The Book of Life

The people of God have a wonderful promise and hope, that when this life is over and the Lord comes to receive His own, He will be glorified in His saints and we will enjoy eternal rest. (2 Thess. 1:3-12, Heb. 2:10-11) This hope gives confidence, knowing that he is able to save us to the uttermost, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for us. (Heb. 7:25) Inspired writers wrote with this confidence:
“For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, no things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Rom. 8:38-39)
“Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.” (Heb. 13:5-6)
God will not forget those who love Him and keep His commandments, whose names are written in heaven. (John 14:15, Luke 10:20, Phil. 4:3) He assures us that there is such a record, a book of Life. Heaven is the home of the righteous, for those who love and obey God.
“And there shall 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)
As faithfulness is necessary for one’s name to be entered into the Lamb’s, it is as necessary to remain there. Some question: Can one, whose name is entered into the book of life, through unbelief, sin, and rebellion have his name removed? That is, is it necessary for one, once saved from sin, to continue in faithful obedience to God? Can one fall from God’s grace? God clearly answers these questions.
Can one’s name be blotted out of the book of life?
“Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin-; and if not, blot me I pray thee, out of thy book which thou has written. And the LORD said unto Moses, Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot our of my book.” (Exodus 32:32-33)
“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)
“He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.” (Rev. 3:5)
Must one remain faithful in obedience to be saved?
Jesus to the church at Smyrna: “be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.” (Rev. 2:10
The “Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ…” (2 Thess. 1:7-8)
“Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.” (Heb. 10:38-39)
Can one fall from grace?
“Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.” (Gal. 5:4)
“I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.” (Gal. 2:21)
“Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled …” (Heb. 12:14-15)
Do no be deceived!
“Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.” (Gal. 6:7-9)
When one is told that if he is saved by the grace of God, this was decreed from the beginning and his name would have then been recorded in the book of life so that he is eternally secure—he cannot fall, his name cannot be blotted out of the book of life, he cannot be condemned for disobedience—he is being deceived~ This, in fact, is a deception of Calvinism. Calvinists state that everything weas decreed by God from the beginning, and they “are immutable and irreversible.” (Curt Daniels, Introduction to Calvinism, V., p.26;Zanchuis, op. cit., ch. II,V.) Calvin wrote, “we know, even on the testimony of Christ, that the names of the children of God were written in the Book of Life from the beginning.” (John Calvin, Institutes, bkk.3, ch. 24, sec. 9 [p. 1005]) This declares that one cannot have his name blotted out of the book of life; it would be a reversal of God’s will! But, as we have demonstrated from scripture, the conclusion is not so. Every major facet of Calvinist theology contradicts God’s revelation.
One’s name is written in the book of life as he is saved, and added by the Lord to His church, of which He is savior. (Rom. 2:L5-11, Acts 2:47, Eph. 5:23) When he sins and falls away, his name is blotted out of the book of life. “Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.” (1 John 3:7)
“And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. 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. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.” (Rev. 20:11-13