21 And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.
Peter quotes the Old Testament prophet Joel to explain the events of that day. The things seen and heard are put in context, shown to be part of the end-time events. And then Peter finishes his quote with our text for today. This really is the purpose of all the events that shake this part of the world on that day. In fact, the shaking is still taking place. The Gospel message is simple: call on the name of the Lord and you will be saved! There are no preconditions, no hoops to jump through, no limitations. Everyone is eligible. Everyone who places the call gets their call answered. There are no busy lines, no dropped calls. Salvation is about restoration: restoration of relationship and restoration of purpose. If we call, God opens the door wide so that we can have free access to Him. No limitations. No preconditions. Of course we can’t manipulate God for our benefit. Just because we call does not mean that restoration is immediate or that all our troubles instantly disappear. When a child falls and scrapes their knee the parent is there to pick them up, hold them and put some first aid cream on the wound. The scrape lasts for days, but the holding and hugging signals that the world is safe again. I am not alone in my pain. The same is true when we call on the Lord. It will take a lifetime for the bruises and hurts to heal. It is not until eternity that all this gets worked out. But we know that the Lord will be with us. He will not abandon us. And this benefit is available through our simple act of calling on the Lord. When we enter into a relationship with Him, then we get the benefits of that relationship. He gains nothing, since everything is His to begin with. We gain everything, since we must come empty-handed. Can you come empty-handed? Or do you think you have something to contribute to God? When we come empty, God fills us up with the very substance that our hearts have been longing so long to possess. All our substitutes get thrown on the landfill. Our lives are full of purpose and meaning, since we begin to see how we fit into God’s plan for humanity.
The Arnold Journey 