“And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Acts 2:21).

This was the Church’s first sermon, preached by Peter on the Day of Pentecost. The Holy Spirit had just been poured out on the followers of Jesus and Peter stood up to preach this first sermon. The message then is still our message and had been our message for 2,000 years. It is the message that has given hope to millions of believers and offers that hope to the whole world, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

“Everyone” includes Gentiles as well as the Jews. It includes the well-to-do and the outcast. It includes the sinner as well as the religious. Thankfully, it includes you and me. There are many religions that outline stringent rules that qualify a person for salvation. They don’t work! The only way to salvation is through Jesus. What do I have to do to qualify? Follow a long list of rules? No. Simply call on His Name.

My family has called 9-1-1 many times when facing a physical challenge. We have called tow trucks when our car has broken down. Ambulances and tow trucks take time to get to us. When we call on Jesus He immediately comes to our rescue. He isn’t some distance away but He is right with us and has just been waiting for us to acknowledge our need of Him. Salvation isn’t based on what we do to earn it. We could never do enough. It is based on what Jesus has done for us. He has done the hard part. He died for our sins and fulfilled the law we couldn’t keep. Our challenge is to be humble enough to trust Him to save us. As Luke puts it, “And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”