The book of life

Have you ever had your name in the newspaper or been interviewed for the news? Did you go out and buy multiple copies of the newspaper or TiVo the interview? Most of us would love having something like this happen to us!

Thinking about this spiritually, there is a book that unfortunately too many don't ever strive to get in. The phrase "book of life" occurs several times in the Bible (Philippians 4:3; Revelation 3:5; 13:8; 17:8; 20:11-15; 21:27). It first occurred in Exodus 32:32-33, which reflects its Jewish origin. It referred originally to a record or catalog of names (like the roll of an army). It then meant to be among the living, and the name of an individual would be erased from a catalog when he or she was deceased. In these instances it is used as a picturesque way to denote those who are followers of God. If you want to be considered the "friend" of God, you must be in this book.

What must you do to get into this book? You have to obey the gospel, which means faith (John 8:24; Hebrews 11:6), repentance (Luke 13:3, 5; Acts 17:30), confession of Christ as Lord (Matthew 10:32; Romans 10:10), and baptism for the remission of sins (Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38). At that point, you will be "enrolled," so to speak. God will recognize you as His (2 Timothy 2:19). From that point, you are not always saved. You have to be "faithful unto death" too (Revelation 2:10). We would love nothing more than to help you reach your fullest potential as a human being, so please contact us further for study.

Kyle Campbell