What does it mean to call on the name of the Lord?
Is it enough to ask Jesus for help and say that I trust in Him? To call on His name? Will I be saved — is it really that simple?
Such questions come to us, or are told to us, after reading the following verse or similar ones to the one below.
Want: Elkeen wat die Naam van die Here aanroep, sal gered word.( Romeine 10:13 )
The meaning for the above verse is a bit different and can be misinterpreted if taken out of context. This verse is written by the apostle Paul to emphasize that salvation is available to anyone — Jew or Gentile — who sincerely calls on Jesus Christ for help and trusts in Him.
There is a warning to avoid empty words which are not coming from the beliefs of your hearts.
Nie elkeen wat vir My sê: Here, Here! sal ingaan in die koninkryk van die hemele nie, maar hy wat die wil doen van my Vader wat in die hemele is. Baie sal in daardie dag vir My sê: Here, Here, het ons nie in u Naam geprofeteer en in u Naam duiwels uitgedrywe en in u Naam baie kragte gedoen nie? En dan sal Ek aan hulle sê: Ek het julle nooit geken nie. Gaan weg van My, julle wat die ongeregtigheid werk!( Matteus 7:21-23 )
We may live our whole lives as ‘Christians’ and still be rejected by Jesus. So what does it truly mean to believe in Him and not be rejected? what does it actually mean to love, follow, or trust in Jesus? In everyday life, we’re unlikely to fully trust someone if we know only their name and nothing more.
Let's start with truly understanding who Jesus is, what it means to believe He is the Messiah, and what it means to follow Him in a real, living way.
Many of us have our own personal image of Jesus — shaped by what we’ve heard, seen, or imagined. Some picture a graceful, almost otherworldly figure from church icons; others think of a vague or abstract person simply named Jesus; still others envision the man nailed to the cross — or something else entirely.
For Jewish people, recognizing Jesus as the Messiah carries deep meaning because they know the history, the prophecies, and the expectations surrounding the Messiah’s role in their lives and in the world. For someone who isn’t strong in theology, however, saying “I believe in Jesus” or “I believe He is the Messiah” can sometimes become little more than empty words — said without grasping what those words truly mean.
It’s easy to claim belief without understanding, but real faith calls us to go deeper — to know Jesus as He truly is, not just as an image or idea.
Jesus Himself tells us what it truly means to follow Him and to serve Him. We are called to recognize that Jesus is love — and to see His presence in our daily lives, even at this very moment. We are invited to see Jesus in the people around us, to love them as we would love Him, and to help them as we would desire to help Him.
'n Nuwe gebod gee Ek julle, dat julle mekaar moet liefhê; soos Ek julle liefgehad het, moet julle ook mekaar liefhê. Hieraan sal almal weet dat julle my dissipels is, as julle liefde onder mekaar het.( Johannes 13:34-35 )
Soos die Vader My liefgehad het, het Ek julle ook liefgehad. Bly in hierdie liefde van My.( Johannes 15:9 )
Following Jesus means thinking less of ourselves and more of others and their needs. It’s not about outward appearances — not even about attending Sunday church services alone. Jesus warns us against offering mere lip service to God, honoring Him with our words while our hearts remain far away.
Want Ek het honger gehad, en julle het My te ete gegee; Ek het dors gehad, en julle het My te drinke gegee; Ek was 'n vreemdeling, en julle het My herberg gegee; Ek was naak, en julle het My geklee; Ek was siek, en julle het My besoek; in die gevangenis was Ek, en julle het na My gekom. Dan sal die regverdiges Hom antwoord en sê: Here, wanneer het ons U honger gesien en gevoed; of dors, en te drinke gegee? En wanneer het ons U 'n vreemdeling gesien, en herberg gegee; of naak, en geklee? En wanneer het ons U siek gesien of in die gevangenis, en na U gekom? En die Koning sal antwoord en vir hulle sê: Voorwaar Ek sê vir julle, vir sover julle dit gedoen het aan een van die geringstes van hierdie broeders van My, het julle dit aan My gedoen.( Matteus 25:35-40 )
Let us not be like those who crucified Jesus. They knew the Scriptures far better than most of us do; they studied them deeply. Yet they missed the heart of it all — they did not understand that eternal life does not come simply from knowing the Scriptures, but from knowing the One to whom the Scriptures point: Jesus, the Messiah.
