Bibles to Philippians 4. We're
going to pick up where we left off Thursday night. But we're going to break away
from the context a little bit, and we're going to look at the
subject of the book of life. The book of life. Paul says in
verse 3, he'd encourage those two sisters to be of one mind,
And then he encouraged his brethren to help him, and he said, and
I entreat thee also, true yoke fellow, help those women which
labored with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and with other
my fellow laborers, whose names are in the book of life. Our subject's the book of life.
There are people in this world whose names are written in the
book of life. That's who will be saved. Their
names were written by God in the Book of Life. And I want
to show you three things that this says to us, three things
this teaches us. Number one, it sets before us
the eternal election of grace. Number two, it declares to us
who it is that Christ successfully redeemed. And number three, it
declares the eternal security of all whose names are in the
Book of Life. Let's look at these three things.
First of all, the Book of Life sets before us the eternal election
of grace. In eternity, before God created
anything, God chose who He would save, trusted them to Christ,
and He wrote their names in the Book of Life. The Book of Life,
it's called in Scripture the Lamb's Book of Life, because
Christ is the Lamb, responsible for saving those written in the
Book. It's called the book of the Lamb slain from the foundation
of the world. Christ's inner covenant to be
surety for everyone whose name is written in the book. It's
called the book of the living written with the righteous. It's the book of the living.
And those written in that book are righteous in Christ and by
Christ. the eternal election of grace.
Esau and Jacob in the same womb, and God said, the children having
done neither good or evil, that the purpose of God, and God saves
by purpose, according to his purpose. The word counsel means
purpose. The whole counsel of God is the
whole purpose of God. And this is the purpose of God,
the counsel of God concerning election, that salvation might
not be of the sinner's will, but of God who calls, of God
who chooses, of God who elected. For they were even born, ever
born. God said, Jacob have I loved, Esau have I hated. God loved
Jacob because He chose him in Christ and He viewed him in the
righteousness and perfection of Christ. He loved him in Christ. He hated Esau because he viewed
Esau in his own rebellion and his own dead works. You see,
if we're saved, it's by the grace of God. only. If we perish, it's due to our
own sin only. God said, I will have mercy on
whom I will have mercy. I will have compassion on whom
I will have compassion. So then it's not of him that
willeth nor of him that runneth. Not of him that willeth. Not
of him that willeth. That's what God said. Not of
him that runneth. It's not of the sinner that's doing and working
and running and working and trying. No, it's of God's mercy. It's
of God's mercy. God doesn't write a new name
in heaven when we believe. Have you ever heard that? That's
popular amongst Armenian religion. Somebody professes Christ, God
wrote a new name in heaven today. They mean he wrote a new name
in the book of life. He never has written a new name
in the book of life. And he'll never take a name out
of that book of life. Sinners are given faith to believe
because God wrote their names in the book of life. That's why
we're given faith. It's all of His grace and power
and the Spirit of God creating us anew. He does that to His
children because He wrote our name in the Book of Life. Christ
said, My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow
Me, and they'll never perish. No man will pluck them out of
My hand. That's His operation of grace in the heart. He did
that because our names were in the Book of Life. The reason
men do not believe is because their names are not written in
the book of life, but the fault is all their own. God doesn't
have to do anything to make a man perish in unbelief. He hardened
Pharaoh's heart because he did rebel, but God doesn't have to
harden your heart. He can just leave you to yourself. Christ told these self-righteous,
self-sanctifying men, you believe not because you're not my sheep. Because they weren't his sheep,
he didn't work this work in their heart. He didn't work the work
in their heart because their names weren't written in the
book of life. Why does he find fault then? Who's resisted his
will? That's what men will say to that. We can't reply against God. He's
the pot or we're the clay. It's not God's fault men do not
believe. Fallen sinners do exactly what
they want to do. They reject Christ because that's
what sinners by nature are willing to do. But God's people do exactly
what we want to do too. But it's by Christ's power giving
us a new will. We want to believe Christ. We
want to follow Christ. We want to be found in Him. But
He gave the will to do it. The book of life is the book
God wrote. He wrote our names in it. Those
He chose by free and sovereign grace. Those Christ's inner covenant
to save before God made anything. So it declares the eternal election
of grace. Now secondly, the book of life
declares the redemption of God's elect. It declares the redemption
of God's elect. It declares that Christ came
for a particular people, to lay down his life for a particular
people. One, it declares the redemption of God's elect from
eternity. You know, object to preaching
eternal justification, eternal redemption. Listen, if God purposed
it, it's done. There's no possibility it's not
going to be done in time. God purposed it. That's why it's
called the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation
of the world. When Christ entered covenant
to be the surety for his people, he struck hands with God and
it's done. God can't lie. God won't change.
