Whose names are
written in the book of life? You know the one I am talking about, the book
where God writes the names of the saved in heaven. Revelation 20:15 prophetically
describes the final judgment and says, “And if anyone’s name was not found
written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.” Have you
ever thought about when the names of the saved are written in that book? Is it
when they first trust in Christ in their hearts? Is it when they confess Jesus
with their mouths? Is it when they cry out to the Lord in prayer? Is it when
they are baptized? Actually, Scripture tells us plainly when God wrote the
names of the saved in the book of life, but the answer may surprise you.
…and
all who dwell on earth will worship [the beast], everyone whose name has not
been written before the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb
who was slain. (Revelation 13:8)
The
beast that you saw was, and is not, and is about to rise from the bottomless
pit and go to destruction. And the dwellers on earth whose names have not been
written in the book of life from the foundation of the world will marvel to see
the beast, because it was and is not and is to come. (Revelation 17:8)
Did
you catch that? Twice the Bible tells us the names of the saved were written in
the book of life of the Lamb before the foundation of the world. Before God
said, “Let there be light” he had already chosen a people to save. He knows the
end from the beginning (Isa. 46:8-10). He knew every day of our lives before we
were born (Psa. 139:16). He knew Jeremiah before the prophet was formed in the
womb; God set him apart before his birth (Jer. 1:5). The same is said of the
Servant of the Lord (Isa. 49:1, 5), John the Baptist (Luke 1:76), and Paul
(Gal. 1:15-16). Jesus affirmed certain individuals were given to him by the
Father and that they would certainly come to faith and would never be cast out
(John 6:37; 10:16; 17:6, 9-10, 24). It was never a surprise to the Lord who
would ultimately believe and be saved.
This
truth is demonstrated again and again in the preaching ministry of Christ.
Jesus knew his audience perfectly and whose faith was genuine and whose was not
(John 2:23-25). He sought those given to him by the Father and did not worry
about impressing or retaining the crowds that gathered around (John 6:64). He
knew his sheep would recognize his voice (John 10:27), but to those who
rejected his teaching, the Lord announced, “You do not believe because you are
not part of my flock” (John 10:25). Jesus knew grace and the gospel would work
powerfully and effectually in the hearts of those whose names were written in
the book of life long before.
Likewise
the apostles’ preaching ministry contains vivid examples of the prior election
of God. When the apostles preached on Pentecost some scoffed and accused them
of being drunk, but three thousand came to faith and were baptized (Acts 2:13,
41). Were the three thousand more honest, more moral, or more righteous than
the (probably thousands of) others who rejected the message? Did they believe
because of their spiritual superiority, or because God was merciful to them?
Paul’s conversion is a powerful example of God’s sovereign grace (Acts 9:1-20;
26:12-18), as is the conversion of the Ethiopian in the desert (Acts 8:26-40)
and Cornelius’ household (Acts 10:1-48). In Pisidian Antioch many who heard the
gospel rejected it, but “as many as were appointed to eternal life believed”
(Acts 13:48). “The Lord opened [Lydia’s] heart to pay attention to what was
said by Paul” (Acts 16:14), and when the apostle was discouraged in Corinth, Jesus
reassured him, “Do not be afraid, but go on speaking…for I have many in this
city who are my people” (Acts 18:9-10). The testimony of Scripture could not be
clearer. The gospel does not create new entries in the book of life; it exposes
those whose names are written there already.
Some
will object to the unfairness of this doctrine, but such an objection
presupposes that God owes grace to all people. He does not. Grace is never
owed. It is merciful and unmerited. Some fear this means God will turn away
sincere believers whose names are not written in heaven. But the Bible is
explicit: everyone who believes in Christ is and will be saved (John 3:16;
5:24; 6:37; 10:28-29). Left to ourselves, none of us would believe in or love
Christ (Rom. 3:9-20; 8:8; 1Cor. 2:14). It is only by grace we ever do so (1Cor.
4:7; 15:10). We are bound under the power of sin unless and until God
intervenes to save us (Rom. 3:9; Eph. 2:1-7). This is why those whose names are
not in the book of life would inevitably submit to the beast in Revelation and
worship him. Apart from the regenerating work of God, our sinful, proud, and
depraved hearts will always willingly choose to listen to the voice of the
tempter rather than the words of the Savior (Gen. 6:1-6; Ecc. 7:29; Rev.
9:20-21; 16:10-11).
Others will
claim this doctrine suppresses evangelism. On the contrary, it empowers it.
Jesus knew those whose names are in that book would believe when they heard the
word. They would recognize his voice and follow him (John 10:27). Like us, the
apostles did not know who would respond to the gospel and who would not. They
did not have Jesus’ perfect knowledge of the inner workings of men’s hearts.
But they had confidence in the gospel and in its ability to convict and convert
the human heart (John 16:7-11; Rom. 1:16). The gospel is God’s means of
calling, converting, and keeping those who will be saved (Rom. 10:17; Eph.
1:13-14; 1Pet. 1:3-5). We do not have to know who God has elected. We simply
must preach the gospel faithfully (Acts 13:46), plead with sinners passionately
(Acts 14:15), and trust the Lord of harvest that his word will not return void
(1Cor. 3:6-7).
Jesus
Christ came into this world to “utter what has been hidden since the foundation
of the world” (Matt. 13:35). He came to ransom a people who will “inherit the
kingdom prepared [for them] from the foundation of the world” (Matt. 25:34).
God “chose us in him before the foundation of the world” (Eph. 1:4), and though
Christ’s work was foreordained and finished (in terms of God’s immutable
decree) before the foundation of the world (Heb. 4:3; 9:26a; 1Pet. 1:20), “he
has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the
sacrifice of himself” (Heb. 9:26b) and has “brought life and immortality to
light through the gospel” (2Tim. 1:10). The Scripture is explicitly and overwhelmingly
clear. Salvation is the sovereign work of God, purposed, planned, and purchased
even before God’s creation of the visible world had begun. Therefore, to God
alone be all the glory. Salvation is, truly, of the Lord (Jonah 2:9)! -JME
