2Ti 2:15  Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

I have an inclination in study to search for the inescapable conclusion.  When I hit a wall on a subject or reach a point where no other solution fits, that becomes my new starting point.  I take that theory and test it backwards.  Let me give you an example. 

An internet forum in which I participate asked when a person’s name is written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.  Dozens of answers were proffered, from the expected “as soon as a person confesses and accepts Christ” to the rapid penning of names on the day of final judgment.  Of course, the confusion exists because the word of truth is not being rightly divided.

I hit the conclusion wall in the book of Revelation, Chapter 5.  The book mentioned there is the Lamb’s Book of Life, and it is sealed with seven seals. Some conclusions we must draw here include: a) the sealing is not a recent event;  b) if it required someone of Christ’s authority to open it, it was penned by no less of an authority, and c) it is the book of salvation holding the names of God’s elect. 

            Rev 17:8  …and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world

Logic tells us that if some names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, the ones that were written must have occurred at that time.

Of course, this is recurring and refreshing doctrine to us.  But the religious world cannot fathom this, because they believe the Lamb’s Book of Life is opened and closed every time a sinner accepts Christ, a new name is written, the book is resealed and remains that way until another sinner – wait, one just fell away, his name will have to be erased, blotted out.  Gonna need many more seals…

Why all the confusion?  It’s all because of failure to rightly divide the truth.  We aren’t instructed to divide truth from falsehood.  The bible’s already done that for us.  We are to rightly divide this truth, and apply it properly, from other truth, which has its own application.

Let’s look at another example continuing with our “book” study.  We know the Lamb’s Book of Life is from eternity, and we know the names written there are safe, yet we read in other places:

            Ex 32:32 Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin--; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written.

            Ex 32:33 And the LORD said unto Moses, Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book.

            Deut 29:20  The LORD will not spare him, but then the anger of the LORD and his jealousy shall smoke against that man, and all the curses that are written in this book shall lie upon him, and the LORD shall blot out his name from under heaven.

            Ps 69:28  Let them be blotted out of the book of the living, and not be written with the righteous.

            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.

If we fail to rightly divide the word of truth, we too could make the error of thinking the Lamb’s book of life is an ever-changing rolodex with names entering and leaving upon every act of sinful man.

Just because something is recorded in the scriptures concerning the actions of men, doesn’t mean the Lord changes his doctrine as a result. David instructed men to count Israel. He made instruments of music to praise God.  Both were wrong actions, yet today, so-called churches thrive on numbers and music and very little doctrine.

Solomon was wiser than any natural man ever born, and in a classic dispute, he resolved the case of the grieving mother by dividing or discerning the truth of the matter.  None of us expected to read in the chapter that followed two women happily leaving the throne with half a baby each.  Yet, if we fail to test scripture against scripture, we end up with half a doctrine, and as pitiful as the analogy sounds, that half of a doctrine is dead.

 Moses showed God his love for the people he had led out of bondage by asking his name to be removed from the book.  We don’t know if this is the eternal book of life, but either way, Moses can’t impact that eternal book any more than you or I could.

 Having your name removed from the book of the living – well, we all go the way of the earth, so we know that’s not the Lamb’s book of life in Deut 29:20 and Ps 69:28.

And the book of remembrance, sounds about as timely or earth bound as possible.  It certainly wouldn’t be applicable in eternal heaven.

That leaves us only one verse to deal with in order to have a full understanding:

            Rev 3:5 He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.

Our inescapable conclusion here tells us this book, which can be opened and blotted, can not be the book hosting the names of God’s elect children.  It speaks of no seals. It must be a timely book.  Let’s use the wisdom of rightly dividing the word of truth.

Bro. Royce Ellis