God, at that point in eternity, God declared the end from the
beginning. And from ancient times the things are not yet done,
saying, my counsel shall stand, I will do all my pleasure. He chose us in Christ in eternity
that Christ might be the Redeemer and God predestinated us to the
adoption of children for Christ's sake, that He might be the firstborn
among many brethren. Everything is to exalt Christ,
the whole purpose of God The counsel of God is Christ, to
exalt Him, to give Him preeminence. From eternity, God purposed in
Christ, mercy and truth are met together, righteousness and peace
have kissed each other. Have you ever read that in Psalm
85? And if you read it, you will notice it is in the present tense. The first part's in the present
tense. Righteousness and peace, righteousness, I'm sorry, mercy
and truth are met together. That's present tense. Christ
hadn't come to the cross yet. The second part of that's written
in the past tense. Righteousness and peace have
kissed each other. Why is it written? Because God's
eternal. Whatever God purposed, God brings
to pass. God ordered our salvation. He
made it sure before the foundation of the world. And when we're
brought to believe, that is simply the fulfillment of what God already
did for us in eternity. All of this is, Pat, listen to
this. When God brings you to believe, it's God working all
things together for good to them that love God, to them who are
called according to His purpose. And here's His purpose. For whom
He did foreknow, when did He do that? In eternity. Them He
also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son, that
He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover, whom
He did predestinate, them He also called. When? In eternity,
when He wrote our names in the book of life. His election is
called His calling. Whom He called, then He also
justified. When? When He trusted Christ
to do the whole work. Then He justified, He also glorified. When? In eternity. Remember Christ said, Father,
now in time, He's about to go to the cross, He said, Father,
glorify me with the glory I had with you before the world was.
What glory was that? It's when God exalted him in
eternity and said, this will be the salvation of my people.
This one will get all preeminence. That's why Lucifer rebelled and
said, no, no, no. And God cast him out of heaven. What should we say then to these
things? If God be for us, who can be against us? If God wrote
your name in the Lamb's book of life, there ain't a soul,
no enemy that can be against you. None. The God men speak
of today, He can't do anything but what men permit Him to do.
Is that the God you want? I don't want that God. I'm a
sinner. I need salvation. I'm going through
the midst of a hurricane in this life. And I'm like a little candle
that's lit. How's it going to keep burning
as it goes across the open sea in the midst of a hurricane?
I need a God that's sovereign to keep me. That's the God we
worship. That's the God of this Bible.
That's the true God. This Book of Life declares the
redemption of God's elect was actually accomplished in time.
Our Lord Jesus came into this world to lay down His life for
the sheep. Who were they? Their names were written in the
Book of Life from eternity. He accomplished their redemption.
He didn't come to make salvation possible. He accomplished redemption.
