Introduction
Much earlier in ministry, I thought that I would never come to place where I would preach: I believe that conversion is by calling on the name of the Lord but without the required evidence/sign of speaking in tongues. Some teach that an ‘initial evidence’ of speaking in tongues is required to be saved, to complete the new birth, and in order to know when one receives the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Some teach a superficial form, a false view of assurance, and a legalistic confirmation without confessing with the mouth and calling on the name of the Lord by teaching someone “has to” experience” a required evidence/sign of speaking in tongues. I used to be ordained in one of these organizations that preached one “had to” speak in tongues in order to be saved, to enter heaven, and to be holy. As Methodists, we have always believed very strongly that conversion is completed with just the faith statement, calling on the name of the Lord, without the classical Pentecostal distinction articulated as an “required initial evidence” of speaking in tongues. We are not saved because of any validated signs or specific required evidences, speaking in tongues, and not any human initiation rites. Yet, we are absolutely convinced that we are saved by grace through faith without legalism. You must confess that Jesus is Lord. You must believe that God raised him [Christ] from the dead. And, a real Methodist will call on the name of the Lord and will do it without legalism. Therefore, ‘we believe that salvation is for everyone who calls on the name of the Lord.’
The Spirit is at work in every stage of a Christian’s journey. God’s prevenient grace is always substantially at work in the lives of humans. A spiritual journey is maturing faith. A spiritual experience is also a crucial punctiliar event with God. The Spirit gracefully equips the believer for ministry in the church. More importantly, the Spirit does not work separately to apply grace and later empower the believer sequentially after a second experience. According to Hebrews, faith is the evidence of a Spirit-filled Christian. Therefore, the Biblical text is also clear about the spirit’s fruitful development and transformative work in individual believers.
A disciple-making congregation is filled with the Spirit and bears fruit (Acts 2:1-4, 41-47). I interpret conversion and the Baptism of the Holy Ghost (BHG) in the context of mature Wesleyan theology. Wesleyan theology appears more mature in pneumatology than institutionalized Pentecostal theology. I used to be an Apostolic Pentecostal elder. First, I now reject the institutionalized Pentecostal distinction that articulates the BHG “has to” occur “sequential and separate-to” conversion or water baptism. Second, some denominations teach a person must experience the Spirit before water baptism. Third, some institutions teach the BHG and water baptism has to occur simultaneously. On the other hand, UM members can have diverse spiritual experiences produced by the new birth. One concrete spiritual sequence is not the doctrine, but I respect each member’s diverse sequence of divine events during a spiritual journey. Another underdeveloped theology articulated is separating faith in salvation and the Holy Ghost. Salvation and the BHG are two different experiences. Salvation occurs when a person experiences the remission of sins, and the BHG occurs when members experience the Spirit’s power for mission. Both experiences can occur at the same time in the structure of Wesleyan theology. Hence, the BHG bestows and manifests various gifts and not one but many spiritual experiences.
Each disciple in the body of Christ is called to bear all the spiritual fruit (Gal. 2:17-18). On the other hand, the Biblical text is not clear on certain gifts of the Spirit used to validate prerequisites for new believers, evidence from receiving the baptism in the Holy Spirit, validation of completing the new birth, or evidence as having matured faith/spirituality. Tongues closely follow the Baptism in the Holy Ghost. Furthermore, tongues is "an" evidence or "can be" an initial evidence. God through time gave tongues as initial evidence. On the other hand, the Bible illustrates that God does not "always" or "haves to" use tongues as initial evidence. What is more important, the Spirit motivates a Christian to exercise perfect love towards God and neighbor. Specifically, the power of the Spirit works within a person to exercise compassion to perform the right action. Therefore, the transformed behavior characterized by Christ bears witness of an authentic new birth.
God uses earthly events to reveal heavenly principles. The divine encounter in the faith covenant community only begins God’s revelation. The character of Christ must be manifested for the purpose to expand the ministry of the local community. For instance, the faith covenant community is a united divine call with diverse personal journeys. Personal faith is initiated at a juncture along the path of a united faith covenant community. Hence, God uses water baptism to initiate the person in the community’s ministry. The Baptism in the Holy Ghost is the event where God empowers the believer to witness on behalf of the church. Furthermore, God revealed to me that the sequence of events differs for each person, and God gives the specific experience based on the person’s need for the community.
