Salvation Summaries

I’ve not heard about the “Book of Life.”  What is it, and why should I care? 

I would guess that most people, even some Christians, have not heard about the book of life. The media don’t mention it, nor is it taught in public colleges or schools. And, it’s generally not a topic of discussion around the water cooler or on coffee break.  In fact, many churches don’t even discuss it.  Why? Of the sixty-six books in the Bible, the phrase “book of life” is found only once in the Psalms, and once in Philippians.  It is found seven times in one other book, Revelation, but this is a book pastors seldom preach from since it is difficult to understand.

But even if many people have not heard about the book of life, that doesn’t mean it’s unimportant.  According to the Bible, if your name is written in this book, you will go to heaven when you die.  However, if your name is not written in it, you will go to the other place. It’s that clear.

When I think about this, there are two questions that come to my mind, and probably yours too: “What is this book of life?” And, “How does one get their name written in it?”  The answers to these, and other questions, are found in Revelation.

• What is the book of life?  The book of life, also known as the Lamb’s book of life, contains the names of people who have received eternal life because of their faith in Jesus (the “Lamb”) and thus will go to heaven when they die.

• Whose names are written in the book of life? Only Christians, or those who have been declared righteous, have their name written in this book.  Psalm 69:26-28 26 For they persecute those you wound and talk about the pain of those you hurt. 27 Charge them with crime upon crime; do not let them share in your salvation. 28 May they be blotted out of the book of life and not be listed with the righteous. Revelation 21:27 Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.

• Who determines whether a person’s name is written in this book? God determines whose name is written in this book. You cannot write your name in the book of life, and neither can I, for we don’t have access to it (it’s in heaven), and we don’t have the authority to write in it.

• When were these names written? To the surprise of some, each name was not written at the time a person became a Christian; rather, God wrote them when He created the world. Thus, God knew in advance who would be a Christian and who would not. Certain Christians believe that God selected, or chose, those who would love and serve Him, and thus become a Christian, while He left others alone in their sin. Revelation 17:8 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 the creation of the world will be astonished when they see the beast, because he once was, now is not, and yet will come.

• Can your name be erased or removed from the book of life? No. Once your name is written in the book of life, it will never be erased. Revelation 3:5 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.

• Are the names of non-Christians written in this book?  No. All non-Christians, which includes unbelievers and those of other religions (Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, etc.) have their name written in a heavenly book, or books, but not the book of life.  Those whose names are not in the book of life will be thrown into the lake of fire for eternal torment. Revelation 20:14-15 14 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. 15 If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

• Why does it matter if my name is not written in this book?  As mentioned above, those whose names are not written in this book will go to hell when they die.  In addition, in the end times, these people will turn against God and worship Satan and those he puts in power. Revelation 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.

• Can you know, today, if your name is written in the book of life?  Yes. If you are a Christian – and by that I mean a Christian according to the Bible and not how the world defines one – your name is written in it.  Philippians 4:3 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.