Julle ondersoek die Skrifte, omdat julle meen dat julle daarin die ewige lewe het; en dit is dié wat van My getuig. En julle wil nie na My kom om die lewe te hê nie.( Johannes 5:39-40 )
What It Means to Follow and Love Jesus
To follow Jesus is not just to admire Him from a distance; it is to walk the path He walked, with a heart shaped by His own. To love Jesus is to mirror His spirit — to be humble, to serve others, and to love even when it costs us.
Jesus humbled Himself beyond imagination. Though He is the King of kings, He knelt to wash His disciples’ feet. He showed us that greatness in the Kingdom of God is not about being exalted, but about lowering ourselves to lift others up.
To follow Him means to lay down pride and selfish ambition, and to pick up the towel of service, just as He did.
As Ek dan, die Here en die Meester, julle voete gewas het, is julle ook verplig om mekaar se voete te was. Want Ek het julle 'n voorbeeld gegee om, net soos Ek aan julle gedoen het, ook so te doen.( Johannes 13:14-15 )
maar só moet dit onder julle nie wees nie; maar elkeen wat onder julle groot wil word, moet julle dienaar wees. En elkeen wat onder julle die eerste wil word, moet julle dienskneg wees; net soos die Seun van die mens nie gekom het om gedien te word nie, maar om te dien en sy lewe te gee as 'n losprys vir baie.( Matteus 20:26-28 )
To love Jesus also means to love others — not only those who are easy to love, but also those who hurt, betray, or misunderstand us. Jesus forgave those who crucified Him, asking his Father to forgive them. If we truly love Him, we must extend that same mercy and forgiveness to those around us.
En Jesus sê: Vader, vergeef hulle, want hulle weet nie wat hulle doen nie. En hulle het sy klere verdeel en die lot daaroor gewerp.( Lukas 23:34 )
'n Nuwe gebod gee Ek julle, dat julle mekaar moet liefhê; soos Ek julle liefgehad het, moet julle ook mekaar liefhê.( Johannes 13:34 )
Understanding who Jesus is
Believing in Jesus is not merely believing that He once lived on Earth. It is recognizing the full glory of who He is:
- Jesus existed before the world began. He is the eternal Word of God, through whom all things were created.
- The world was made through Him. Every mountain, every ocean, every breath we take bears His fingerprints.
- He came down from heaven, clothed Himself in human flesh, and lived among us — fully God and fully man — to walk with us, to teach us, and ultimately to rescue us.
In die begin was die Woord, en die Woord was by God, en die Woord was God. Hy was in die begin by God. Alle dinge het deur Hom ontstaan, en sonder Hom het nie een ding ontstaan wat ontstaan het nie.( Johannes 1:1-3 )
want in Hom is alle dinge geskape wat in die hemele en op die aarde is, wat sienlik en onsienlik is, trone sowel as heerskappye en owerhede en magte--alle dinge is deur Hom en tot Hom geskape. En Hy is voor alle dinge, en in Hom hou alle dinge stand.( Kolossense 1:16-17 )
En die Woord het vlees geword en het onder ons gewoon--en ons het sy heerlikheid aanskou, 'n heerlikheid soos van die Eniggeborene wat van die Vader kom--vol van genade en waarheid.( Johannes 1:14 )
Though Jesus never sinned, He willingly went to the cross to bear the punishment for our sins. He suffered and died in our place, so that we, who are guilty, could be forgiven and have eternal life with Him.
Want Hy het Hom wat geen sonde geken het nie, sonde vir ons gemaak, sodat ons kan word geregtigheid van God in Hom.( 2 Korintiërs 5:21 )
Want in die eerste plek het ek aan julle oorgelewer wat ek ook ontvang het, dat Christus vir ons sondes gesterf het volgens die Skrifte; en dat Hy begrawe is, en dat Hy op die derde dag opgewek is volgens die Skrifte;( 1 Korintiërs 15:3-4 )
But death could not hold Him. Jesus rose again, not as a spirit or a memory, but in His physical, glorified body. His resurrection shattered the chains of death and crushed the power of Satan.
en die lewende; en Ek was dood en kyk, Ek leef tot in alle ewigheid. Amen. En Ek het die sleutels van die doderyk en van die dood.( Openbaring 1:18 )
Aangesien die kinders dan vlees en bloed deelagtig is, het Hy dit ook op dieselfde manier deelagtig geword, sodat Hy deur die dood hom tot niet kon maak wat mag oor die dood het--dit is die duiwel--( Hebreërs 2:14 )
Because He lives, we too will live. His victory is now our hope, our inheritance, and our future. To follow Jesus is to believe this with all your heart — and to live in the light of it every day.