No other name under heaven

“Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:12

There’s a lot of names out there to worship. There’s Buddha, Allah, the gods of Hindu, the gods of Sikhism, ect, and so on. There’s movie stars, sports hero’s, and then there’s that name that looks back at you and me in the mirror.

Yet the Bible is exclusive and it points from Genesis to Revelation to one name, Jesus Christ. It’s a name that I don’t hear too often unless its tied to some curse word and even then the air is filled with a hint of conviction – a hint by the user that they really crossed the line, for they have.

We’ve all crossed the line at some point in our lives. Maybe not a curse word with the name of Jesus included but we are all sinners of some sort. Some sinners are called saints in the Bible by the simple and lifelong belief in one name, Jesus Christ. It’s not any goodness or favoritism, or special trait that makes a saint either. A person can be called a saint and not go to heaven.

Just as we can call our favorite movie or actor or athlete the best ever – saying that it is so doesn’t make it so. The only person who makes saints in Jesus.

Personally, I don’t use the saint name very often-I go by believer. The name saint to some is someone to be worshipped or prayed to. That simply is not Biblical. To others, a saint is a goodie-too-shoes and I’m certainly not that. No, I’m a believer and I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, the Lord of all creation, the mighty God, and the King of all Kings.

It is Jesus who raises me up when I’m depressed, lonely, broken, and crushed. It is Christ who brings me down a notch when I’m arrogant, prideful, boastful or simply too full of myself.

I believe in the name of Jesus because I believe in the character behind the name. I believe in a Savior who is good, kind, merciful, full of peace, and gentleness. I believe in a Savior who rebukes, who chastens, who scolds, and who holds the ultimate in excellence before me in himself and challenges me to grow and become more like him, more like his character, and less of my own.