The Book of Life

[Beetow]

Well; it appears to me that all entries in the lamb's book of life were completed
early on, even before anybody was created.

● Eph 1:3-5 . . Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has
blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For He
chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His
sight. In love He predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in
accordance with his pleasure and will

Everything is a foregone conclusion with God; nothing surprises Him. God foresaw
the forbidden fruit incident, He foresaw Cain and Abel, He foresaw the Flood, He
foresaw the Tower of Babel, He foresaw Sodom and Gomorrah, He foresaw the
Exodus, He foresaw the Holocaust, He foresaw all the folks who won't bow to the
Beast, and He has seen the Lake of Fire and the end of the world as we know it.

In other words: there are no new believers to God. He's already foreseen every one
of them back at the very beginning just as He's foreseen everything else ahead of
time before it comes to pass. Ergo: if somebody's name isn't already in the lamb's
book of life, then their name will never be in there because the book is closed; it's
finished.

NOTE: When I was a kid back in the decade of the 1950s, I asked my mom how I have
free will if God already knows all my choices before I make them. Well; mom wasn't
all that deep of a thinker, so she couldn't respond. But the thing is: I make my own
decisions, He only foresees them, viz: God is the ultimate crystal ball, so to speak.
_

 

[B-A-C]

Well; it appears to me that all entries in the lamb's book of life were completed
early on, even before anybody was created.

I myself am not Calvinist, not a big fan of predestination. The argument is that He chose us all. Some of us just refuse to accept Him.
But it doesn't matter that much, because the Bible says you can be erased out of the Lamb's Book of Life.

 

[KingJ]

Well; it appears to me that all entries in the lamb's book of life were completed
early on, even before anybody was created.

● Eph 1:3-5 . . Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has
blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For He
chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His
sight. In love He predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in
accordance with his pleasure and will

Everything is a foregone conclusion with God; nothing surprises Him. God foresaw
the forbidden fruit incident, He foresaw Cain and Abel, He foresaw the Flood, He
foresaw the Tower of Babel, He foresaw Sodom and Gomorrah, He foresaw the
Exodus, He foresaw the Holocaust, He foresaw all the folks who won't bow to the
Beast, and He has seen the Lake of Fire and the end of the world as we know it.

In other words: there are no new believers to God. He's already foreseen every one
of them back at the very beginning just as He's foreseen everything else ahead of
time before it comes to pass. Ergo: if somebody's name isn't already in the lamb's
book of life, then their name will never be in there because the book is closed; it's
finished.

NOTE: When I was a kid back in the decade of the 1950s, I asked my mom how I have
free will if God already knows all my choices before I make them. Well; mom wasn't
all that deep of a thinker, so she couldn't respond. But the thing is: I make my own
decisions, He only foresees them, viz: God is the ultimate crystal ball, so to speak.
_

You need to take a step back and acknowledge that you could be wrong about free will.

Your support for your view is scripture that says God is omniscient and omnipotent. But you are not considering the A-Z of scripture.

Think on this. God 'hates' what is evil. This is a fact as true as His omnipotence. Yet, He allows what is evil to take place.

After meditating on this fact for a couple of hours you will arrive at a deeper understanding of God. One where you will grasp that He is as good as He is great.

He limits His omnipotence to uphold true free will, by allowing evil to take place. Likewise He would surely limit His omniscience to uphold true free will, by not knowing who will choose Him.

He is driven by who He ''is''. You and I cannot come along and define Him off of one or two scriptures.

Every prophet in scripture that spoke of God said that He is ''pure'' righteousness. Cherry picking people, when there is a heaven and hell, is true evil.

Acts 10:34 alone debunks Calvinism. God is impartial.

 

[Curtis]

Many are called, few are chosen…..

 

[B-A-C]

1Tim 2:3; This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior,
1Tim 2:4; who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

2Pet 3:9; The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.

Acts 10:34; Opening his mouth, Peter said: "I most certainly understand now that God is not one to show partiality,

 

[Curtis]

This is just my opinion.

We know God is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and these three are one. Each member of the Godhead are called God, but each member has a different function from each other, but they all agree in one, and in purpose. When we think about the Book of Life we are not told a whole lot about them, as it seems mysterious, but I think we can come to some conclusions based on what we do know from scriptures.
If God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit have different functions within the Godhead then each member should have their own book in which they keep track for themselves, and in the end, they should all agree together with each other. This is an interesting scripture here.....

