Registering in the Book of Life

It is said, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion”. Here, Israel’s rebellion is given as a warning to us. “Today”, not any other day, is the right time to make a decision whether to obey God and His commandments or not. Did you know that God’s ways are the only ones that have power to put anyone’s name in the record of the Book of Life?

Paul says: “He will render to each one according to his works: to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, he will give eternal life” (Romans 2:6-7). Also, “We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we, too, might walk in newness of life”. (Romans 6:4).

Here Christ’s burial denotes the believer’s burial of dead works (sins) while Christ being raised denotes the believer’s newness of life.

And so righteousness, which is the newness of life, will make any of us, to be registered in the book of life (that is, if we do not grow weary in doing good). You can see what matters most in this case is our deeds. That is, good deeds will enable our names to be recorded in the book of life and bad deeds are not be found in the record book, the Judge will declare, “Away from me you workers of iniquity, I do not know you.” And so such a declaration will result in the banishment from before the righteous Judge. Therefore it is up to us to consider our conduct and our ways. Why not register your name in that vital record, the Book of Life.

Bro Sylvester Tembo (Mzuza, Malawi)