribulation who seek to save themselves at the expense of others. These are not true followers of Jesus. Yes, everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. But the evidence of true faith in Jesus is found in our actions.
That doesn’t mean we cannot make mistakes. But overall, our deeds should reflect what is in our heart:
“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matt 5:14-16).
Christ in the Old Testament 
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