1Jn 5:7 FOR THERE ARE THREE THAT BEAR RECORD in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. (KJV)

Some scholars do not believe that the verses, “ in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost....” as some of the oldest original texts have them omitted. It makes no difference because the word “testify” which most translations use means “to bear record, or bear witness”. Each member of the Godhead has its own book, in which “RECORDS” are kept.

I will give you my understanding of this subject, and I believe I have the Spirit of God.

The “BOOK OF LIFE” is what God the Father uses to keep track of all who have been born on planet Earth. If a person dies without ever accepting Jesus Christ as their savior, that person's name is “blotted” out from the Book of Life. We know this to be true because of this scripture.....

20:15 And IF ANYONE'S NAME WAS NOT FOUND WRITTEN IN THE BOOK OF LIFE, HE WAS THROWN INTO THE LAKE OF FIRE.

A person's name must appear in the Book of Life, or they are cast into the lake of fire!!! Names are being added to and taken away every day from this Book.
Then we have the “LAMBS BOOK OF LIFE”. I wonder to whom this book belongs to.? This is Jesus's own book, and all the names written in it were written before the foundation of the world. No one's name can ever be blotted out of the Lambs Book of Life!! There are no scriptures anywhere in the Bible that says any name can be blotted out of this Book. The reason is that God already knows every single person who will accept Jesus as their Savior, and he knew this before the foundation of the world.

Just because someone's name is written in the Lamb's Book of Life, that does not mean they have no choice in choosing Jesus as their savior. All the names in this book have been given a free will choice to choose to whom they will serve, it's just God already knew what their choice was going to be, so he wrote them into this Book!!

Rev 21:27 But nothing unclean will ever enter it (The Holy City of God) , nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but ONLY THOSE WHO ARE WRITTEN IN THE LAMB'S BOOK OF LIFE.

Rev 13:8 and all who dwell on earth will worship it, everyone WHOSE NAME HAS NOT BEEN WRITTEN BEFORE THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD IN THE BOOK OF LIFE OF THE LAMB who was slain.

During the “tribulations” period every person whose name was NOT written in the Book of Life of the Lamb from the foundation of the world will worship the beast.

Then we have a book called, “THE BOOK OF REMEMBRANCE”. I believe this book to belongs to the Holy Spirit because Jesus once said that when the Holy Spirit comes he will bring to our remembrance everything he has spoken to us. Every time a person thinks about the Lord his God and talks about him, everything is recorded in this book......

Mal 3:16 Then they that feared the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and A BOOK OF REMEMBRANCE WAS WRITTEN BEFORE HIM FOR THEM THAT FEARED THE LORD, AND THAT THOUGHT UPON HIS NAME.

I do not think the Lord forgets anything, except for our sins that we have confessed before him, nor does he need remembering what we have said, or thought. I think it is for our benefit that he keeps these records. In the end, the only names that will be found in the Book of Life, and the Lambs Book of Life will be his Church. The Holy Spirit will bear witness to these truths by bringing forth all that we have said and thought throughout our life here on earth.

There are three that bear RECORD the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit, and they all three agree in one.

 

[Beetow]

● Gen 2:8-9 . . Now the Lord God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and
there he put the man he had formed. And the Lord God made all kinds of trees
grow out of the ground-- trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In
the middle of the garden was the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

God planted that tree in the full knowledge that He was enabling Man's fall.

● Gen 3:1 . . Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the
Lord God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God really say, 'You must not eat
from any tree in the garden'?

God knew all along that the Serpent would tempt the woman.

● Gen 3:6 . . she took some and ate it

God saw that coming.

● Gen 3:6 . . and her husband ate it

God saw that coming too.

● Gen 4:8 . . while they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed
him.

God was fully aware Cain was on a path towards murdering his kid brother.

● Gen 6:5-6 . .The Lord saw how great man's wickedness on the earth had become,
and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time. The
Lord was grieved that He had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with
pain.

God knew all along that the day was coming when humans would became so
deplorable that He'd regret bringing them into existence.

