And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the LORD has said, and in the remnant whom the LORD shall call.

Joel 2:32

Is it all the families of the land or all the families of the globe who get the blessing through Abraham’s seed? The answer may surprise you.

The good old days when a person counted if the pedigree was right are still with us. Christian evangelism and outreach is solidly on the same foundation as Jewish xenophobia of New Testament times.

Paul uses this prophetic saying of Joel to declare that (a) salvation is between God and individuals. Christians believe that calling on God gets attention and eternal results. He declares too (b) that it begins with Jewish people. – in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance – God must be listening. Despite the use of distinct language about salvation many think that salvation is probationary. Two tenses in Greek make it clear. Simple past tense, the aorist, tells us that the action is not a lengthy process. Christ is not dying any more. We do not keep rising from our sin-death. The other past tense, the perfect, informs us about an action that has lasting effect. A saved person is safe. A saying written is in print.

Most Christians seem to be tormented by the risk of being lost because they fail to perform perfectly. It is a known demonic lie. We have fallen from grace if we think we need law, obedience, or work to be saved.