Have you heard of the Book of Life?  Do you know why it plays a crucial role in the life of every human being?

The Book of Life is of great importance because it is the record of your decision to follow Jesus or reject Him.  This is the determining factor of where a person goes when they die.  Will they go to Heaven, or will they go to Hell.

Scripture is clear that only those whose names are written in the Book of Life will be allowed into Heaven.  Those whose names are not written in the Book of Life will be sentenced to a terrible and terrifying eternity separated from God.  They will spend eternity in Hell.

Revelation 21:27
“and nothing unclean, and no one who practices abomination and lying, shall ever come into it, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.”

Revelation 20:11-15
“Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds.”

“And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.”

When we reflect on the scene in Revelation 10 above, it becomes easier to understand Jesus’ response to His disciples in Luke 10:17-20.  He had sent out seventy of His followers on missions.  They returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.”  Jesus responded, “Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are recorded in heaven.”

The disciples’ eyes were fixed on earth and on their ministry success.  Jesus wanted them to look up, to become more “heavenly-minded”.  They needed to check their motivation.  This would help them see the bigger picture and understand what is truly important. This should be our attitude as well.  Our chief joy should be in knowing that our names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life and we are joined to Christ forever.

How can you know for sure that your name is written in the Lamb’s Book of Life?  Scripture calls Christ the “Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29).  Do you believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, that He died on the cross to pay the penalty for your sins, and that He rose from the dead?  Have you sincerely turned from your life of sin (repented) and put your trust in Christ as your Savior and Lord?  Are you following Him to the best of your ability?

If you meet these qualifications, you have received forgiveness of sins and a new life in Christ.  You are “born again” and have received the Holy Spirit to help you live for Christ.  Your name is recorded in heaven.  You are no longer a citizen of earth, but of heaven.

When was your name recorded in the Book of Life?  It was recorded “from the foundation of the world” (Revelation 13:8, 17:8).  Our omniscient God knows the end from the beginning (Isaiah 46:10).  He foresaw that you would accept Christ and not walk away from His grace.

How can you know for sure that your name will not be erased from the Lamb’s Book of Life?  Nowhere does Scripture ever say that God erased a believer’s name from the Book of Life.  Revelation 3:5 is a promise to everyone who “overcomes”:

Revelation 3:5
“He who overcomes will thus be clothed in white garments; and I will not erase his name from the book of life, and I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.”

How does a person “overcome”?  1 John 5:4-5 gives us assurance that every “born again” believer is an “overcomer”.

1 John 5:4-5
“ For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. Who is the one who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?”

1 John 5:11-12 gives us further assurance: “And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life.”

Rejoice that your name is written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.  If you aren’t certain of your salvation, read “How Can I Know God?”

What Do You Think?

So what do you think?

We want to hear from you! Please leave a comment at the bottom of the page.

Want to get this blog delivered twice a month to your inbox?  Enter your name and email in the form on this page.