The Name Of Jesus Part 1 | Our Inheritance by Apostle Joshua Selman: MP3 Download & Sermon Notes

Matthew 1:21 — "Thou shalt call his name Jesus, for he shall save his people from their sins." Immediately, the name Jesus is connected in prophecy to salvation. The Hebrew root is Yeshua — where the name Joshua is also derived — meaning God who saves or God our salvation. The angel was not merely assigning an identifier; the name itself contains within it the prophecy and the power of salvation.

From a theological standpoint, salvation in Christ has afforded the believer victory over seven specific things:

1. Sin
2. Satan and all demonic forces
3. Death
4. Hell
5. The grave
6. The flesh
7. The world

The victory that was given to the believer in Christ is sevenfold. It is critical to understand the full extent of this victory. The sin problem can be resolved, but if the scope of victory is not grasped, a believer can still live as a victim in areas where the victory has already been secured.

The Name as an Inheritance

Hebrews 1:4 — He has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than the angels.

Philippians 2:9–11 — God has highly exalted him and given him a name that is above every other name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow — of things in heaven, in earth, and under the earth — and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.

That name was given to Jesus as a coronation — an inheritance. And in Christ, every believer has access to that same inheritance of the name. The name of Jesus is not a religious utterance; it is an inheritance received at the point of salvation.

Three Gifts Received at Salvation

When a sinner declares the lordship of Jesus over their life, a threefold miracle happens immediately.

1. The Forgiveness of Sin

   Ephesians 1:7

   In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins. Forgiveness is not a future event — it is a settled reality in Christ. The moment a person comes into Christ, the first gift received is the forgiveness of sin.

2. The Gift of Righteousness

   Romans 5:17, 2 Corinthians 5:21

   If by one man's offense death reigned, how much more shall they who receive the abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness reign in life. He who knew no sin was made to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in him. This is not earned — it is a gift.

3. The Life of God

   John 3:16, 1 John 5:13

   God gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believes on him should not perish but have everlasting life. These things are written so that believers may know that they have eternal life — not hope for it, not work toward it, but know it as a present possession.

The three gifts are sequential and progressive: the forgiveness of sin makes way to receive the righteousness of God, which in turn makes way to receive the life of God. A person cannot carry the life of God without a righteousness equal to that of Jesus, and that righteousness cannot be received without the forgiveness of sin. This is the miracle that happens the moment the lordship of Jesus is declared.

Three Principal Reasons Why Jesus Came to the Earth

1. An Accurate Revelation of the Misunderstood God

   Colossians 1:15–16

   Until Jesus came, no man had a thorough and accurate understanding of God. All knowledge of God was mediated through the lens of prophets and those who served in the priestly office — and many of them, sincerely, made mistakes. They saw in part, and so their interpretation of God contained errors and shortcomings. Jesus came as a marking script — the reference against which all other understandings of God are evaluated. Whatever Jesus did not do is not consistent with the character of God, regardless of what any prophet said.

2. To Make the Life of God Accessible to All Men

   John 10:10, Ephesians 2:14–15

   Jesus came to make eternal life accessible by reconciling men to God through his death. He broke down the middle wall of partition between Jew and Gentile, abolishing in his flesh the enmity contained in the law of ordinances, to make of the two one new man — one family named under the name of God.

3. To Be a Pattern Man

   Jesus came as a model of God's idea and expectation for the believer. When God sees any man — saved or unsaved — there is a project in his heart. Jesus, as God incarnate, came to reveal what that project looks like. He said, "As he is, so are we in this world." He came as an architectural pattern — so precise that if the pattern is given, it can be replicated in any context and on any ground.

Three Foundational Spiritual Forces for Victory

There are three fundamental spiritual forces that must be at work in the life of any believer to walk in victory and dominion. If they are absent, stature and dominion in the kingdom remain out of reach.

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1. The Holy Spirit

   John 16:12–13, Romans 8:9, Ephesians 4:30

   When a person is saved, they are officially introduced to the ministry of the Holy Spirit. He is the one who guides into all truth. The Bible says if any man does not have the spirit of Christ, he does not belong to him. The presence of the Holy Spirit in a life is a seal — a validation of authenticity. Just as a sealed document is proven to be genuine, the Holy Spirit in a life validates that the person truly belongs to the Lord.

2. The Word of God

   Acts 20:32, 2 Timothy 3:15

   It is the word of God that builds a believer up and grants an inheritance among those who are sanctified. From childhood, the Holy Scriptures are able to make a person wise unto salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. The word is not merely information — it is the builder of spiritual stature.

3. The Name of Jesus

   John 16:23–24, Mark 16:17–18, Acts 3:6

   Whatsoever a believer asks the Father in the name of Jesus, the Father will give it. Signs follow those who believe — in that name, new tongues are spoken, deadly things are handled without harm, and the sick recover. Peter, standing before the crippled man at the Beautiful Gate, declared: "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." He knew what he had. It was an inheritance. It was a gift. He was a possessor.

Understanding the Name as Inheritance

It would be unjust of God to place certain demands upon believers and then withhold the tools needed to meet those demands. He gave the Holy Spirit. He gave his word. And he also gave his name. The name of Jesus is a gift — and it is an inheritance that every believer in Christ has received.

Names are not merely means of identification. When a person carries the name of another — walking in someone's name — it means they are a beneficiary of that person's reputation, track record, authority, and relationships. Consider a doctor: mentioning the title alone communicates six or more years of training, sacrifice, and expertise. An architect: the name reveals an area of specialty. The same principle applies, but at an infinitely higher order, with the name of Jesus.

Proverbs 18:10 — The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous run into it and are safe.

Satan is old enough to know the history behind that name. He was there when the power of the name was established. When the name of Jesus is spoken — even by a young person who was not alive when its authority was secured — Satan knows what happened. The name carries the weight of everything its bearer has accomplished.

The name is not meant to be chanted as a charm or repeated as a religious cliche. The sons of Sceva called on the name of Jesus without relationship to its bearer, and the evil spirit responded: "Jesus I know, and Paul I know, but who are you?" The name did not work because there was no legitimate connection. A name spoken in ignorance is the equivalent of idolatry — form without substance, sound without power.

The name works when there is knowledge of the bearer, a functional relationship with him, and a conviction that the inheritance has truly been received.

What the Name Can Do

• The name opens doors that age, education, and connection cannot open.
• The name commands signs and wonders.
• The name is the basis of audacity — the believer comes not as an empty-handed visitor but as a bearer of the name.
• The name dismantles works of darkness — curses, yokes, and enchantments — in a moment, regardless of how long they have been in place.
• When a believer arrives somewhere in that name, the Psalmist's word applies: "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord." It is not the person who is blessed — it is the one who comes in the name.

The name is not limited to speaking it aloud. There is an orientation — a mode of operating — that when present causes the name to produce results whether verbalized or not. The realm of the spirit knows when something is done in the name of Jesus. What verbalization does is announce to the spiritual realm the identity of the one behind the action, and build faith in the speaker. But the name is not a charm to recite — it is a reality to inhabit.