IS YOUR NAME IN THE BOOK OF LIFE?

Albert Gardner

 

That is another way of asking “Are you saved?”  Often people are unsure and leave the impression they may not be though they have been faithful Christians all of their lives.  We must never be unaware of the possibility that we can fall away, for we are given fair warning in many verses.

“Wherefore let him that thinketh be standeth take heed lest he fall” (1 Cor. 10:12).  “Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God” (Heb 3:12).

Though it is possible for a Christian to fall away and be eternally lost, it is also possible for a Christian to be assured of salvation.  “And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments” (1 Jn 2:3).  We can know when we are obedient, and obedience saves (Heb 5:8-9).

However, we must not be too boastful about what we have done in obedience, for we can never do enough or be good enough to deserve salvation.  Paul makes this clear in Titus 3:5.  “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost.”  This apostle further declares, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast” (Eph 2:8-9).

Our Lord tells us the proper attitude about obedience.  “So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all these things which are commanded you say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do” (Lk 17:10).  Isaiah 64:6 likens our righteousness to filthy rags.

Have you heard a  funeral where the person was “preached into heaven” when you knew they had not obeyed the gospel and had not lived the Christian life?  But can it be truthfully said at the funeral of a faithful Christian, “He has gone to be with the Lord.  He has gone to a better place”?  Paul said these very things about himself (Phil 1:23).  He had assurance of salvation because he had fought a good fight, he had finished the course, and kept the faith (2 Tim 4:7).  He looked for the crown of righteousness, and says this is offered to all who love his appearing.

Paul could also be confident of the salvation of others. “And I intreat thee also, true yokefellow, help those women which laboured with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and with other my fellowlabourers, whose names are in the book of life” (Phil 4:3).

The book of life is God’s record book of the saved.  Of all the places where one could have his name written, one must not omit, overlook, or neglect the book of life.  Many names may have been printed in church directories whose names were not in the book of life.  We may not know but God does.  “The Lord knoweth them that are his” (2 Tim 2:19).  Being in a church directory is no assurance of salvation, but having your name in the book of life is assurance from God.

The book of life will be opened at the final judgment. “And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works” (Rev 20:12).  The books that were opened are the sixty six books in our Bible.  Those who lived under the Old Testament will be judged by it, and we will be judged by the New Testament.  Each will be judged according their works.

How important is it to have my name written there?  “And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire” (Rev 20:15).  “And there shall be in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life” (Rev 21:27).

Every person ought to be asking how to go about getting his name in that divine book.  What did people do in the Bible to have their name written there?  Look at the example of Pentecost.  Peter preached a crucified and resurrected Lord, and the people believed it and asked “What shall we do?”  Those believers were told to, “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” (Acts 2:38).  Three thousand gladly received the word and were baptized.  These are the ones the Lord added to the church (Acts 2:47), which is the same thing as being added to the Lord (Acts 5:14).

When one has obeyed the gospel, the Lord writes his name in the book of life.  If one remains faithful, his name will be in this book when it is opened on the judgment day.