The Name Of Jesus

What's In A Name?

Bible Knowledge Commentary (BKC): "In Bible times a person's name stood for the person--and represented him and his characteristics."

Proverbs 22:1 – A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favor rather than silver and gold.

Biblical examples: Gen 17:5 ;1 Sam 25:25;Gen 27:36

The name of Jesus gives us many things.  His name should not be taken lightly, nor used in vain.  To use the name of Jesus lightly is dishonoring the power or not acknowledging the holiness and might of His essence.  Below is a listing of some of the power we receive with the Savior’s name.

• Salvation in the name. Acts 2:38, Acts 4:12;Acts 2:21
• We are washed, sanctified, and justified in the name 1 Cor. 6:11

·        Healing in the name. Acts 3:6

·        Teaching in the name. Acts 4:18

·        Signs and wonders in the name.  Acts 4:30

·        Submission of demons in the name. Luke 10:17

·        Protection by the name. John 17:11-12

·        Presence of Christ by declaring the name. Mat 18:20

·        Answered prayer from the name. John 14:13-14; John 16:23-26

·        Holy Spirit was sent in the name. John 16:23-26; John 14:26

·        Name superior to the angels. Heb 1:3-4

Where did the power of the name of Jesus come from?   Philippians 2:5-22

What is the importance of the name of Jesus?  We get answered prayer!

John 14:13-14; John 15:16;John 16:23;John 16:24;John 16:26

Everything we do should be done in the name of Jesus.  Col. 3:17

Acting in the Name of Another

We are told to do all in the name of Christ. The phrase “in the name of” can indicate status, as in doing something in the name of a disciple (Matt. 10:42). It could be as an impersonation, as Jesus said “many will come in My name saying ‘I am the Christ’ (Matt 24:5). It can be in the sense of responsibility and purpose, as we are to give thanks in the name of Christ (Eph 5:20). Often, it indicates delegated authority, where someone serves as a representative of another, as I believe that is what is intended in Col. 3:17. When we do all in the name of Christ, we do what we do by His authority and as His representative. We are to have authority for what we do.

Our responsibility is to represent Him properly, glorify and honor Him, and never bring upon Him a sense of reproach(blame or fault). Note again 1 Tim. 6:1: “All who are under the yoke as slaves are to regard their own masters as worthy of all honor so that the name of God and our doctrine will not be spoken against.” What this means is we are to act in His name, glorify His name, not act in a way so that His name is spoken against.

Doing something in someone else's name has two implications. First, you come by the authority of the other person. You are not coming in your own authority but because someone else authorized you to take these actions. When David fought Goliath, he came unto him "in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied" (1Sam.17:45). He was not coming in his own power or authority but in that which belonged to God alone. This gave David the authority and ability to fight against the giant Goliath…and win.

APPLICATION: Praying in the Name of Jesus

The Father is obligated to treat us as He would His own Son because we come in His name. We represent the Son when we come to the Father.

• Ephesians 1:5-6 – Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.
• Romans 8:17 – And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

When God created His angels, Lucifer (now known as the "devil") was originally created as one of the highest ranking of all the angels.  Indeed, he was probably the highest ranking of ALL the Angels! And he was not evil at his creation.  Indeed, he was created to be an Holy Angel of the Holy God of the Universe !

Specifically, Lucifer was created to be the "Anointed Cherub (Angel) that Covereth" (Ezekiel 28:14). Thus, Lucifer (who later became known as the devil, after his sinful rebellion against God, his Creator) was originally created to be and was a Guardian Cherub, with the purpose of protecting and proclaiming God's Holiness!

Therefore, obviously, Lucifer (the devil) was not "evil" at his creation. 

So, you ask, What happened? Where did "EVIL" come from? And how did Lucifer become the devil?

Glad you asked!

And the answer lies in the fact that when God created Lucifer and all the angels (and us), He gave them (and us) a WILL! Therefore, Lucifer, the angels, and we humans are NOT mindless robots -- i.e., we are NOT programed to unquestionably obey God.  Rather, they and we, each and individually, have a will !

So,
With a will we are FREE TO CHOOSE to love, trust, serve, worship, and obey God
AND
with a will we are also FREE TO DISOBEY God and His commands, rules, and guidelines.

Why did God create us (angels and humans) with a WILL?????

Because the ONLY Love and worship which is worth anything is that which is freely given!  IF we had no choice but to serve God, then our service, love, and worship would be meaningless.  However, if we, after looking at the "facts" (at the Love, compassion, Holiness, ... etc. of God) choose to obey, love, worship, and serve Him as the # 1 LOVE of our life, then, obviously, that love, worship, and service is genuine and of value and worth.

So, God, in His Wisdom and Love did NOT create us or the angels to be "forced" to love and serve Him, but He created us with a Will so that we could CHOOSE (or not choose) to love Him.

Of course, this "Choice" has consequences -- As do ALL choices in life!

If one chooses to OBEY, love, serve, and worship God, then the "consequences" of this choice are that that person (or angel) will live forever in the love, care, protection, and presence of the Lord God and with Him (God) in His Kingdom of Light FOREVER.

But, if one chooses to NOT obey, love, serve, and Worship God, then the "consequences" of that choice are that that person (or angel) will NOT live under the love, care, protection, and presence of the Lord God and will NOT live in His Kingdom of Light.  Rather, they will be responsible for their own protection and will have to "make their own way" in the world.  They will have to work for everything they have (houses, land, money, fame, etc.) by their own efforts and by their own methods.  In fact, they will be living in the Kingdom of Darkness (the kingdom ruled at the present time by the devil).  They will be, in reality, serving the devil and obeying the devil.  Then, at the END of their time (of life on earth for us humans or at the end of the age for the fallen angels), those who have chosen to NOT serve God will spend ETERNITY in that kingdom of Darkness (in HELL!)

(And, by the way, Angels can NOT be "saved" from their sin because the salvation provided by Jesus Christ is ONLY for humans!  That is another topic also and one which we do not have time to cover now.  But, in case you were wondering, ... )

Anyway, back to our original topic.  It is as simple as that!  We, with our WILL, can either Choose to obey, love, serve and worship God OR we choose to disobey ... and the consequences of these choices are poles apart!

Many more words could be written to "expand" and "expound" on all of this.  But the bottom line is:

God did NOT create Evil!

God did NOT create the Devil.

Everything that God created was GOOD!

But God did endow His Created Angels and Human Beings (including you and me) with a WILL.

But, it was the Devil who FIRST used his will to choose to Disobey God and to choose to NOT love, worship, and serve God.

Then the "fallen angels" used their wills to decide to "go with" the devil in that disobedience.

Then Adam and Eve used their wills to choose to "obey the enticements of the devil" and to also disobey God. They chose to eat of the tree of Good and Evil, because they, like the devil, wanted to BE God!

And when those choices were made to disobey God,
then
the consequences of those choices were that EVIL entered the world !

And, it is with our will, that each of us must also Choose (or NOT Choose) to OBEY, love, serve, and worship God.

CHOOSE WISELY with your will !   The consequences are ETERNAL and are NOT REVOCABLE!