Is My Name Written?

“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” (Philippians 4:3)

The Church in Phillipi was made up of people from diverse backgrounds. Whilst there would have been many who came to faith in Philippi, in Acts 16 Luke acquaints us with only three. These likely represented the different types of people we will find around us today.

Firstly, there was a wealthy businesswoman named Lydia. She was said to have “heard us” (Acts 16:14), meaning that she was open to the Gospel and spiritually interested. Secondly, we read of a slave girl who was demon possessed (Acts 16:16) She was  attracted to the Gospel, as she followed them, but also antagonistic, as she shouted and disrupted them for days. We could refer to her as spiritually captive. Finally, there was the jailor who was hardened to the Gospel. He beat Paul and Silas (Acts 16:23), and seemed the least likely by human standards to come to faith. We can therefore speak of him as spiritually hostile.

By God’s grace, all three of these people came to saving faith in Christ.

We would do well to remember that their diversity of backgrounds and their initial response to the Gospel was no hindrance whatsoever to their coming to faith. Why was that the case? Their names were written in the book of life.

The Church ought to be composed of those from a diversity of backgrounds and personalities – be it racial, cultural or otherwise. However, this diversity can sometimes lead to conflict in the Church.

The Apostle Paul was addressing that problem in Phillipi where two women, Euodia and Syntyche, were engaged in some form of conflict. We don’t know for sure what the source of the conflict was. It might have been personal, practical or doctrinal. We do know Paul’s response: Paul’s response was to seek to resolve the conflict. He urged, “I implore Euodia and I implore Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord,” (Philippians 4:2). He goes on to refer to them as, “fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life.” (Philippians 4:3).

We might think idealistically that the Church ought never to face conflict within its own walls. It won’t take us long to realise that such idealism is not realistic. Sometimes conflict is necessary. Should false teachers infiltrate the church we are to oppose them as we, “contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3).

There are also times where that conflict may not be necessary. For instance, when it is amongst those who are faithful, who laboured in the Gospel and whose names are written in the lambs book of life. This is how the Apostle Paul described Euodia and Syntyche. It is essential that such conflicts be resolved.  Paul pleads with them to resolve their disagreement and “be of the same mind in the Lord,” reminding them that their names are written in the Book of Life.

What is the Book of Life?

What is this  Book of Life? The Old Testament includes references to the Book of Life, such as in Exodus, when Moses pleaded for the forgiveness of the Israelites after their sin with the Golden Calf: “yet now, if you will forgive their sin—but if not, I pray, blot me out of Your book which You have written” (Exodus 32:32). In Psalm 69:28, David asked that God’s enemies would, “be blotted out of the book of the living, and not be written with the righteous.” Finally, Daniel referred to a time of deliverance for, “every one who is found written in the book” (Daniel 12:1). 

In addition to the reference in Philippians 4:3, the New Testament also includes seven references to the Book of Life in the book of Revelation (3:5, 13:8, 17:8, 20:12, 20:15, 21:27, 22:19). Revelation 3:5 refers to a promise that the names of the faithful will not be erased, but confessed in heaven: “he who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.” Also at the final judgement we read of the second death where “anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire” (Revelation 20:15).

John Calvin said, “the book of life is the roll of the righteous, who are predestinated to life, citing the writings of Moses (Exodus 32:32). He further adds that God has this roll beside himself in safekeeping.”

Those who are named in the Book of Life are found there through their union with Christ. The connection between the Lamb and the book is made clear in Revelation, “the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world” (Revelation 13:8). If you are in Christ, you are in the book, and if you are in the book, you are in Christ.

At certain times and places in the ancient world it was customary to have registers detailing the names of citizens, both natural and adopted. In heaven, its inhabitants are registered in God’s Book of Life. Some have journeyed and crossed over the Jordan. These are citizens who have reached “the city which has foundations, whose  builder and maker is God” (Hebrews 11:10).  There are others – whose names are also written in the book of Life – who have not yet reached the city. They are citizens on the journey home.

The Fearful Alternative to the Book of Life

The fearful alternative to being found written in the Book of Life is to be cast into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:15). We find hell a horrible thing to talk about or even think about. Many people simply dismiss the thought altogether, hoping that it will all turn out okay in the end.

Others say that a doctrine of eternal punishment is not compatible with a God of love. They fail to understand that the Bible teaches that whilst God is loving, He is also just. God cannot look on wickedness (Habakkuk 1:13). Significantly Jesus spoke about hell more than anyone else, and referenced hell more often than he mentioned heaven.

It is unloving for preachers to teach that God loves you unconditionally. These are wolves in sheeps clothing. Hence Paul says, “Knowing, therefore, the terror of the Lord, we persuade men” (2 Corinthians 5:11).

Likewise, it is insufficient – perilous even – for people to say, “if I am in the elect, I will be saved, there is nothing I can do about it.” If someone is in the elect, they will seek God and cry out for mercy through Christ. This can be turned round and asserted that not to act is evidence that you are not in the elect.  The sinner, without God and without hope should never be comforted that he is okay as he is. He needs to learn the terror of the Lord in his condition, that he might seek the Lord while He may be found and call upon Him while He is near (Isaiah 55:6), rather than be cast into the lake of fire.

How do I know if my name is written in the Book of Life?

We ought not to wait for some sort of vision, confirming whether or not our name is written in the Book of Life, as the Charismatics might expect. The names of those written in the Book of Life are not revealed to us. The book is sealed to men. It will not do to speculate as to who is written in the book, and who is not. Neither will it avail us anything to look inwardly to take our spiritual pulse to determine if we feel sufficient –  our hearts are deceitful (Jeremiah 17:9). Neither will it do to presume that our name is written in the Book of Life because I am ‘a good person’ The Scripture is clear, “there is none righteous, no, not one” (Romans 3:10).

The answer to the question “is my name written in the book of Life?” is to “make your calling and election sure” (2 Peter 1:10), and to look to Christ.  He said:

“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me and I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand” (John 10:27-28). 

When you have heard the Gospel preached, confronting you with your sin and the remedy of that sin in Christ, have you repented of your sin and trusted in Christ alone to save you? Do you look to Christ, hear His voice, trust Him, follow Him and long for Him? If that is the case, it is not presumption to say that your name is written in the Book of Life. For it is the register of the Covenant of Grace.

Discussion:

How can we engage with the spiritually interested, the spiritually captive and the spiritually hostile?

What spiritual and practical measures can we take to deal with conflict in the Church?

How can we warn people of the lake of fire in a loving manner?