Book of Life – What is it?
The Book of Life (also called The Lamb’s Book of Life) is a record containing the names of those who have overcome sin through accepting Jesus as Christ (having a spiritual rebirth). In other words, the Book of Life is the names of the redeemed—those who will live with God forever in heaven.
Book of Life – In the Scriptures
The following Bible references speak of the Book of Life.
- “He who overcomes will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out his name from the book of life, but will acknowledge his name before my Father and his angels” (Revelation 3:5). In this verse, we learn that overcomers will be clothed in white (a symbol of purity) as our name is acknowledged to God. To have our names included, we must be purified or “overcomers.” This means that those who reject Christ’s salvation will not be included.
- Revelation 21:27 states, “Nothing impure will ever enter it [heaven], nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.”
- The importance of the Book of Life is established in Revelation 20:15 “If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.” This is an eternal sentence. The lake of fire is the destination created for Satan and it looms eternally before those who reject and rebel against God. This is foretold in the vision that is written inRevelation 13:8, “All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast—all whose names have not been written in the book of life belonging to the Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world.” This verse partners with the vision in Revelation 17:8 given to John, “The beast, which you saw, once was, now is not, and will come up out of the Abyss and go to his destruction. The inhabitants of the earth whose names have not been written in the book of life from creation of the world will be astonished when they see the beast, because he once was, now is not, and yet will come.”“Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. Earth and sky fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire” (Revelation 20:11-15).
- “Yes, and I ask you, loyal yokefellow, help these women who have contended at my side in the cause of the gospel, along with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life” (Philippians 4:3).
Book of Life – Is Your Name Written Within?
It is very simple to have your name recorded in the Book of Life. To do so, it is important to understand that we are all sinners. Romans 3:23 says, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory for God.” Sin means that we have missed the mark (the perfect standard) that God has set for us. The penalty for sin is death. Romans 6:23 says, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” This verse says that death is the wage for our sin. It is what we earn. We deserve to die and live separated from God forever.
The message doesn’t end there! Christ died for us. Romans 5:8 says, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ [Jesus] died for us.” Jesus died in our place. Three days later, Jesus rose from death, proving that sin had been conquered.
The great news is that You can be saved through faith in Christ. Ephesians 2:8-9 says, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.” You can depend on Jesus to forgive you and give eternal life, rather than eternal death.
Having your name in the Book of Life ensures you all the eternal blessings. Is your name written in the Book of Life? If not, take time to talk to God now. Express your desire to be a part of His family and be written in His book.
Receiving Jesus is a matter of truly asking Him to come into your life, to forgive your sins, and to become your Lord and Savior. It’s not merely an intellectual undertaking, but rather, an act of sincere faith and heart-felt will.
If you want to receive Jesus now, and accept His gift of salvation, it's a matter of believing in Jesus Christ, repenting of your sins, and turning the rest of your life over to Him. This is not a ritual based on specific words, but rather, a prayerful guideline for your sincere step of faith.
- “Father, I know that I have broken your laws and my sins have separated me from you. I am truly sorry, and now I want to turn away from my past sinful life toward you. Please forgive me, and help me avoid sinning again. I believe that your son, Jesus Christ died for my sins, was resurrected from the dead, is alive, and hears my prayer. I invite Jesus to become the Lord of my life, to rule and reign in my heart from this day forward. Please send your Holy Spirit to help me obey You, and to do Your will for the rest of my life. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.”
"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).
If you decided to become a Christian today, welcome to God's family. Now, as a way to grow closer to Him, the Bible tells us to follow up on our commitment.
- Get baptized as commanded by Christ.
- Tell someone else about your new faith in Christ.
- Spend time with God each day. It does not have to be a long period of time. Just develop the daily habit of praying to Him and reading His Word. Ask God to increase your faith and your understanding of the Bible.
- Seek fellowship with other Christians. Develop a group of Christian friends to answer your questions and support you.
- Find a local church where you can worship God.
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WHAT DO YOU THINK?
- We have all sinned and deserve God's judgment. God, the Father, sent His only Son to satisfy that judgment for those who believe in Him.Jesus, the creator and eternal Son of God, who lived a sinless life, loves us so much that He died for our sins, taking the punishment that we deserve, was buried, androse from the dead according to the Bible. If you truly believe and trust this in your heart, receiving Jesus alone as your Savior, declaring, "Jesus is Lord," you will be saved from judgment and spend eternity with God in heaven.What is your response?
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