The thing is: most Christians are agreeable that God can see the future and nothing
takes Him by surprise. But the moment it's even suggested that He foresaw
everyone from the very beginning who would, who will, and who won't believe in
His son; their minds lock up with Calvinistic paralysis.
_

 

[Butch5]

The Book of Life... you hear about it from time to time. It's only really mentioned in the Bible in 9 verses, but it would seem they are important verses.
For whatever reason, it seems the Book of Life is not a popular subject with many Calvinists.

Php 4:3; Indeed, true companion, I ask you also to help these women who have shared my struggle in the cause of the gospel, together with Clement also and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the book of life.
Rev 13:8; All who dwell on the earth will worship him, everyone whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been slain.
Rev 17:8; "The beast that you saw was, and is not, and is about to come up out of the abyss and go to destruction. And those who dwell on the earth, whose name has not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, will wonder when they see the beast, that he was and is not and will come.
Rev 20:12; And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds.
Rev 20:15; And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
Rev 21:27; and nothing unclean, and no one who practices abomination and lying, shall ever come into it, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life.
Rev 22:19; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his part from the tree of life and from the holy city, which are written in this book.

Seven of these verses are in Revelation, and perhaps the two most telling ones are Rev 21:27; and Rev 20:15;

Your name MUST be in the Book of Life to enter heaven or the New Jerusalem. No if's, and's, but's, or maybe's... it is an absolute requirement.

It has been discussed on here a few times about infants ( babies ) names in the Book of Life. Do all Babies go to heaven? Are all Babies names in the Book of Life?
Does that mean their names get erased at a later time? ( perhaps the age of accountability? )

There are five verses here that say some people can and will be erased ( blotted out ) of the Book of Life. Jesus Himself is speaking in one of these verses.

Psa 69:28; May they be blotted out of the book of life And may they not be recorded with the righteous.
Rev 3:5; 'He who overcomes will thus be clothed in white garments; and I will not erase his name from the book of life, and I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.
Exod 32:32; "But now, if You will, forgive their sin—and if not, please blot me out from Your book which You have written!"
Exod 32:33; The LORD said to Moses, "Whoever has sinned against Me, I will blot him out of My book.
Deut 29:20; "The LORD shall never be willing to forgive him, but rather the anger of the LORD and His jealousy will burn against that man, and every curse which is written in this book will rest on him, and the LORD will blot out his name from under heaven.

Another controversial passage, that is similar is...

Luke 10:20; "Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are recorded in heaven."
In Luke 10, Jesus appoints 70 ( or 72 depending which translation you have ) more disciples along with the original 12. It says in the verse above they could cast out demons and their names were recorded in heaven.
But... after a period of time, most of these left Him.

John 6:65; And He was saying, "For this reason I have said to you, that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted him from the Father."
John 6:66; As a result of this many of His disciples withdrew and were not walking with Him anymore.
John 6:67; So Jesus said to the twelve, "You do not want to go away also, do you?"

It may have been all but the original 12, because in verse 67 above, He asks them if they want to go away also.
Now some say, they weren't really believers at all, and they point to this verse.

1Jn 2:19; They went out from us, but they were not really of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out, so that it would be shown that they all are not of us.

Now, perhaps they weren't "really of us", but yet Jesus said their names were recorded in heaven. If their names got blotted out, then they aren't "of us" now.

That passage from. 1 John is taken out of context. He is referring to Gnostics.

 

[B-A-C]

That passage from. 1 John is taken out of context. He is referring to Gnostics.

I know the dictionary definition of "Gnostic", but what is it in your personal opinion?
Can you worship another God, and worship the true God at the same time and be saved?

 

[Butch5]

I know the dictionary definition of "Gnostic", but what is it in your personal opinion?
Can you worship another God, and worship the true God at the same time and be saved?

The Gnostics were a group who mixed Christian doctrine with Greek Philosphy. There were differences among different groups but, what they held in common was that the flesh was inherently corrupt. Their goal was to escape the body and ascend into the heavens. They denied the resurrection because they saw no purpose in being in corrupt flesh once again. They also denied that Jesus and the Christ were the same person. They said Jesus was a man and the Christ was a devine spirit. They couldn't have a devine spirit inhabiting corrupt flesh. In essence, they denied that Jesus is the Christ. That's why John said, anyone who denies that Jesus is the Christ, is not of God. This is why John says they were never of us. It's not that they believed the gospel and then changed their mind or that they were false believers. They never acknowledged that Jesus is the Christ