GLORIFYING THE NAME OF JESUS

II Ths. 1:12 ... "That the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you."    

      One of the great blessings which God bestows upon those who respond to His gospel with faith and obedience is the right to wear a new name, Christian, after that of His Son, Jesus Christ. He planned this honor from of old, for in Isa. 65:15 He promised, "The Lord God will slay you (apostate Israel). But My servants will be called by another name." Some seven centuries later, after the church had been established and its door opened to both Jews and Gentiles, it is reported in Acts 11:26 that "the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch." Only in the name of Christ will God forgive sin and save your soul, as Peter stated in Acts 4:12, "There is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved." Jesus declared, "Where two or three have gathered together in My name, there I am in their midst," (Mat.18:20). Christian assemblies must therefore be called together in Jesus' name, after which acceptable worship may be offered to  God. Prayers to God in Jesus' name will be acknowledged and answered, for so He promised in Jno. 14:14, "If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it." In the name of Jesus His disciples are commissioned to evangelize the world. Just before He ascended to heaven, Jesus ordered His disciples to "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit," (Mat. 28:19). These Scriptures just quoted are only a sampling of the many in the New Testament which emphasize the meaning, the power, and the incomparable value of the name of Jesus as it relates to people. The one who makes an exhaustive study of these Scriptures will be greatly rewarded with deeper appreciation and greater reverence for that name.

      Among other functions, a name signifies identity. For example, my surname indicates that I belong to the Whited family, thus excluding me from the millions of other families on earth. My first and middle names, Burton and Franklin, distinguish me from the thousands of other people who bear the name Whited, and so far as I know, isolates me from every other person in the world. It pinpoints my identity. To wear the name "Christian" legitimately identifies one as a disciple of Christ, distinguishing him from infidels, Buddhists, Muslims, Hindus and those of all other religions. It is, therefore, a great honor to be allowed to wear this name, since Jesus is the only case where divinity came to earth, lived in human form, paid the penalty for every sin committed here, established God's kingdom among men, and then returned to heaven to serve as man's advocate before God. In response to our being permitted to wear Jesus' name, we must devote ourselves to fashioning our lives according to His example. To receive His name to wear requires that you accept it as your primary goal to subject yourself to the patterns of thought, style of behavior, personal objectives, and social affiliations taught in the gospel. When you enact this kind of response to being given the name "Christian," you are complying with the instruction of the lead text above, "That the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you."  

      The world generally respects a person whose lifestyle is congruent with the standard which he affirms, even though many may deny and reject the standard itself. Much of the world repudiates the Christian religion, but it will nevertheless usually admire the one who truly and consistently lives it, especially when it means the denial of personal advantage in material wealth, social position and physical pleasure. That respect and admiration will then reflect from the Christian to the source of his power, even to his Lord Christ Jesus, who Himself reflects the glory of His Father. Jesus summed it up in these words: "Let your light shine before men in such a way that they see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven," (Mat. 5:16).