None Other Name Under Heaven

Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of JESUS CHRIST of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole.  This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. NEITHER IS THERE SALVATION IN ANY OTHER: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby WE MUST BE SAVED (Acts 4:10-12).  Salvation can only be found be found in the name of Jesus Christ.  You CANNOT find salvation in the name of Allah.  You CANNOT find salvation in the name of the Pope.  You CANNOT find salvation in the name of Buddha.  You CANNOT find salvation in the name of a religion or a denomination.  You CANNOT find salvation in the name of an evangelist.  You can only find salvation in the person of Jesus Christ.  This is God’s plan.
Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place CALL UPON THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST our Lord, both theirs and ours” (1st Corinthians 1:2).  We must call upon the name of Jesus to be saved.  “For whosoever shall call upon THE NAME OF THE LORD shall be saved” (Romans 10:13).  The word “call” here means “to believe.”  The Scriptures are very clear that Jesus Christ is the only way to heaven.  We must believe this and personally make the decision to rely 100% upon Christ for salvation.  We do this because of the atoning work of Christ.  We must trust Jesus because He is the ONLY One Who came to pay for our sins.  We must confess our sinful condition to God and ask Him to forgive us of all our sins based upon the atoning work of Christ.  The “atonement” is ALL the necessary things concerning Christ which were required to make our salvation possible—Christ’s virgin birth, His deity, sinless life, death, burial, resurrection, blood applied, etc.  All these precious items were necessary for our redemption to take place.  Thank God for giving us a second chance through His Son Jesus Christ.  By the way, there are no third chances with God—only second chances.  When God forgives, He forgets!  Every time we sin, it is a first offense with God.  It’s been said that we remember what God forgets and God remembers what we forget.
I am the LORD: THAT IS MY NAME: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images” (Isaiah 42:8).  Jesus is THE LORD, that is His name.  It is very proper to refer to Jesus as “THE LORD.”  Notice the pre-incarnate Christ speaking here in Isaiah, “I, even I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no SAVIOUR” (Isaiah 43:11).  Jesus is the Savior of the world.   “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a SAVIOUR, WHICH IS CHRIST THE LORD” (Luke 2:11).  This was God, our Savior, speaking to Isaiah.  Isaiah 43:11 declares that there is no savior other than the Lord God of Israel, Jesus Christ.  Isaiah 42:8 makes clear that God will NOT share His glory with another.  For a person or a religion to claim that Jesus is “a God” , but not “Almighty God” is a violation of the Scriptures.  God clearly says in Isaiah 42:8 that He will NOT allow idolatry.  Only God is worthy of praise; therefore, only God is to be praised and glorified.  It would have been sinful for Jesus to accept worship from others if He were anyone other than Almighty God.  But Jesus DID accept worship from people time and time again.  As God, Jesus had every right to accept the praises of men, women and children.  “And, behold, there came a leper and WORSHIPPED HIM, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean” (Matthew 8:2).  “Then came to him the mother of Zebedee's children with her sons, WORSHIPPING HIM…” (Matthew 20:20).   If you have one of these new perversions of the Bible, you might not find the word “worshipped” but rather “knelt.”  This is an injustice to God’s Word because you can kneel before a king without worshipping him. To remove the word “worshipped” is to attack and diminish the deity of Christ (that He is God).  Salvation can ONLY be found in the Lord Jesus, nowhere else.  According to the Scriptures, Jesus came to this earth as God Almighty in the flesh.  “And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: GOD WAS MANIFEST IN THE FLESH, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory” (1st Timothy 3:16).  Some of the new perversions of the Bible existing on the market today have sadly diminished Christ’s deity by watering-down this Scripture.  You’ll find something like “He was revealed in a body” or some other misquote.  Who was revealed in a body?  What kind of body?  Though many claim these changes were necessary to make the Bible easier to understand, this simply is NOT the case here.  To say that “God was manifest in the flesh” says infinitely more than to say “He was revealed in a body.”  The publishers attempt to reach a larger consumer base by removing or changing any offensive or overly controversial Bible verses.  