Is the Bible the Book of Life?
The Book of Life is not the Bible. The “Book of life” includes the names of all the faithful (Philippians 4:3). But the names of those who do not endure until the end will be taken out from it. “He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels” (Revelation 3:5).
The same book is also called the Lamb’s Book of Life because it has the names of those who have been redeemed by the blood of the Lord Jesus (Revelation 13:8; 21:27) and has taken Him as a personal Savior. “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name” (John 1:12).
Many never had their names written there, for the book contains only the names of those who at some time in their lives confessed faith in Christ (Luke 10:20). The Bible tells us, “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” (Revelation 21:27 also, verse 12).
God keeps records of His faithful children. The Book of Life contains all the names of those who will go to heaven. “If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire” (Revelation 20:15). The Great White Throne Judgment described in Revelation 20:11-15 is a judgment for the unbelievers. This verse makes it clear that no one at that judgment has his name written in the Book of Life (Revelation 20:12-14).
Other references to the Book of Life are: “Let them [David’s enemies] be blotted out of the book of the living” (Psalm 69:28). “Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin–; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written” (Exodus 32:32). “And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book” (Daniel 12:1).
How Can We Have Our Names Written in the Book of Life?
To have our names written in the Book of Life, first, we need to repent of our sins (Luke 13:3). Repentance means forsaking the old evil way of life. Then, we need to “Believe in the Lord Jesus” as our Savior from sin (Acts 16:31). Justification by faith implies more than a simple adjustment of a person’s legal status in the eyes of God’s (Romans 3:25). It involves a personal daily relationship with Him. It involves having love and gratitude to the Savior for what He did on the cross (Ephesians 5:20; Hebrews 13:15). And it involves allowing the Lord to cleanse us from all unrighteousness to reflect His pure character.
Jesus said, “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me” (John 15:4). The believer has to be connected to Christ through daily prayer and study of His Word. To abide in Christ means that the believer must have a continual communion with Him and must live His life (Galatians 2:20). The believer’s relationship with Christ should be build on a great respect for Him and for all that He is (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).
Faith must be coupled with an honest longing to know Him better (Philippians 3:10) and become more like Him in character (Matthew 5:48). It means having a simple childlike trust in Christ without holding back to the point that the believers are ready to take Him fully at His word and follow commands. Without trust and submission, there can be no true justification (Hebrews 11:6).
Finally, to have our names written in the Book of Life, we need to walk as Jesus walked in obedience to God’s moral Law (Exodus 20:3-17) by the power of His grace (Colossians 2:6). It is God, who supplies all the grace necessary to do that which is right for “all things are possible with God” (Mark 10:27).
In His service,
BibleAsk Team
