Articles
The Book of Life
The Book of Life
Every local church has a directory which contains the names of its members. In heaven Christ has His own directory — a universal church directory, if you will. It is the book of life, a record of all of God's true and faithful children. God will receive into heaven only those whose names are written in that book. “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” (Rev. 21:27). “And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.” (Rev. 21:15).
In Philippians 4:3 Paul mentioned his “fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life.” Is your name in that book right now? Of all the questions of life, this one is the most important. Some individuals are concerned only with whether their name is in the directory of some particular local church. They’re missing the whole point! As important as local church membership is, that’s not what saves you. It is possible for one’s name recorded in a church directory — or in a thousand church directories, for that matter — and still not be written in the book of life.
Though some may fool themselves into believing their names are recorded in the book of life when it really isn’t, no one can fool God. He knows whose names are written there: only those who are members of the body of Christ, the universal collection of believers. God adds people to the body of Christ when they obey the gospel through belief, repentance and baptism (Acts 2:36, 38, 41, 47). That is the point when their names are written in the book of life.
Their names do not automatically remain there permanently, however. Listen to this warning: "And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away His part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book" (Rev. 22:19). While we live, God can just as easily remove our names from the book of life as He can add them. To make sure our names are not erased, we must overcome sin, be watchful and strong, and make our works complete before God (Rev. 3:3). Jesus said, “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” (Rev. 3:5).
If you are a true Christian, God recognizes you as such and has recorded your name in the book of life. Let us, therefore, continue to serve God faithfully so our names will remain written in that great book until the Judgment Day when, through His grace, we shall be saved for all eternity!
