How can we be written in the Book of Life?

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How can we be written in the Book of Life?

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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. It is also alluded to in other passages that remind us that God remembers His people and their obedience and sacrifices for His way of life.

Basically, the Book of Life records who will receive God’s gift of eternal life.

What does the Bible tell us about those who will have their names written in this wonderful book? Consider the following scriptures and their descriptions of those who will and won’t be written in the Book of Life:

  • “Nothing evil will be allowed to enter—no one who practices shameful idolatry and dishonesty—but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life” (Revelation 21:27, New Living Translation).
  • “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).
  • “Then those who feared the Lord spoke with each other, and the Lord listened to what they said. In his presence, a scroll of remembrance was written to record the names of those who feared him and loved to think about him” (Malachi 3:16, NLT).

Those who practice sin won’t be in the Book of Life, but forgiven overcomers will be written there. As Malachi points out, those who fear God and think and talk about Him will be recorded.

Those whose names are written in the Book of Life are those who receive salvation. And the Bible shows that our loving God has a plan that involves giving everyone a full chance to repent and be saved (2 Peter 3:9; 1 Timothy 2:4). This wonderful plan to give everyone a chance to be written in the Book of Life is explained in more detail in the Frequently Asked Question “Will everyone have a chance for salvation?

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Comments

  • Skip Miller

    Hello Stewart,
    Please notice that one of the sentences in the article, near the end said , " And the Bible shows that our loving God has a plan that involves giving everyone a full chance to repent and be saved."
    Without going into too much detail, that at least means that each individual will need to understand exactly what the requirements are (to be written into the Book of Life). Some are receiving that information right now; others will receive it later.
    Blotting out cannot be done until a person understands what is being offered and chooses to reject that offer. We have booklets addressing that issue. Ask for one!

  • EvanToledo
    After looking at Exodus 32:32-33 and the CONTEXT, which deals with the rebellious Israelites who committed idolatry and Moses plea for them, it is highly speculative that one could derive a teaching that all mankind is originally written in the Book of Life. Remember, God the Father calls us (John 6:44, 65) and Jesus Christ stated there that He would raise them at the last day (Salvation, due to those people's names written in the Book of Life, which IS a logical conclusion. We can have our names erased from that Book if we permanently turn away from the truth back to a life of sin. (Hebrews 6:4-6) All the rest of mankind will get their chance for Salvation...as portrayed by the Last Day, after the Feast of Tabernacles. (see our booklet on the Holy Days)
  • dust_i_am

    Based on what Moses said to God in Exodus 32:32-33, would it be fair to say that everyone begins life in the "book of life" -- only to be removed from it by God due to sin? Then we need Jesus to return to that book (Philippians 4:3)?

  • Stewart

    Certainly that seems like good sense, since blotting out involves removing a name that is already there. I just wonder when any blotting out is done, maybe that is when we come to the end of our life if we have not overcome our sins?

  • kjvistruth

    The Bible presents several different resources to aid us in our effort to overcome sin. In this lifetime, we will never be perfectly victorious over sin (1 John 1:8), but that should still be our goal. With God’s help, and by following the principles of His Word, we can progressively overcome sin and become more and more like Christ. The first resource the Bible mentions in our effort to overcome sin is the Holy Spirit. God has given us the Holy Spirit so we can be victorious in Christian living. God contrasts the deeds of the flesh with the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:16-25. In that passage we are called upon to walk in the Spirit. All believers already possess the Holy Spirit, but this passage tells us that we need to walk in the Spirit, yielding to His control. This means choosing to consistently follow the Holy Spirit's prompting in our lives rather than following the flesh. Blotting out will be done if we don't put our faith in Jesus Christ and his finished work death, burial and resurrection this is the only way by Gods grace Ephesians 2 8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should bo

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