Acts 2:14-21: a reflection

14But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice and spoke out to them, “You men of Judea and all you who dwell at Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to my words. 15For these aren’t drunken, as you suppose, seeing it is only the third hour of the day. 16But this is what has been spoken through the prophet Joel: 17‘It will be in the last days, says God, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh. Your sons and your daughters will prophesy. Your young men will see visions. Your old men will dream dreams. 18Yes, and on my servants and on my handmaidens in those days, I will pour out my Spirit, and they will prophesy. 19I will show wonders in the sky above, and signs on the earth beneath: blood, and fire, and billows of smoke. 20The sun will be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and glorious day of the Lord comes. 21It will be that whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.’

As Peter preaches on the day of Pentecost, he quotes the prophet Joel, and comes to a promise as wide as it is sure: It will be that whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved. The promise is not narrow, restricted to a few; it is for whoever, anyone, all who call on the name of the Lord. Salvation is offered freely to all who call on him, without restriction; whoever calls, of whatever background or past, will be saved. The door is open to anyone who will call on the Lord.

Notice the wideness of the promise: whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. It does not say some, or a certain few, or only the worthy; it says whoever, anyone at all who calls on the Lord. The promise of salvation is open to all, without restriction of background, past, or worthiness; the one requirement is to call on the name of the Lord. And to all who do, the promise is sure: they will be saved. The door is wide open, and the promise certain, to whoever calls on the Lord.

That wide, sure promise is worth resting in, for it means salvation is open even to you, whoever you are, if you call on the Lord. We can fear that we are too far gone, too unworthy, too much the outsider, to be saved; but the promise is to whoever calls on the name of the Lord, without restriction. Whoever you are, whatever your past, if you call on the name of the Lord, you will be saved; the promise is wide enough for you, and sure. Do not imagine yourself excluded from this promise, too unworthy or too far gone; it is for whoever calls on the Lord, and that includes you. Call on the name of the Lord, and be saved, resting on the wide, sure promise that whoever calls on him will be saved, without restriction of past or worthiness; for the door is open to anyone who will call, and the promise is certain to whoever calls on the name of the Lord.

Lord, as Peter preaches on the day of Pentecost, he quotes the prophet Joel, and comes to a promise as wide as it is sure: it will be that whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved. The promise is not narrow, restricted to a few; it is for whoever, anyone, all who call on the name of the Lord. Salvation is offered freely to all who call on you, without restriction; whoever calls, of whatever background or past, will be saved. Show me the wideness of the promise: whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. It does not say some, or a certain few, or only the worthy; it says whoever, anyone at all who calls on you. The promise of salvation is open to all, without restriction of background, past, or worthiness; the one requirement is to call on your name. And to all who do, the promise is sure. Let me rest in that wide, sure promise, for it means salvation is open even to me, whoever I am, if I call on you. I can fear that I am too far gone, too unworthy, too much the outsider, to be saved; but the promise is to whoever calls on your name. Whatever my past, if I call on your name, I will be saved; the promise is wide enough for me, and sure. Keep me from imagining myself excluded from this promise, too unworthy or too far gone; it is for whoever calls on you, and that includes me. Help me call on your name, Lord, and be saved, resting on the wide, sure promise that whoever calls on you will be saved.