“All who dwell on the earth will worship him [Anti-Christ], whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.” – Revelation 13:8 NKJV
“And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is The Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books.” – Revelation 20:12 NKJV
The Book (Scroll) of Life contains the names of all people who have been created. (See Exodus 32:31-33). God, who is so loving, desires all people to be saved and rescued from hell and to grasp the truth.
“3 This is good and pleases God our Savior, 4 who wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth.” – 1 Timothy 2:3-4 NLT
Elohim, our Creator, eagerly desires all people to come to salvation demonstrating this by writing their names into the Book of Life. Please stop and muse over this profound thought!
To keep our name there, we must have our name written in the Lamb’s Book of Life (Revelation 13:8), because we have surrendered to Jesus Christ and followed Him as our Master and King. When we do, we will not suffer the eternal wrath of God in the lake of fire.
“And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.” – Revelation 20:15 LSB
It is interesting to note that in revelation 20:12 there is a reference to the “books,” plural. In the final hour, the books of man’s works (his deeds) will be opened. I think we each have a book in which God, (probably using angels) records our deeds. For believers this day will be the “Bema Seat Judgement,” where we will be judged for our works but not for our salvation. We have eternal life by accepting the finished work of Christ that He accomplished on the Cross.
“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things [done] in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.” – 2 Corinthians 5:10 NKJV
Because God is just, (Deuteronomy 32:4), we can be certain that He will not treat pagans (those who have never heard the Good News of Jesus Christ) — with the same judgment as the person who has listened to the message before and rejected it. Neither will He recompense (amend, pay, or reward) the so-called “moral citizen” (doctor, teacher, good neighbor) who has lived a comparatively decent life (though still short of the standard of God, in exactly the same way as He would Adolf Hitler, or Joseph Stalin, whose regimes killed millions of people. For the non-Christian they will be judged according to God’s law, (His standards) based on their behaviors. Followers of Christ will be judged for our deeds done in the power of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 3:13-15).
We know that the level of punishment will be different for some based on their moral character and their response to the message of Jesus Christ. This is why Christ used the comparative clauses in, Matthew 11:21-24, that Tyre and Sidon would be punished more for their sins, because they saw Christ do miracle’s and rejected Him. He then contrasts them to the awful sins (sexual immorality and perversion, Jude 7) of Sodom.
“20 Then Jesus began to denounce the towns where he had done so many of his miracles, because they hadn’t repented of their sins and turned to God. 21 “What sorrow awaits you, Korazin and Bethsaida! For if the miracles I did in you had been done in wicked Tyre and Sidon, their people would have repented of their sins long ago, clothing themselves in burlap and throwing ashes on their heads to show their remorse. 22 I tell you, Tyre and Sidon will be better off on judgment day than you. 23 “And you people of Capernaum, will you be honored in heaven? No, you will go down to the place of the dead. For if the miracles I did for you had been done in wicked Sodom, it would still be here today. 24 I tell you, even Sodom will be better off on judgment day than you.” – Matthew 11:20-24 NLT
I think it’s imperative that every follower of Christ and unbelieving person recognize the truth that the Lord Jesus Christ will hold all of us accountable in proportion to the degree of opportunity that we have had. Think about how knowledge and communication has spread exponentially in recent years. (Look to Daniel 11:4) With the radio, television computer, the Internet, social media, and the printed page almost everyone in the Western world has heard the Good News of the Kingdom of God.
What Will We Do?
#1 Offer the terms of salvation through the Jesus Christ to those who are not following Him!
“22 For not even the Father judges anyone, but He has given all judgment to the Son, 23 so that all will honor the Son even as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him. 24 “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.” – John 5:22-24 LSB
#2 Please do not shy away from presenting hell and the wrath of God in your teaching and walk with Christ.
“and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath to come.” – 1 Thessalonians 1:10 LSB
#3 As a follower of Jesus Christ list three things you are doing that you know are pleasing God. After all, He delights in you!
“The LORD directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives.” – Psalm 37:23 NLT
1.
2.
3.
“Finally then, brothers, we ask and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us as to how you ought to walk and please God (just as you actually do walk), that you excel still more.” – 1 Thessalonians 4:1 LSB
I conclude with this marvelous passage in Revelation:
“3 I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. 4 He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.” – Revelation 21:3-4 NLT
What is being written in your Book?
In Christ,
Dale