What is the sweetest thing to you? Is it chocolate? Is it a cake or a pie? What about someone knowing your name? “But I trust I shall shortly see thee, and we shall speak face to face. Peace be to thee. Our friends salute thee. Greet the friends by name” (3 John 14). What about those who are not your close friends? Did you ever have someone miss your name to your face? Some have thought I was someone else and some have called me by someone else’s name this was all done right in front of me! It is good for some to know your name!
The Bible says, “A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favour rather than silver and gold” (Proverbs 22:1). Again, “A good name is better than precious ointment: and the day of death than the day of one’s birth” (Ecclesiastes 7:1). What do people think of when your name is called?
The Bible talks of several who had a good name. When speaking of the qualifications for those who were to serve tables, the Bible speaks, “Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among your seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business” (Acts 6:3). These men must have had a good name among the brethren. Cornelius must have had a good name among those acquainted with him, “And they said, Cornelius the centurion, a just man, and one that feareth God, and of good report among all the nation of the Jews, was warned from God by an holy angel to send for thee into his house, and to hear words of thee” (Acts 10:22). Timothy had a good name, “Then came he to Derbe and Lystra: and behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timotheus, the son of a certain woman, which was a Jewess, and believed; but his father was a Greek: which was well reported of by the brethren that were at Lystra and Iconium” (Acts 16:1-2). Another who had a good name was Ananias, “And one Ananias, a devout man according to the law, having a good report of all the Jews which dwelt there” (Acts 22:12). Titus also had a good name, “And we shave sent with him the brother, whose praise is in the gospel throughout all the churches” (2 Corinthians 8:18). Elders have the qualifications of being “blamless… he must have a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil” (1 Timothy 3:2, 7). A deacon must have these qualities, “blameless, and for they that have used the office of a deacon well purchase to themselves a good degree, and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 3:10, 13). The good name of a Christian will help spread the Gospel in any community. What do people think of when your name is called?
When we act all that we do must be done by the name of the Lord Jesus, “And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him” (Colossians 3:17). When we baptize someone we must do immerse them “in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost” (Matthew 28:19). When we do something in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost, we are doing that thing by Their authority. They have authorized the thing to be done!
Remember that, “neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). Not only all that we do must be by His authority; we are only saved by Jesus Christ. Salvation is not in any other man. People may follow great religious men but salvation is not by any of them salvation in only in the name of Jesus!
Let us know one another by name. Let us also know that a good name is a good thing to have, but let us never forget that salvation is only by One name and that is by Jesus.
Love, Keith
