What is the Book of Life?

Author: BibleAsk Team


The Book of Life

The Book of Life in Christianity and Judaism, (Hebrew: ספר החיים, transliterated Sefer HaChaim; Greek: βιβλίον τῆς ζωῆς Biblíon tēs Zōēs), is the book in which God records the names of every person who is destined for Heaven or the world to come. God has such a book, and to be blotted out of it signifies death (Revelation 20:15). The phrase “Book of Life” appears eight times in the New King James Version of the Bible, and seven of those are in the book of Revelation.

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 of 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).

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). Therefore, Jesus said, “Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man” (Luke 21:36).

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, verese 12). And, “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 also 13:8).

How can we be sure that our names are 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 ways of life. Then, we need to “believe in the Lord Jesus” (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). For Faith in the Lord involves a personal 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 the believer has to be connected to Christ through daily prayer and study of His Word. 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). 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, there can be no true justification (Hebrews 11:6). David, wrote, “I delight to do Your will, O my God, And Your law is within my heart” (Psalm 40:8).

God has already done all of the work. All we must do is receive, in faith, the salvation and victory He offers (Ephesians 2:8-9). We need to fully trust in Jesus alone as the payment for our sins. If we believe in Him, we will not perish (John 3:16).

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). God 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

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