This simply is wicked sin!  It is wrong to change or misquote God’s Word for any reason, especially to make a buck.  Jesus is God! Almighty, Eternal God!   Let’s read Isaiah 42:8 again, “I am the LORD: THAT IS MY NAME: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.”   Jesus is worthy of worship because He is God.  If Jesus were not deity, then God would be giving His glory unto another.  Christ is the second person of the Godhead, mentioned throughout the Bible. The word “trinity” may not be in the Bible but the word “Godhead” most certainly is.  Scriptures are clear that there is ONE God Who has manifest (or revealed) Himself to mankind in three distinct persons: God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Ghost.  “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the NAME of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost” (Matthew 28:19).   Three individuals, all 100% Almighty God.  It may not make good math but it certainly makes good Bible.  What a wonderful truth!   An Islamic Muslim once asked me the question: “If God can do anything, why would He have to come to earth as the Son of God and die on a cross to forgive people?”  He didn’t believe that Jesus was ever crucified.  He denied the Godhead.  He said it all sounded silly to him.  I answered his question with another question: If God can do anything, why would the Bible seem silly?”  Who are we to decide the sovereign matters of God Almighty.   This man was creating God in his own image instead of realizing that he was created in God’s own image.   We must not create our own concept of God!   The Word of God portrays a specific image of God and Who He is.  Who are men to decide what is acceptable or unacceptable concerning God?   Who are men to decide what makes sense and what does not on spiritual matters?   We must push away our sinful pride and turn to the precious Word of God for guidance, salvation and true life.   This is the bottom line—Either you have faith in the Word of God or you don’t!   Everybody has their own idea of what is normal and what is abnormal, of what is good and what is bad, of what is right and what is wrong, etc.  People don’t even agree on the weather.  We must cease from our own finite worldly wisdom and turn to the infinite wondrous truths of the eternally preserved Word of God and ask the Holy Spirit of God to guide our hearts and minds into all truth.  Some truths are beyond our limited comprehension.  The Godhead (trinity) is a mystery to say the least.  We read in 1st Corinthians 13:12, “For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: NOW I KNOW IN PART; but then shall I know even as also I am known.”  All things CANNOT be understood.  There will always be some things that just don’t make sense but we know that they’re true because the Holy Spirit tells us they’re true.  Someday we will know.  As a matter of fact, we will know even as we are known by God.  This means that we will be able to read God’s mind and have a perfect knowledge.  That’s what the Bible says!  “...then shall I know EVEN AS I AM KNOWN.”  God knows you inside and out my friend.      
And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his NAME is called The Word of God” (Revelation 19:13).  Jesus is the Living Word and the Bible is the Written Word.  Jesus is named the “Word of God.”  Our attitude towards the Scriptures reveals our attitude towards Christ.  No person can love Christ and hate the Word of God for Jesus is the Word of God.  Praise God!  Jesus is Almighty God and He came to this old sin-cursed world as Almighty God to redeem sinful man.  He lived among unworthy sinners because He loved us and wanted to save us from sin, death and hell.  Jesus died, was buried and rose again triumphantly over death.  Jesus arose into heaven with His shed blood to present Himself before the Father on our behalf.  Christ is alive and well today, living bodily in heaven with the Father.  Jesus is omnipresent (all present), omnipotent (all powerful) and omniscient (all knowing).  His spirit lives within the heart of each and every true Believer, a friend and a companion at all times.  
That at the NAME OF JESUS every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth” (Philippians 2:10).  Someday EVERY knee shall bow before Jesus Christ and confess that He is the Lord of the Universe.  The vilest of wicked men WILL bow before his God and Creator.  The most heathen of evil women WILL bow in humility before God Almighty.  Oh for a thousand tongues to praise the precious Name of Jesus!  What a Savior, Jesus is mine!  There is NONE OTHER NAME on earth or in the universe given by God which is to worshipped or praised other than Jesus.  Jesus, Jesus, Jesus!