Book of Life

There is a book written in the heavenly realm. It's about a true story, and while the story is fully written in the book, the truth of the story has yet to be fully lived out. It was started when life began and has continued through this moment. The story will continue to unfold throughout eternity; its subject matter will never discontinue or fade from existence. If you are a believer and proclaim Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, you are a child of God and your life is incorporated in the book. Every believer’s life, as a testament to the goodness and greatness of God, is written in the book. 

What is this eternal book? The Bible calls it the Book of Life. There are multiple references to the Book of Life included in both the Old and New Testaments. From Revelation 20:12 we understand that the Book of Life is unique, set apart from the books opened at the judgment seat of heaven. The dead will be judged according to what is written in the “books,” but the Book of Life will be referred to as well. Ultimately, Revelations 20:15 explains, that which is written in the Book of Life determines the eternal destination of a person.

At the judgment, books are to be opened, and the dead will be judged for what they have done, “as recorded in the books.” However, it is the presence of their name in the Book of Life that delivers the final verdict on the person's soul. This scenario begs the question: What happens to a person whose name is not in the Book of Life? Well, let’s not get ahead of ourselves. 

The Book of Life includes the names of those who have placed their trust and their own lives in the hands of the faithful One, the Lord Jesus Christ.

First, let's learn more about the Book of Life and how it came into being. This book is kept by God Himself. It exists because the Creator God made life. Now the book exists to document the testimony of all people to the Glory of the Creator. However, not all are included in the Book of Life. How do we know this? Looking back at the Revelation passages we understand that some names were not in the Book of Life. This means individuals were not included in the book and were judged accordingly. We also see in Psalms 69:28 that King David prayed to God that his enemies would be “blotted out of the book of life.” This indicates that there will be some who are written into the Book of Life and others left out of the book.

We also learn about the Book of Life from the Apostle Paul’s writings. In Philippians 4:3, Paul admonishes his readers to help those who have “contended” for the cause of the gospel, ”whose names are in the book of life.” We can see from this verse that individuals who follow God’s Word and proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ will be included in the Book of Life. David, in his psalm, refers to them as “righteous.” In John’s vision, Jesus Christ refers to the book as well. When speaking to the church at Sardis, the Lord states, “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.”  

It is within the power of God’s Son to include or not include a person within the Book of Life. Revelation goes further giving possession of the book to Jesus Christ. Of all earth’s inhabitants who turn their backs on God and instead worship the things of the world and the “beast” or anti-Christ described in the Revelation this scripture states, that their “names have not been written in the Lamb’s book of life.” Jesus Christ is the Lamb of God, slain from the creation of the world. The Book of Life belongs to Him. Why? Jesus purchased the Book of Life when He submitted in obedience to God the Father, lived among humankind, and fulfilled the requirement of the Law by sacrificing His perfect life on the cross for the redemption of God's creation and the salvation of the children of God. Because of what Jesus has done, the Book of Life belongs to Him. 

So what if your name is in the Lamb’s Book of Life? Well, according to the Word of God, being included in this book means that you gain access to enter what the Revelation refers to as “The New Jerusalem.” Consider this a reference to heaven as it is a place where God Almighty and the Lamb are the “temple.” The glory of God is the “light” and the Lamb of God is its “lamp.” It is being in the presence of God Almighty. It is heaven. You must be included in the Book of Life to enter this place. 

If you are not included in the Book of Life, your destination is drastically different from heaven. According to the Revelation, the end of those who are not written in the Book of Life is the “lake of fire.” This is the place of eternal judgment. This is where life ends and there is no communion with the Creator God. It is a place of anguish, despair, and hopelessness. While a person may exist eternally in this horrific place, it may be as if they never existed. A life blotted out of the book is gone - forever.

This seems immensely disastrous. How can such an unfortunate thing be avoided? How can one be listed among the righteous and included in the Book of Life? What great deed must be done? What must be given away or what amazing feat be accomplished to be included in the Book? One must humble himself, acknowledge his sin, ask for and believe Jesus will forgive him, and declare Jesus Christ as Lord in your life. Imagine. It seems ridiculous but one’s eternal existence is all dependent on his ability to receive a gift. 

Glory be to God.

Another thought: Why is blotting required to take a person's name out of the Book of Life?

Every person is given life through God Almighty. Job understood this truth and stated, "The Spirit of God has made me; the breath of the Almighty gives me life." Since all life comes from God Almighty, originally all the living are found in the Book of Life. However, human beings have free will. Each of us decides whether to follow God and His precepts in obedience or, instead, rebel against the Creator, the One who gave us life. Those who choose a rebellious path without coming to true repentance of sin and calling upon Jesus Christ for salvation are blotted out of the book. Their sin leads to death. Not just the death of their physical body, but also the death of their spirit, cut off to perish in eternal separation from their Heavenly Father, who truly loves them. For this reason, a person's name would be blotted out of the Book of Life.