Well, I have good news for you! Your name is written in the Book of Life, for it was written by God, before the Creation of Heaven and Earth. Your job is to make sure it stays there and is not "blotted out", as Revelation informs us!

Revelation 3:5 The one who is victorious will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out the name of that person from the book of life, but will acknowledge that name before my Father and his angels.

So, let's dig in and have a closer look to make sure we understand and follow God's instructions.

The Book of Life….

Written by God’s hand, before the Creation of Heaven and Earth and all that is within it.

Is your name written in this book?

Not sure?

Read on.

Salvation, Hope, and Peace

The Book of Life is a heavenly record of the names of the redeemed who will inherit heaven.

Luke 10:20 However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”

Revelation 3:5 The one who is victorious will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out the name of that person from the book of life, but will acknowledge that name before my Father and his angels.

Revelation 13:8 All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast—all whose names have not been written in the Lamb’s book of life, the Lamb who was slain from the world’s creation.

The Redeemed

Who are the redeemed? Those are all people of the earth who have accepted Jesus Christ as their personal savior at some point in their lives. They have been purchased back (for that is what redeemed means) by Christ’s sacrificial death on the cross. The sacrifice of one pure and innocent life was the price of purchasing back the earth and all that is within it. Check out my article on “The Scroll – Who Owns the Earth?”

All believers in Jesus Christ, as their personal Savior and Lord, will not have their names blotted out of the Book of Life, a book kept in heaven. A book, I believe, was written before the creation of the world. Why do I believe that? Because God knew each of us even before the creation of the world. In 2 Timothy 1:9, Paul writes, teaching Timothy that our grace of salvation was given to us, the Children of God, through Jesus Christ, even BEFORE the beginning[1] of time.

God Knew Us Before Creation

This simply tells me that even before the creation of heaven and the earth, God knew and wrote a book where all the names of his children would be written. He is, after all, an omniscient (that means all-knowing) God. This means that the name of every person ever born has their name in the Book of Life. That name stays there for all eternity, except for one thing. There is only one reason by which a person’s name is removed or blotted out of the Book of Life.

The reason is when one is unrepentant. We are all sinners[2]. Therefore, before we can accept Christ’s free gift of forgiveness and eternal salvation, we must first repent of our sins. That means we turn away from our lives as they are and live a life worthy of Christ and His sacrifice. Once we ask for forgiveness and repent, Christ gives us His righteousness. Without that, we can never come before a Pure and Perfect God.

Unrepentant not in the Book of Life

Unrepentant people refuse to confess their sinfulness, repent, and accept Christ. They live in their sin, ignoring God’s glorious gift of Salvation through His Son, Jesus Christ. Therefore, that person’s name is removed from the Book of Life.

When all people come before Christ to be judged, if their name is not written in the Book of Life, they are immediately sent to the Lake of Fire. A place of eternal punishment. A place where there is no death. Only pain and suffering for all eternity. Also known as Hell.

The choice is yours. We have been given free will to choose what we want. There is no force, no lies, and no hidden agendas. Only love for His creation. Love for His Children. God wants everyone to be saved[3]. That is every single person on this earth. God predestined HIS Creation to be His for all eternity. But he also gave us free will. (Please do check out my article on predestination… and it may surprise you.)

Free Will

What is free will? It simply means that God has given us the ability and responsibility to make our own choices. We have the ability to make ethical decisions such as good or evil, right or wrong, virtue or wickedness. We must remember that with responsibility, there are repercussions. Some are good, and some are bad. Ethical decisions are our responsibility to act for our good and the good of others, to protect the innocent, to help the helpless, and to bring healing to the hurt.

Ethical decisions are mandated by society for the good of society. However, the only decision determining your eternal well-being, how and where you spend eternity, is how you respond to Christ’s invitation to salvation.

My advice is to choose wisely.

Choose life.

Choose Christ.

See you in heaven!

Blessings,

Jana

[1] 2 Timothy 1:9 9 He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time (Jesus Bible)

[2] Romans 3:23 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, (Jesus Bible)

[3] 2 Peter 3:9 9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead, he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish but everyone to come to repentance. (Jesus Bible)