The Book of Life
Lyn Mize
The Book of Life is
one of the most misunderstood concepts in
Scripture. The misunderstanding about the Book
of Life is due to the misunderstanding about the
difference between the spirit and the soul, and
the misunderstanding of the difference between
the Covenant of Grace and the Covenant of Works.
The misunderstanding about Grace and Works is
due to the failure of the great majority of
Christians to rightly divide the Word of Truth,
which is the Bible. Bible prophecy confirms that
the leaven of false doctrine would permeate the
Church at the end of the Church Age. That
prophecy has been fulfilled.
One truth of Scripture is generally understood correctly by both the end-time Sardis (i.e., Protestant) church and the end-time Laodicean (i.e., Pentecostal and Charismatic) church. That truth is that all the names of believers were written in the Lamb’s Book of Life from the foundation of the world in accordance with the following Scriptures:
(Rev 13:8 KJV) And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
(Rev 17:8 KJV) The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.
It is widely understood—CORRECTLY— that all believers were elected before the foundation of the world, and they had their names written in the Lamb’s Book of Life at that time. However, it is NOT generally understood that the Book of Life pertains to the Covenant of Works and soul salvation—NOT SPIRIT SALVATION. A Christian can have his name blotted out of the Book of Life, if he is not an overcomer in his Christian life. This is NOT the loss of spirit salvation, but the loss of soul salvation at the Judgment Seat of Christ. The potential for having one’s name blotted out of the Book of Life is confirmed in the following Scripture:
(Rev 3:5 KJV) He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.
This Scripture confirms that overcoming Christians will NOT have their names blotted out of the Book of Life. It also confirms that Christians who are NOT overcomers WILL have their names blotted out of the Book of Life.
The following Scripture confirms that the Book of Life is linked to the works of the Christian. There are three words in this brief Scripture linking works to the Book of Life:
(Phil 4:3 KJV) And I entreat thee also, true yokefellow, help those women which laboured with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and with other my fellowlabourers, whose names are in the book of life.
The following passage of Scripture relates the JUDGMENT OF THE WORKS of the unsaved spiritually dead. THE ISSUE IS WORKS. Of course, the names of these people are NOT FOUND WRITTEN in the Book of Life, because they were not written there from the foundation of the world. The issue for both believers at the Judgment Seat of Christ and the spiritually dead at the Great White Throne Judgment is WORKS. The Book of Life is related to WORKS, which is confirmed in the following Scripture:
(Rev 20:12-15 KJV) And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. {13} And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. {14} And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. {15} And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
We have seen so far that every believer has his name written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world. We have also seen that if the believer is not an overcomer, then his name is blotted out of the Book of Life. We have also seen that this is the loss of soul salvation at the Judgment Seat of Christ, and NOT THE LOSS OF SPIRIT SALVATION, which is eternally secure. Spirit salvation and the destination of heaven are based on the work of Christ. Soul salvation and the realization of the inheritance in the kingdom of heaven are based on the works of Christians. The Scriptures confirm this numerous times.
It should not be difficult to understand that the loss of the Crown of Life is directly related to having one’s name blotted out of the Book of Life. It is also directly related to the loss of Eternal Life at the Judgment Seat of Christ. There is a pattern here that should be fairly easy to comprehend. The fact that a believer can lose his Crown of Life and the fact that the Crown of Life is related to faithfulness is confirmed in the following Scriptures:
(James 1:12 KJV) Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.
(Rev 2:10 KJV) Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.
The following Scripture confirms that the crown of life can be taken from a believer:
Rev 3:11 KJV) Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown. (Ref. Rev. 2:10)
Summary of Biblical Truths: The names of all believers were written in the Book of Life before the foundation of the world. The Book of Life pertains to the life that a believer lives. A believer’s name can be blotted out of the Book of Life, if he is not an overcomer. Having one’s name blotted out of the Book of Life means the loss of the Crown of Life, and the loss of soul salvation at the Judgment Seat of Christ. The loss of soul salvation at the Judgment Seat of Christ means the loss of Eternal Life, which pertains to glory, honor and immortality in the coming Kingdom Age:
Romans 2:4 Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?
Romans 2:5 but after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up for thyself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God;
Romans 2:6 who will render to every man according to his works:
Romans 2:7 to them that by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and incorruption, eternal life:
Romans 2:8 but unto them that are factious, and obey not the truth, but obey unrighteousness, [shall be] wrath and indignation, (ASV 1901)
The unfaithful Christian still goes to heaven. He is still in the Church, and he is still conformed to the image of Christ. However, he does lose his inheritance in the kingdom of heaven, which means the failure to reign and rule with Christ in the coming millennial kingdom. The loss of the Crown of Life and Eternal Life results in the blotting out of one’s name in the Book of Life. This means the Christian has been found unfaithful at the Judgment Seat of Christ, and he LOSES HIS REWARD. His LIFE perishes.
