Today's post is in response to a FB *friend*, who is no longer a *friend* (she blocked me) as she didn't like some of my responses to her post about using Jesus' Hebrew name, Yeshua, instead of the English form, Jesus.
For those who think people are *not* saved ... if they refer to the Lord as "Lord" (saying the term is referring to Baal, a pagan deity - maybe I'll take this one on another time) and/or to call the Savior, "Jesus", instead of Yeshua ... I have to strongly DIS-agree.
I was saved under the name of Jesus, long before I heard His Hebrew name {Yeshua, which in itself is a transliteration of the Hebrew letters/name}. He knows Who He is and He's in the hearts of every true believer. It's not all about a name, although it's great to know His Hebrew name and especially the meaning of it {Salvation}. I, for one, don't know the correct Hebrew spelling nor pronunciation - yes I know, there are many that claim they *know* and have the only truth and they all conflict with each other to some degree or another! This is confusion, which is NOT of God {1Co 14:33 KJV}.
I am not ashamed to know my Lord and refer to Him by the English name for which I came to know Him, that being Jesus, the Christ (Messiah/Meshiach, the Anointed One), my Lord (Master, to Whom I am a willing slave) and Savior.
There is something for which people that -claim- you should only refer to Him by the name of Yeshua seem to have missed and that's that Jesus/Yeshua has a "new name" and those that are His will know it
... and it may well be that His "new name" IS Jesus
{Isa 62:2 KJV} And the Gentiles shall see thy righteousness, and all kings thy glory: and thou shalt be called by a new name, which the mouth of the LORD shall name.
{Rev 3:12 KJV} Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, [which is] new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and [I will write upon him] my new name.
I am very into the Hebrew, not just modern but even more-so the ancient paleo & picto Hebrew, which is where the true name meanings lay. However, my bible, the KJV, says the following for the "name of Jesus" ... https://www.blueletterbible.org/search/search.cfm?Criteria=%22name+of+Jesus%22&t=KJV#s=s_primary_0_1
{Act 2:38 KJV} Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
{Act 3:6 KJV} Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.
{Act 4:10 KJV} 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.
{Act 4:18 KJV} And they called them, and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus.
{Act 5:40 KJV} And to him they agreed: and when they had called the apostles, and beaten [them], they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go.
{Act 8:12 KJV} But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.
{Act 9:27 KJV} But Barnabas took him, and brought [him] to the apostles, and declared unto them how he had seen the Lord in the way, and that he had spoken to him, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus.
{Act 16:18 KJV} And this did she many days. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour.
{Act 26:9 KJV} I verily thought with myself, that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth.
{1Co 1:2 KJV} 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:
{Phl 2:10 KJV} That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of [things] in heaven, and [things] in earth, and [things] under the earth;
So, do I trust these words that are written for me in my own language? Well yes, yes I do!
... and since I believe His words are written for all to see & read, this name IS His name, pronounced many different ways depending on the language speaking it
... and people are being healed and set free, yes folks, even today, using the mighty name of Jesus!
... and it may well be that satan is trying to make that name (Jesus) seem like it's a pagan, bad name and you shouldn't use it; yet, our bibles beg to differ:
{Phl 2:9-11 KJV} Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of [things] in heaven, and [things] in earth, and [things] under the earth; And [that] every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ [is] Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
I'm just not dogmatic about what to call Him, whether it's Yeshua, Yahushua, Yashua, Yehoshua, Joshua, Yoshua, etc, or just ... Jesus ... He knows those that are His.
Go ahead, speak the name of Jesus to anyone and see what kind of reaction you get, especially from non-believers. The only ones that care to insult Him by His Hebrew name Yeshua {Salvation} do so in a derogatory manor by calling Him, yeshu. Call Him Jesus and the whole world is angry at you. Call Him Yeshua and you'll only annoy some Jews. Even now, fellow Christians are attacking other believers who call Him by His English name of Jesus. This is very dangerous, especially to new believers! Shame on you!
So then, what are the *conditions* of salvation? Anything more or less is simply learning ... to profess people aren't saved because they don't call Jesus by His Hebrew name is shameful and I recommend that you go by scripture, which says NO SUCH THING:
{Act 16:31 KJV} And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.
{Rom 10:9 KJV} That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
... and more, from Jesus own mouth, I will believe >>>in/on<<< Him
{Mat 18:6 KJV} But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and [that] he were drowned in the depth of the sea.
{Mar 9:42 KJV} And whosoever shall offend one of [these] little ones that believe in me, it is better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea.
{Jhn 5:24 KJV} Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.
{Jhn 6:35 KJV} And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.
{Jhn 6:40 KJV} And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.
{Jhn 6:47 KJV} Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.
{Jhn 11:25-26 KJV} Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this? {{Jhn 11:27 KJV} She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.}
{Jhn 12:46 KJV} I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness.
{Jhn 20:29 KJV} Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed [are] they that have not seen, and [yet] have believed.
A special note of consideration to those that deny His name, whether it be the English, Spanish, or any other dialect ...
{1Jo 2:22 KJV} Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son.
{1Jo 4:15 KJV} Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.
{1Jo 5:5 KJV} Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?
NOWHERE in the bible does it say that if you don't refer to Him by His Hebrew name you are damned, "on the wide road to destruction" as my post-haste *friend* wrote ... NOWHERE. What it does say is to believe ON or IN Him. It's already hard enough to be saved in this day & age of scoffers and mockers, please, don't complicate matters further.
And let me make myself clear ... I am not against those of the "sacred name" community of believers. I applaud their work and I agree there is much to be learned by studying Hebrew and understanding our Judeo-Christian origins. What I am against are those that profess that if you don't use Jesus' Hebrew name, Yeshua, then you are 1) not saved and therefore 2) going to hell ... that's just absurd and UNbiblical!
*Someday* we'll be calling Him by a "new name", perhaps we already are! A day is soon coming when EVERYONE will know His name for sure ;o}
Here's some pages to read and consider ...
https://www.quora.com/Is-Yeshu-Yeshua-a-derogatory-Hebrew-name-for-Jesus
http://ravmatt.blogspot.com/2012/12/yeshua-means-salvation-yeshu-does-not.html
http://www.seedofabraham.net/jesusyeshua.html
Maranatha to the King!
{Comments (in or around scripture) in curly brackets are mine. Red letter text is quoting Jesus.}