That's why we preach this, it's because we preach a Christ that
shall not fail and has not failed. We preach a Christ who knew who
he was laying down his life for, who bore the sin of a particular
people, who bore the curse for a particular people, and who
justified a particular people. He accomplished the redemption
of his particular people. Listen to this verse from Daniel
12. Daniel 12.1 says, and at that time shall Michael stand
up the great prince which standeth
for the children of thy people." Who is that? It's Christ. He's the archangel, Christ. And there should be a time of
trouble such as never was since there was a nation even to that
same time. And at that time, Thy people
shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in
the book. That shall be delivered. We sold
ourselves for nothing when we sinned in Adam. We were conceived
in sin. All we ever have done in and
of ourselves is sin, that's it, period. And God said, you sold
yourselves for nothing, you'll be redeemed without money. were
redeemed by the precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. We
owe that second eternal death, and Christ suffered it on Calvary's
cross, and he accomplished eternal redemption. Neither by the blood
of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once
into the holy place, having, past tense, having obtained eternal
redemption for us. Who's the us? He said, they'll
be delivered, whose names are written in the book. Christ hath
redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for
us. For it is written, Cursed is everyone that hangeth on a
tree. God justified his people. God justified his people. God
was in Christ reconciling the world of his elect to himself,
not imputing our trespasses to us. The work is finished. Christ
accomplished it. Christ accomplished it. At that
time, thy people shall be delivered, every one that should be found
written in the book. Right now, God's effectually
calling each one that Christ redeemed. He is effectually delivering
each one Christ redeemed. And He shall preserve each one
Christ redeemed. Justice demands it. Justice is
satisfied for us. He said, I blotted out as a thick
cloud thy transgressions and a cloud thy sins. Return to me
for I have redeemed thee. That's what He's declaring in
this gospel. And when He makes that word effectually in the
heart of one of His lost sheep, they're coming. He says, return
to Me, I have already redeemed you. Lastly, this book of life
declares the eternal security of God's elect. It declares,
first of all, the election of grace. It declares, secondly,
the accomplished redemption of Christ. He laid down His life
for those whose names are in the book. And thirdly, it declares
the eternal security of those for whom Christ died. Our Master
told His apostles, He gave them some gifts and they went forth
and they exercised some of those gifts and they come back rejoicing
in these gifts they had. Isn't that us? God gives you
some grace and He instructs you in some things and enables you
to do something that you do and we start looking at that and
glorying in that. And the Lord told them, don't glory in that.
He said this, Rejoice not that the spirits are subject unto
you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven.
That's your eternal security, not what God's enabled you to
do in your flesh. He might take that away from
you and show you you can't do a thing without him. What do
you rejoice in? I rejoice that due to my name
being written in the book of life, he'll never let me fall
away. He'll keep me. At that time,
thy people shall be delivered, he said. Every one that shall
be found written in the book. All are going to stand before
Christ, our God, in the day of judgment. Look at Revelation
20. All are going to stand before Christ. Revelation 20 verse 11,
And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it From whose
face the earth and the heaven fled away and there was found
no place for them. Christ said, all judgments been
committed to me. The one that's sitting on the
great white throne is the Lord Jesus. He will be the judge in
that day. And it will be from His face
that men will flee. Trying to find a refuge, but
there won't be one. He's the only refuge. But all
are going to stand before Christ. Look at verse 12, I saw the dead,
small and great stand before God. Dead unregenerate men who
passed through this life unregenerated and regenerated men and women. Men who died physically long
ago and men who are left still alive when Christ returns. Great
men, wealthy men, powerful men. Influential men and small men,
insignificant men, everybody is going to stand before the
Lord Jesus Christ on the day of judgment. That's why Paul
said it's a terrible offense right now for you and me to try
to usurp Christ's throne and climb up into the judgment seat
and judge one another. He said in Romans 14.10, Why
dost thou judge thy brother? Why dost thou set at naught thy
brother? Why do you put your brother away?
For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.