God’s spiritual activity in the world is incarnated as divine holiness. God’s holiness is incarnating the heavenly character into the earthly events of humankind. The work of holiness in the church is God’s invitation and spiritual acceptance. Additionally, holiness is the will from within to do the right thing. On the other hand, holiness is not isolating the church from the world. Additionally, a church without a mission incarnating Christ’s character throughout the world is not a real holiness church. Therefore, holiness is acknowledging our divine ordained responsibility to the world of people that need empathy and spiritual restoration.
Movements have sprung up all over the world because of the leading of the Holy Spirit. Some of these movements are rigid while others are healthier. The Classical Pentecostal movement began at the turn of the 20th century that required the sign of speaking in tongues as the “initial evidence” of receiving the Holy Spirit, for validating the work of the spirit, and for some to complete the new birth. Members in traditional churches broke from their existing churches and became members of a classical Pentecostal group. Later, the Charismatic Movement began in mainline protestant churches in the 1960’s. The Charismatic Movement emphasized the “baptism in the Holy Spirit” but without the “required evidence” of speaking in tongues. As Charismatic United Methodists, we believe that calling on the name of the Lord is required for conversion and we can receive the “baptism of the Holy Spirit” without speaking in tongues.
The Scriptural witness proclaims that just the faith statement, calling on the name of the Lord, is the only required necessity for conversion. Everyone needs to hear that justification is the regenerating act that God does in your life. Justification is not a human-centric initiated event. If this was the case, people would not need Jesus, a Savior, the cross, or a preacher to bring the gospel. Yet, the questions need to be asked. At one point is someone justified? At what moment does someone experience conversion, justification, salvation, and assurance? Another way to say it, which point is one justified, receive the promise “shall be saved,” and receive the promise “will not be put to shame?” At one point is someone confirmed of their salvation? And, what does it mean to call upon the name of the Lord?
Just the faith statement, calling on the name of the Lord, means you put your trust only in Christ’s work and authority for your salvation. Christ instructed on what “should be preached” in (Luke 24:45-49). Paul introduced the word of faith that ‘was’ preached in (Rom. 10:8b). He went on to explain how to be saved by using logical explanatory markers throughout his writing (for). Paul’s mastery of expository writing is built up (accentuated the positive) as the main emphasis of his letter. The zeal of knowledge that is to be acknowledged and obeyed: salvation is for everyone who calls on the name of the Lord.
In Romans 10 verse 10, belief results in justification, and the confession confirms one’s salvation. Justification is an act of God that is performed independently of humans, unaided by humans, and without any human volition. Notice that believing in this Scripture is not the climax, and the confession alone is not adequate for salvation. Confession without believing from the heart is how churches and societies get false believers and false conversions. Even the great Protestant Reformers who taught the principle of salvation by faith alone (sola fide) also preached that intellectual (mental) assent alone does not bring salvation. There is a method for demonstrating a genuine (unadulterated) and legitimate faith and that is calling on the name of the Lord. According to Wallace, I observed that the present tense verbs for believe and confess are instantaneous presents (a.k.a., also known as punctiliar or aoristic present). Also according to Wallace, “The present tense may be used to indicate that an action is completed at the moment of speaking.” In other words, conversion occurs instantaneously in the present from a past aorist event for a future promise of salvation. Therefore, the moment you make just the faith statement, calling upon the name of the Lord; you get an instantaneous conversion.
So, what does calling upon the name of the Lord mean? In the secular Greco-Roman and Hebrew culture in the first century, to “call upon” meant to give your allegiance to the person who has authority and power. To “call upon,” in the scripture Romans 10:13, means to believe, believe that Jesus is Lord, and believe that God resurrected him [Christ] from the dead (the gospel in a nutshell). Paul was motivating everyone to call on the name of the Lord in order to experience conversion, and Paul closes the syllogism of the concise passage with four points. First, there is only one universal Lord for everyone. Second, the people who have faith from the heart (e.g., not mental assent) that God raised Christ from the dead call him Lord. The Holy Spirit prompts one to make the faith statement at conversion (I Cor. 12:3; without speaking in tongues, just the faith statement is the evidence). A person can be Spirit-filled without speaking in tongues. Third, those who have faith and call upon the name of the Lord will not be put to shame in the last days. Fourth, everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. Finally, calling on the name of the Lord means you put your trust only in Christ’s authority and work for your salvation.
