The Book of Life: A motivation to live godly and avoid evil
Text Revelation 20:11-15; Revelation 3:1-6
There are books in heaven with the record of whatever everyone has done, and are rewarded accordingly (Rev 20:12). And there is The Book of Life that contains the names of people who decided and lived according to the word of God: loving, worshipping, and obeying God.
Significance of the book of life
It is comforting to know that everything we do in this world is recorded in heaven. This is a motivation to live godly and shun evil.
To be enrolled in the Book of Life is to be a citizen of heaven (Rev 21:27); else if not found in the book of life, you will worship the beast and receive the 666 mark- a symbol of allegiance to the beast (Rev 13:8), and you will be thrown into the lake (Rev 20:15).
This is one of the urgent messages people must hear, so that they take their time to do good things in life. When does God write your name in the book of life? This happens when you believe in Jesus Christ and are marked with the Holy Spirit (Eph 1:13-14).
Midrash: Prophecies have multiple fulfillments until the ultimate fulfilment
Mordecai and the Book of Life; your good deeds shall save you (Ester 6:1-4)
Nebuchadnezzar and his rewards from God (Ezekiel 29:17-20)
Blotting of names from the Book of Life
Psalm 69:28 contains a prayer asking for the names of the wicked to be blotted out of the Book of Life.
Those who overcome all the temptations, trials and hold on to their faith in God shall not have their names blotted out from the book of life (Rev. 3:5).
Jesus says: He that shall endure to the end shall be saved (Matthew 24:10-14) But our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against spiritual forces (Eph 6:12). Without spiritual forces and attacks, life on earth would be enjoyable and beautiful. Therefore, we are to wage war against sin and evil in order to live holy and blameless before the Almighty. God.
OUR HAUNTED WORLD, SPIRITUAL ATTACK, AND GOD’S PROTECTION
A theology of redemption
Excerpts of the book
‘Most people pay attention to the impact of the spiritual realm on human life only when they experience it.’ Others dismiss it as a myth or as unscientific. Science does not deal with spiritual issues; these belong to the realm of the supernatural, which comes under theology or, more broadly, religion and spirituality.
The ultimate spiritual protection is from God, and He gives it to the righteous. People should not be afraid of spiritual attacks. One can easily overcome spiritual problems if one faithfully loves God and lives in obedience to God. Thus, this book examines and contributes to the kind of help people need to understand spiritual attacks, how they happen, why they happen, how God rescues us, and what people should do. This book is a contribution to a theology of redemption.