It's written, as I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow
to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. So then, every
one of us shall give account of himself to God. You don't have to give account
to me, and I don't have to give an account to you. So we might
as well stop judging one another. We're gonna all give account
to him. But here's the good news, there
are books, and then there is the book. Those who trust in their works
rather than Christ, they shall be judged out of the books, plural. Look here in verse 12, Revelation
20, 12, and the books were open, and another book was open, which
is the book of life. And the dead were judged out
of those things which were written in the books, Get this next phrase,
according to their works. You see that? That's what's written
in the books. All the works of men. And the sea gave up the
dead which were in it, and death and hell delivered up the dead
which were in them. At that time, everybody that's
died before, they all come in and stand before Christ. And
they were judged every man according to their works. This is those
that were found written in the books. Natural man hears this. This is what unregenerate men
hear. They hear that every man will be judged according to their
works and they think it means that we can earn acceptance with
God by our works. They think that's what that means. Paul said, we're laboring that
whether present or absent we may be accepted of Him. For we
must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that everyone
may receive the things done in his body, according to that he
hath done, whether it be good or bad. Knowing therefore the
terror of the Lord, we persuade men." What's Paul talking about? I'll tell you how natural men
hear this and what they think that means. You picture the scales
of justice. The scales of justice. Men hear
this and they have this idea that all their good works will
be put on one side of the scale, and all their wicked works will
be put on the other side of the scale, and they hope their good
outweighs their bad. That's what they hope. That's not what it means. It
means if you're found not trusting Christ only, not having his righteousness
only, not resting in his works alone that he did by himself
by his obedience. If you're not trusting him, all
your good works will be on one side of the scale and all your
wicked works will be on the other side of the scale because the
truth of it is they are all wicked works. And you'll come short
of the glory of God and the glory of God is the perfect obedience
of the Lord Jesus Christ, the glory of God. The books here
hold the record of every man's sinful works. That's what the
books hold. All-knowing God knows the best
works men did. And he knows the wicked, vile
works men did. And they're all written in the
books. And here's the problem with the very best works men
do. The reason they're wicked works
is the motive of the heart, and God knows that too. And the motive
of the heart in those works was to try to do something to get
God to show favor because of a man's works. That makes it
a wicked work. The motive of the heart. God
shall bring every work into judgment with every secret thing, whether
it be good or whether it be evil. And what shall happen to all
who stand before God trusting in their works rather than Christ? Revelation 20 verse 14, And death
and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast
into the lake of fire. God's people shall be judged
out of the Book of Life. Just one book, the Book of Life.
The Book of Life contains the names of God's elect who were
made righteous and holy by the obedience of the Lord Jesus Christ.
We were resurrected in Christ, we took part in the first resurrection
in the new birth, we were given faith to trust Christ, and we're
trusting that Christ's person and his works is our only acceptance
with God. What he has done on our behalf
is our only acceptance with God. That's how we're righteous and
holy and accepted of God. He said back up in, I won't have
you look back, but in the chapter before, he said, Blessed and
holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection, on such
the second death has no power. And they shall be priests of
God and of Christ and shall reign with him a thousand years. What
is it to have part in the first resurrection? Christ said, I
am the resurrection. He said, he that believeth in
me. That's the result of taking part in the first resurrection.
You believe in Him. And He said, He that believeth
in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live. And whosoever
liveth and believeth in Me shall never die. Why does he live and
believe? He lives because he took part
in the first resurrection. Christ came. You were raised
with Christ when He arose and we sat down with Him in glory
and then in time He sent the Gospel and He created a life
in you by His power of His resurrection. And those that are raised from
the dead in the new birth and given faith, we're made priests
right now. He made you priests by His blood.
