How can we ensure our names are in the "Lamb's book of life"? Why the Lamb’s Book of Life Matters • Revelation 21:27: “But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who practices an abomination or a lie, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.” • Entry into the New Jerusalem hinges on one thing: your name recorded in that book. No second entrance, no alternate gate. Eternity with God is at stake. The Identity of the Lamb • John 1:29: “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” • Revelation 5:6 – 9 shows the Lamb as the crucified yet risen Christ. • Because Jesus is both sacrifice and victor, the book is His, and He alone inscribes the names. How Our Names Are Written Scripture consistently ties inclusion in the Lamb’s book to genuine faith in Christ: 1. Repent and Believe • Mark 1:15: “Repent and believe in the gospel.” • Acts 3:19: “Repent therefore, and turn again, so that your sins may be wiped away.” 2. Receive the New Birth • John 3:3: “Unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” • 1 Peter 1:23: “For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable.” 3. Confess Jesus as Lord • Romans 10:9–10: “If you confess with your mouth ‘Jesus is Lord’ and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” 4. Trust His Grace, Not Our Works • Ephesians 2:8–9: “For it is by grace you have been saved through faith… not by works, so that no one can boast.” • Titus 3:5 affirms salvation is “not by works of righteousness that we have done.” Living in the Assurance God wants believers to rest in confidence, not anxiety: • 1 John 5:13: “I write these things… that you may know that you have eternal life.” • John 10:28–29: “I give them eternal life, and they will never perish; no one can snatch them out of My hand.” Practical ways to walk in that assurance: - Regular time in Scripture—Romans 10:17: “Faith comes by hearing.” - Ongoing repentance—1 John 1:9: confess and be cleansed. - Fellowship with other believers—Hebrews 10:24–25. - Yielding to the Spirit—Galatians 5:16–25; the fruit confirms His work in us. Evidence That Validates Our Profession While works don’t earn a place in the book, they demonstrate an authentic entry: • James 2:17: “Faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.” • 1 John highlights clear signs: – Walking in the light (1:6–7) – Obeying His commands (2:3–6) – Loving the brethren (3:14) Guarding Against False Assurance • Matthew 7:21–23 warns of those who claimed faith yet never knew Christ. • 2 Corinthians 13:5: “Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith.” Indicators something is amiss: habitual, unrepentant sin (1 John 3:4–10); denial of Christ’s deity or atonement (2 John 7–9); love of the world over God (1 John 2:15–17). The Final Verdict • Revelation 20:15: “And if anyone’s name was not found written in the Book of Life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.” • Revelation 22:17 extends the invitation: “Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who desires take the water of life without cost.” Your name is penned in the Lamb’s book when you repent, believe, and receive the Lord Jesus. Rest in His finished work, walk in His Spirit, and your eternal reservation stands secure. |
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