Revelation 3: 1-6 (NRSV)

[CaptCrunch73]

If one can have their name blotted out from the book of life then it must have been written there in the first place, right? So this provides Scriptural proof that someone’s name could be written in the Book of Life and then removed. Doesn’t the following text pretty much put a stake into the heart OSAS?

"And to the angel of the church in Sardis write: These are the words of him who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars: “I know your works; you have a name of being alive, but you are dead. 2 Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is on the point of death, for I have not found your works perfect in the sight of my God. 3 Remember then what you received and heard; obey it, and repent. If you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come to you. 4 Yet you have still a few persons in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes; they will walk with me, dressed in white, for they are worthy. 5 If you conquer, you will be clothed like them in white robes, and I will not blot your name out of the book of life; I will confess your name before my Father and before his angels. 6 Let anyone who has an ear listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches.”

 

[promethius]

If one can have their name blotted out from the book of life then it must have been written there in the first place, right? So this provides Scriptural proof that someone’s name could be written in the Book of Life and then removed. Doesn’t the following text pretty much put a stake into the heart OSAS?

"And to the angel of the church in Sardis write: These are the words of him who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars: “I know your works; you have a name of being alive, but you are dead. 2 Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is on the point of death, for I have not found your works perfect in the sight of my God. 3 Remember then what you received and heard; obey it, and repent. If you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come to you. 4 Yet you have still a few persons in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes; they will walk with me, dressed in white, for they are worthy. 5 If you conquer, you will be clothed like them in white robes, and I will not blot your name out of the book of life; I will confess your name before my Father and before his angels. 6 Let anyone who has an ear listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches.”

You can’t put a stake into the heart of OSAS because, like unicorns or any other fairy tale creation, it doesn’t REALLY exist so it can’t have a heart!

 

[TimothyH]

The non-Catholic who believes in OSAS will reply that names being written in the Book of Life, Jesus’ confessing our names before the Father, and being granted the privelege of wearing white robes are not synonymous with being saved. Being saved means being let into heaven. These privileges however, are somehow just special rewards once one is let into heaven.

I ran into this when I used to study scripture with Evangelicals. You will hear this referred to as “The treasure principal” and other such names. You may hear things like “We have no idea how Jesus will honor each of us once we are in Heaven” or something like that. They will cite the many dwelling places in Heaven in John 14 as one proof text and especially the following passage:

Whoever receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and whoever receives a righteous man because he is righteous will receive a righteous man’s reward. (Mattew 10:41)

Some get greater rewards and some lesser rewards, but all who confess the name of Jesus and accept his word into their heart are let into heaven. The man who explained it said something like “Each of us will be glorified in different ways, which are only to be revealed to us once we enter heaven” with proof texts such as:

I consider that the sufferings of this present time are as nothing compared with the glory to be revealed for us. (Romans 8:18)

It is a way for them to deal with the many passages which state that we will be judged according to our works, judged according to our righteousness, and judged according to our deeds. Our behavior has consequences not for entry into heaven, which is guaranteed, but for our reward when we enter heaven.

That’s what I was told.

-Tim-

 

[philial]

Oh dear! Looks like I’m gonna end up with a divinely appointed mud hut. That’s if I’m actually allowed in protestant ‘heaven’ in the first place! Ah well, so long as my cats & dogs can join me, I guess i’ll just have to put up with it.

 

[CaptCrunch73]

The non-Catholic who believes in OSAS will reply that names being written in the Book of Life, Jesus’ confessing our names before the Father, and being granted the privelege of wearing white robes are not synonymous with being saved. Being saved means being let into heaven. These privileges however, are somehow just special rewards once one is let into heaven.

I ran into this when I used to study scripture with Evangelicals. You will hear this referred to as “The treasure principal” and other such names. You may hear things like “We have no idea how Jesus will honor each of us once we are in Heaven” or something like that. They will cite the many dwelling places in Heaven in John 14 as one proof text and especially the following passage:

Whoever receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and whoever receives a righteous man because he is righteous will receive a righteous man’s reward. (Mattew 10:41)

Some get greater rewards and some lesser rewards, but all who confess the name of Jesus and accept his word into their heart are let into heaven. The man who explained it said something like “Each of us will be glorified in different ways, which are only to be revealed to us once we enter heaven” with proof texts such as:

I consider that the sufferings of this present time are as nothing compared with the glory to be revealed for us. (Romans 8:18)

It is a way for them to deal with the many passages which state that we will be judged according to our works, judged according to our righteousness, and judged according to our deeds. Our behavior has consequences not for entry into heaven, which is guaranteed, but for our reward when we enter heaven.

That’s what I was told.

-Tim-

Interesting, that seems rather complicated.

The reason I focused on this passage is when I was on sabbatical from the Catholic Church I attended an Evangelical Church and I was told that once you accept Jesus as your personal Lord and savior your name is written in the Book of Life and it can never be erased. The pastor used to say that in his sermons.

Once during cell (small group study) we were discussing this issue and I said there WAS scripture that said names can be removed from the Book of Life and I was told that there is no such scripture. At the time I couldn’t remember the exact verse… Hence my original question.

Thank you for your answers, this has been helpful.

 

[COPLAND_3]

As a former Southern Baptist I remember being passionate about defending ‘once saved always saved’. I always used knee jerk phrases to answer passages like that, such as saying things like ‘if they went to hell then they were never really Christians in the first place’. As for me I always knew deep down inside that the teaching did not add up.