The Journal of Biblical Accuracy Article. The book of heaven. Please feel free to copy and forward this article

Transcription

1 The Journal of Biblical Accuracy Article The book of heaven Please feel free to copy and forward this article

2 The book of heaven We met them very early in our lives: it is those thick public books that record our lawful existence to a specific place or country. Such numbers as the id number, the passport number or the VAT number that are absolutely necessary for all our official transactions, have their trace to a record in a relative public book. At the end whether we officially exist or not as citizens of a country, depends on whether our names are written in its books. What happens with the earthly kingdoms and countries, it also happens with the heavenly one: there is a book there that records the names of the citizens of this kingdom. The Word of God calls it: THE BOOK OF LIFE: Revelation 20: 12, 15 «And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, AND THE BOOKS WERE OPENED. AND ANOTHER BOOK WAS OPENED, WHICH IS THE BOOK OF LIFE..And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.» Revelation 21:27 «But there shall by no means enter it [the New Jerusalem] anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie BUT ONLY THOSE WHO ARE WRITTEN IN THE LAMB S BOOK OF LIFE» Daniel 12:1-2 «.and at that time your people shall be delivered, EVERY ONE WHO IS FOUND WRITTEN IN THE BOOK. And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, Some to everlasting life, some to shame and everlasting contempt»

3 Philippians 4:2-3 «I implore Euodia and I implore Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord. And I urge you also true companion, help these women who laboured with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and the rest of my fellow workers, WHOSE NAMES ARE IN THE BOOK OF LIFE» Luke 10:20 «Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, BUT RATHER REJOICE BECAUSE YOUR NAMES ARE WRITTEN IN HEAVEN» As it is clear from the above, whoever is written in the book of life, will have eternal life. Whoever is not written, will be expelled from before the Lord to shame and everlasting contempt. We take so much care to have our names written in the books of our municipality, our homes registered with the state, our marital status change registered to the respective books, and so on. But what about the book of life? Is your name written there? Jesus Christ said: John 3:16-18 «For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, THAT WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM SHOULD NOT PERISH BUT HAVE EVERLASTING LIFE. FOR GOD DID NOT SEND HIS SON INTO THE WORLD TO CONDEMN THE WORLD, BUT THAT THE WORLD THROUGH HIM MIGHT BE SAVED. HE WHO BELIEVES IN HIM IS NOT CONDEMNED; BUT HE WHO DOES NOT BELIEVE IS CONDEMNED ALREADY, BECAUSE HE HAS NOT BELIEVED IN THE NAME OF THE ONLY BEGOTTEN SON OF GOD» There is no need to wait till the day that the books will be opened to know whether you are there or not. Jesus Christ made it very clear: IF YOU HAVE NOT BELIEVED IN HIM, THAT HE IS THE MESSIAH, THE SON OF GOD, YOU WILL NOT BE IN THE BOOK. As apostle Paul says:

4 Romans 10:9 «that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved» Can it be more clear? Either you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead and you are written in the book of life, or you don t believe and you are eternally lost. God loves you my friend, and because He loves you He gave His Son for you and for me and for any other human soul that lives in this world. «For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, THAT WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM SHOULD NOT PERISH» we read previously. Also, as the Word of God says in another passage: I Timothy 2:3 «For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour, WHO DESIRES ALL MEN TO BE SAVED AND TO COME TO THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE TRUTH» God wants all men to be saved. You? Do you want to be saved? If yes, then you must believe in Jesus Christ, that He is Lord and God raised him from the dead. Do you believe it? Once in the Philippi of Macedonia a prison keeper asked Paul and Silas: Acts 16:30-32 «Sirs, what must I do to be saved? So they said, «BELIEVE ON THE LORD JESUS CHRIST AND YOU WILL BE SAVED, YOU AND YOUR HOUSEHOLD.» Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house» The prison keeper believed and at the same time his name was registered in the book of life. When it will be opened, it will be there. Yours? Will it be there? God wants to see it there. For you He gave His only begotten Son. But it is needed that you also are

5 willing to be reconciled with Him, by believing in His Son. For you He long-suffers and He does not bring the end, as He wants to see you returning to Him repented. II Peter 3:9-10 «The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, BUT IS LONG-SUFFERING TOWARD US, NOT WILLING THAT ANY SHOULD PERISH BUT THAT ALL SHOULD COME TO REPENTANCE. BUT THE DAY OF THE LORD WILL COME AS A THIEF IN THE NIGHT» The Lord is long-suffering but His day will come. And will come suddenly, as a thief in the night. Are you ready for that day? Are you ready for the hour that the book will be opened? If you go there and your name is not in the book, it will be very late for you. NOW IS THE TIME: II Corinthians 6:2 «BEHOLD, NOW IS THE ACCEPTED TIME, NOW IS THE DAY OF SALVATION» So, what is your decision? Tassos Kioulachoglou