THE BOOK OF LIFE, THE CROWN OF LIFE AND ETERNAL LIFE ALL PERTAIN TO THE COVENANT OF WORKS, AND NOT THE COVENANT OF GRACE.
The Crown of Life is based on faithfulness.
One truth of Scripture is generally understood correctly by both the end-time Sardis (i.e., Protestant) church and the end-time Laodicean (i.e., Pentecostal and Charismatic) church. That truth is that all the names of believers were written in the Lamb’s Book of Life from the foundation of the world in accordance with the following Scriptures:
(Rev 13:8 KJV) And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
(Rev 17:8 KJV) The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.
It is widely understood—CORRECTLY— that all believers were elected before the foundation of the world, and they had their names written in the Lamb’s Book of Life at that time. However, it is NOT generally understood that the Book of Life pertains to the Covenant of Works and soul salvation—NOT SPIRIT SALVATION. A Christian can have his name blotted out of the Book of Life, if he is not an overcomer in his Christian life. This is NOT the loss of spirit salvation, but the loss of soul salvation at the Judgment Seat of Christ. The potential for having one’s name blotted out of the Book of Life is confirmed in the following Scripture:
(Rev 3:5 KJV) He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.
This Scripture confirms that overcoming Christians will NOT have their names blotted out of the Book of Life. It also confirms that Christians who are NOT overcomers WILL have their names blotted out of the Book of Life.
The following Scripture confirms that the Book of Life is linked to the works of the Christian. There are three words in this brief Scripture linking works to the Book of Life:
(Phil 4:3 KJV) And I entreat thee also, true yokefellow, help those women which laboured with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and with other my fellowlabourers, whose names are in the book of life.
The following passage of Scripture relates the JUDGMENT OF THE WORKS of the unsaved spiritually dead. THE ISSUE IS WORKS. Of course, the names of these people are NOT FOUND WRITTEN in the Book of Life, because they were not written there from the foundation of the world. The issue for both believers at the Judgment Seat of Christ and the spiritually dead at the Great White Throne Judgment is WORKS. The Book of Life is related to WORKS, which is confirmed in the following Scripture:
(Rev 20:12-15 KJV) And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. {13} And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. {14} And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. {15} And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
We have seen so far that every believer has his name written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world. We have also seen that if the believer is not an overcomer, then his name is blotted out of the Book of Life. We have also seen that this is the loss of soul salvation at the Judgment Seat of Christ, and NOT THE LOSS OF SPIRIT SALVATION, which is eternally secure. Spirit salvation and the destination of heaven are based on the work of Christ. Soul salvation and the realization of the inheritance in the kingdom of heaven are based on the works of Christians. The Scriptures confirm this numerous times.
It should not be difficult to understand that the loss of the Crown of Life is directly related to having one’s name blotted out of the Book of Life. It is also directly related to the loss of Eternal Life at the Judgment Seat of Christ. There is a pattern here that should be fairly easy to comprehend. The fact that a believer can lose his Crown of Life and the fact that the Crown of Life is related to faithfulness is confirmed in the following Scriptures:
(James 1:12 KJV) Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.
(Rev 2:10 KJV) Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.
The following Scripture confirms that the crown of life can be taken from a believer:
Rev 3:11 KJV) Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown. (Ref. Rev. 2:10)
Summary of Biblical Truths: The names of all believers were written in the Book of Life before the foundation of the world. The Book of Life pertains to the life that a believer lives. A believer’s name can be blotted out of the Book of Life, if he is not an overcomer. Having one’s name blotted out of the Book of Life means the loss of the Crown of Life, and the loss of soul salvation at the Judgment Seat of Christ. The loss of soul salvation at the Judgment Seat of Christ means the loss of Eternal Life, which pertains to glory, honor and immortality in the coming Kingdom Age:
Romans 2:4 Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?
Romans 2:5 but after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up for thyself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God;
Romans 2:6 who will render to every man according to his works:
Romans 2:7 to them that by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and incorruption, eternal life:
Romans 2:8 but unto them that are factious, and obey not the truth, but obey unrighteousness, [shall be] wrath and indignation, (ASV 1901)
The unfaithful Christian still goes to heaven. He is still in the Church, and he is still conformed to the image of Christ. However, he does lose his inheritance in the kingdom of heaven, which means the failure to reign and rule with Christ in the coming millennial kingdom. The loss of the Crown of Life and Eternal Life results in the blotting out of one’s name in the Book of Life. This means the Christian has been found unfaithful at the Judgment Seat of Christ, and he LOSES HIS REWARD. His LIFE perishes.
THE BOOK OF LIFE, THE CROWN OF LIFE AND ETERNAL LIFE ALL PERTAIN TO THE COVENANT OF WORKS, AND NOT THE COVENANT OF GRACE.
The Crown of Life is based on faithfulness.