Issued 19.02.2000

God´s name

What is the name of God? He can be called by many names which describe His qualities. What is the name that He wants us to call Him, when we seek the contact with Him? He has exalted one name above all other names. "Salvation is found in no-one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved." Acts 4:12

I AM
When God appeared to Moses in flames of fire from within a bush, Moses asked God to tell His name: "When the Israelites ask me, 'What is His name?' Then what shall I tell them?" God said to Moses: "I AM WHO I AM." And He also said: "This is what you are to say to the Israelites: I AM has sent me to you." Exod.3:13-14

The Israelites honoured this name of God so much that they never said "I am", so that they would not say His name in vain. They didn't use commonly this name, but instead they said about Him, Adonai, in other words Lord. This was an alias name of the true name Jahveh or I AM.

Sometimes in the Bible it is written "Lord Lord", which is in the Hebrew Bible "Adonai Jahveh". So both words are translated with the word Lord. Some believe that Lord's name must be pronounced Jehovah. There are these two ways to pronounce this name because the name Jahveh or Jehovah was originally written without vowels, Jhvh.

Why has God the name I AM?
God has not a share in any creation and He has always existed. Therefore this name best describes His being. In fact only He can say about Himself ,"I AM", because everything exists only through Him. When we as human beings say, "I am", we actually mean, "I have been created".

Everything we add after the pair of words "I am" , describes what kind of creatures we are. By saying "I am" we build our identities. If we say about ourselves too much we adopt an identity of an idol and so we try to be something great.

When God Himself says His name, "I AM", it is a powerful event. Moses had this experience. He had to go the shelter of a rock that he wouldn't die when God came near him and proclaimed His own name. God said to Moses: "I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the LORD, in your presence." 2Moos.33:19 The word LORD of this text is in the Hebrew Bible "Jahveh" or "I AM".

Jesus Christ is I AM
Jesus said: "You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am the one I claim to be, you will indeed die in your sins." John 8:23-24 Jesus proved that He has the name of God. He is the Son of Jahveh and the Son of LORD. Most people see Jesus only as a man. He really is the Son of Man, but the resurrection of Jesus proves that He is also the Son of God.

Jesus says: "When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am, the one I claimed to be, and that I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me." John 8:28

Jesus proclaims goodness of His name
"I am the gate whoever enters through me will be saved." John.10:9 Jesus is the Gate to the Kingdom of God. He must accept you as His own, in order that you would get in. He says about this same thing: "I am the good shepherd." John 10:11 He is searching lost sheep and lets them go through the gate into the grace of God and thus gives them the assurance of salvation.

However Jesus is not only one experience to us, but He comes into our life to be with us in everything we do. "I am the way and the truth and the life. No-one comes to the Father except through me." John 14:6 We follow the example of Jesus. We obey the Truth and get from Him the power to live godly life.

Jesus is the Way. If we go on that way we have the reliable hope to reach heaven. Jesus is the Truth. If we obey Him we get the faith of God into our life. He says about this same thing: "I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty." John 6:35

Jesus is Life. If we drink Him we will be refreshed by God's love. He says about this same thing: "I am the resurrection and life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies." John 11:25 "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." John 8:12 The example of Jesus cannot be followed by imitating Him.

He can be followed only so that He Himself lives in us. Therefore the life together with Jesus is as deep and fixed as is the contact of a branch to the tree trunk. "I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. ... Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me." John 15:1-4 God would like to graft every person in Jesus. In this way we can get a share of all that goodness, which He Is.

Jesus Christ is Lord
Jesus said that He came in the name of His Father. "I have come in my Father's name,..." John 5:43 After He had atoned our sins through His death, His Father exalted Him to very high. "Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name that is above every name, ..., and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." Phil.2:9-11

This word, Lord, doesn't mean only Adonai, but Jahveh or Jehovah or I AM. People who are called Jehovah's Witnesses are the wrong witnesses to Jehovah, because they don't bear the witness that Jesus Christ is Jehovah. Instead of this they say that Jesus is the archangel Michael.

Confession of mouth saves
"If you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved." Rom.10:9 Because God has exalted the name of Jesus, you also should do the same in your own life.

If you are not now able to confess that Jesus is your Lord, you can however call on this Name. "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." Rom.10:13 This Lord mentioned in the New Testament means Jesus, but this text is a quotation from the Old Testament, Joel 2:32. There that word Lord is Jahveh.

If you call on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and you believe that He is the one that He claims to be, God will answer you.