I have discovered in the last few years, as I have immersed myself in an open and thorough Bible study with a devotion to God, that there is an “assurance, confirmation” that goes beyond speaking in tongues, compliance to man-made rules, or awaiting a confirmation graduation. It is a conversion initiated by the divine agency of God’s Spirit, mediated through Christ’s atonement, believed from the heart, and completed by calling on the name of the Lord. When, at the moment, you call upon the name of the Lord; you receive the assurance, “Shall be saved.”
I can relate with John Wesley’s inquiry about instantaneous conversions of faith “in a moment” with the Moravians, and how one can receive that assurance by faith alone we are saved Thus, I inquired with a Grace UMC member on how one can have an instantaneous conversion and be assured of salvation in a moment. Consequently, the Methodist member challenged me, “The scripture Romans 10:13 tells us: ‘For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.’ ” I observed members in this particular United Methodist church at conversion, without the water baptism, without speaking in tongues, without standards, without enforcing any rules, would make just the statement, would call on the name of the Lord. They strongly articulated that one is saved by grace through faith without legalism, and that conversion is concluded with just the faith statement, calling on the name of the Lord.
1. How about that? No conditions or promises ahead of conversion. No initiation rites. No required baptism. No requirement of speaking in tongues. No required ‘evidence’ (sign) of receiving the Holy Spirit. No required rules. No required ‘standards of holiness.’ – Alright, God can do anything He wants, with people, after they make just the faith statement, calling on the name of the Lord.
2. That’s why I now believe that just the faith statement, calling on the name of the Lord, is required to experience conversion. The only thing that God requires is to call on the name of the Lord, and we do it without legalism.
Members in the Apostolic church and instructors taught against any grace plus nothing message. Some OP members would tell me, “These Methodists that take, ’For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved’ as a conversion, Do Not Do It!” Yet, this simple message that the Grace Methodist member gave with lots of compassion and humility continued to deal with me and speak to me.
Conclusion:
I conclude with another rich reality of the gospel. Others have wondered about how one is confirmed, experiences affirmation, or becomes sure of their salvation. Just like John Wesley studied out instantaneous conversions throughout his Greek New Testament, he found nothing other than instantaneous conversions. I too was like John Wesley wondering about how and when one is assured. After much intense and thorough study of my Greek New Testament, I came to realize nothing other than calling on the name of the Lord confirms one’s salvation. I also observed from reading throughout the whole Bible that water baptism, tongues, and legalism has no assurance of salvation. Calling upon the name of the Lord is the only condition observed in Scripture of someone receiving the assurance, “Shall be Saved” (future tense for saving action now of Christ’ work completed in one event in the past). I would have lost my pastoral license and ordination immediately from my previous group with what I’m about to preach:
1. I am absolutely convinced that we are saved by grace through faith without legalism.
2. I believe salvation is for everyone who calls on the name of the Lord.
3. I believe conversion occurs instantaneously the moment you make just the faith statement, calling on the name of the Lord. You shall be saved when you call on the name of the Lord for God to save you.
4. Bare faith alone justified Abraham alone, and he called on the name of the Lord before the law. He called on the name of the Lord with just the bare faith statement, without any rules, even without any ‘standards of holiness,’ even without circumcision, and it occurred in the Old Testament.
5. Therefore, we are saved with bare faith that God raised Christ from the dead.
6. We call upon the name of the Lord: without legalism, without being strict, without water baptism, without doctrinal conformity, without specific ritual procedures, without speaking in tongues, without a required ‘sign’ for confirmation, without false “standards of holiness,” and without any rigid conformity of any kind.
7. Now, I believe and preach for conversion, For Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord SHALL BE SAVED.
[Altar Call Instructions: Motivate people to have faith, believe in the resurrection, and call on the name of the Lord with the promise “Shall be saved.” Emphasize that just the faith statement, calling on the name of the Lord, is required to experience conversion and do it without legalism.]
