“And this is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment.” 1 John 3:23

What’s In a Name?

Walk His Way Revisited

First posted in November, 2014

What’s in a name? Everything, apparently. In Bible times, parents gave names to their children for all different reasons. Sometimes it was a name that showed birth order, or the emotional state of the mother, or the circumstances of the child’s birth or conception. Sometimes the name told what the child looked like, or what the parents hoped the child would become. Sometimes it was what the child’s disposition was.

There are many instances in Scripture when people’s names were changed, always in response to some life-changing event or an encounter with the living God. It should excite us that “those who overcome” will be given a new name, and no one will know what that name is except the one He gives it to (Revelation 2:17). Will He name us according to the call on our lives? Or will He base it on something that happened to us in life? Or something we overcame?

We read above that He has given us a command to believe on the NAME of His Son Jesus Christ. I began to wonder if there was a difference between believing in Jesus, and believing on His name, because if there is a command involved, I should know what it is I’m being asked to do!

The word for “name” in Greek is onoma. This word encompasses everything the name implies, such as the rank or authority of the person with the name, their character, their reputation, and who the person represents or “comes in the name of.”

Now we’re getting somewhere. When I believe on the NAME OF JESUS, I believe not only that He is God’s Son, I believe…

… in His rank as Most High,

… in His authority as Sovereign Ruler,

… in His character as holy and perfect,

… in His reputation as both God and sinless man,

… that He is the exact representation of God, His very incarnation.

Believe on THAT name! Stand on THAT name, the name that means all that the Living God is. Stake your life and reputation on THAT name—all His abilities, His power, His wisdom, His work, His promises, His Word! All that He is, was, and ever shall be—believe on that name!

“Glory to You, Lord! We believe on Your name and all that name represents. Amen!”