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malachi_a_serva
Guest
Here is a question I would like opinions on. If our names get put in the book of life, can it be removed?
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T
Tom
Guest
It depends on which edition it is written in… of course you know (I hope) I was only kidding… Since the Book of Life is Gods book and God exists outside of our conception of time the question is can our names be “put in the book of life” or are they already there or absent?
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Eden
Guest
True, the Bible uses the metaphor of having the names of all the righteous written in a book (actually, the Greek word means “scroll”) which is kept in heaven. In Scripture it is referred to as “the book of life”. Everyone whose name appears in this book on the last day will be saved: “*f any one’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. . . . [N]othing unclean shall enter [the New Jerusalem], nor any one who practices abomination or falsehood, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life” (Rev. 20:15, 21:27).
People’s names are written in this book during the present life. Paul speaks of certain women who “have labored side by side with me in the gospel together with Clement and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life” (Phil.4:3).
The question is: Does the fact that one’s name was written in the book of life when one came to God and received initial salvation mean that one’s name will stay in the book of life until the last day, when one would receive final salvation?
The answer is: No. Scripture indicates in dozens of places that one can lose salvation, and it does so in specific connection with the book of life metaphor.
In Revelation 3:5, Jesus states: “He who conquers shall be clad thus in white garments, and I will not blot his name out of the book of life; I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels.”
The implication is that if you end up giving in to sin, your name will be blotted out of the book of life and you will be denied before God and the angels, something Jesus elsewhere emphasizes (Matt. 10:33, Luke 12:9).
As Jesus puts it, “He who endures to the end will be saved” (Matt. 10:22, 24:13, Mark 13:13).
From the CA Library*
C
Church_Militant
Guest
Revelation 22:19 And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from these things that are written in this book. Douay Rheims Version.
King James Version
19 And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.
Revelation 22:19 (Young’s Literal Translation)
19 and if any one may take away from the words of the scroll of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the scroll of the life, and out of the holy city, and the things that have been written in this scroll;’
Looks like it…even the other translations imply something like this.
J
JaneFrances
Guest
Hi Malachi!
Another good question.
In my opinion, Tom and Eden have offered very good answers.
One additional point. . .The Book of Revelation is so rich with metaphor that we often get caught up in the possiblity of specifics and posturing rather than trying to really discern the whole picture.
Obviously, Tom is quite correct in his point that God’s eternal plan and initiative are outside of the creature of time. If, indeed, it is meant by the Sacred author that “those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life” are written there from all eternity, then it is quite right to say that once they are there they will not be removed.
However, according to Catholic theololgy, God’s foreknowledge does not nullify our freedom of will–which, of course, is Eden’s point, I think.
Our eternal salvation is a function of his grace AND our free will. Any interpretation of Revelation that would exclude God’s eternal initiative and omniscience OR that would exclude the proper understanding of our cooperation with God’s grace through acts of free will, would be antithetical to the whole message of Scripture and revelation.
So, in short. . .the question is ultimately do our names “get written” in time or are they eternally written according to God’s foreknowledge?
Another good question.
In my opinion, Tom and Eden have offered very good answers.
One additional point. . .The Book of Revelation is so rich with metaphor that we often get caught up in the possiblity of specifics and posturing rather than trying to really discern the whole picture.
Obviously, Tom is quite correct in his point that God’s eternal plan and initiative are outside of the creature of time. If, indeed, it is meant by the Sacred author that “those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life” are written there from all eternity, then it is quite right to say that once they are there they will not be removed.
However, according to Catholic theololgy, God’s foreknowledge does not nullify our freedom of will–which, of course, is Eden’s point, I think.
Our eternal salvation is a function of his grace AND our free will. Any interpretation of Revelation that would exclude God’s eternal initiative and omniscience OR that would exclude the proper understanding of our cooperation with God’s grace through acts of free will, would be antithetical to the whole message of Scripture and revelation.
So, in short. . .the question is ultimately do our names “get written” in time or are they eternally written according to God’s foreknowledge?
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