And we've been reigning with Him ever since He called us by
His grace. And we'll reign with Him, that
thousand years means a set time. That's what it means. It's not
given for us to try to figure out times and seasons. It just
means a set time. And then this is what's going
to happen. Satan will be loosed for a little season. and he'll
deceive the nations. He'll deceive all people whose
names are not written in the book of life. That's what it
says. And when that happens, the whole world will suddenly
seem like they have lost their mind. They will call evil good
and good evil. Whatever is wicked, as Sodom
and Gomorrah, they'll say, that's good. And if you speak against
it, they'll say, you're evil, you're a hater, you're wicked,
you're a reprobate, a bigot. Seems like that's what's happened
here lately, hasn't it? It's come on suddenly, and it
will come on suddenly. I don't know when Christ will
return, but I sure hope it's soon. I do. I pray it's soon. But then it says fire will come
down from God, and he will, out of heaven, and he will devour
them. He's going to gather them. It says he'll gather all the
people together to battle, and it'll be like the sand of the
sea. And it says, then God will pour down fire from heaven and
devour them. But the believer's security is
this. We'll never be deceived by the devil. We'll never be
deceived by the devil because our names are written in the
Lamb's Book of Life. Because Christ has redeemed us.
Because the Spirit of God keeps renewing us and pointing us to
Christ. At that time, thy people shall
be delivered, he said in Daniel. everyone that shall be found
written in the book. Revelation 13.8 says that all that dwell
upon the earth shall worship the beast whose names are not
written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation
of the world. But those whose names are written
in the Lamb's book of life, they shall not be deceived. Revelation
17.8 says, they that dwell on the earth shall wonder. Whatever
the devil does to deceive, it's going to be a wonder to natural
man. They're going to admire it, think it's just so good.
And they'll wonder whose names were not written in the book
of life from the foundation of the world when they behold the
beast that was and is not and yet is. But that means those
names who are written in the book of life will not be deceived.
Every sinner outside of Christ is nothing but a defiler and
a worker of abomination and a maker of lies. I'm talking about the
man who's reached the height of religion and looks like he's
the most holy and righteous among men and who is preaching down
every kind of vile immorality in the world. I'm talking about
that man. Everything his works are is nothing but an abomination,
a defiler, and a maker of lies. Why? He trusts himself and he
does not trust Christ. But none who are in Christ, none
who are given faith to trust Christ alone, none who believe
on Christ alone, trusting He's our sanctification, He's our
righteousness, none who trust Him. You're not a defiler. You're not a worker of abomination.
You're not a maker of lies. Our sin nature is nothing but
sin. So sin, all of that is mixed in our sinful flesh, but that's
not what you are in Christ. Look at Revelation 21 and verse
27. John saw the heavenly city. And
God said, There shall in no wise enter into it anything that defileth,
neither whatsoever worketh abomination or maketh a lie, but they which
are written in the Lamb's book of life. All of this This security
we are talking about here, not being deceived, not being a defiler
and a liar and a worker of abomination, being kept and being brought
before the Lord and not judged out of the books by our works,
but judged out of the book which declares Christ's perfect work
and the perfect work of everyone whose name is written in that
book. Christ will stand. See, our judgment already took
place at Calvary. We already suffered that second
death at Calvary when Christ laid down his life. So now that
we've took part in that first resurrection, you can't die.
Justice can't be poured on you because it already has been.
You've already been judged for your sin, you that believe him.
So we'll stand in that day and the book will be opened and the
Lord will judge us out of the book and say, These are perfectly
righteous, perfectly holy, have never sinned one time in their
life. They never had a thought of sin.
You mean God's going to say that about you and me? That trust
Him? Yeah, because that's the truth
of Christ the Lord. That's Him. That's what He did.
And He put away our sin. Christ is our only acceptance
into Heaven. And it's because God chose us
and wrote our names in the Lamb's Book of Life from eternity. It's
because Christ came and by His obedience made us accepted of
God. It's because the Spirit of God
has given you a heart to not trust anything about yourself
or your works, to trust Christ and His works alone. It's all
of God. Salvation is of the Lord. Now
this begs the question, how do I know? If my name is written
in the Lamb's book of life, how do I know if God wrote my name
in that book? There is only one way you can
know that. Is Christ your only hope? Do you believe He is the
Son of God? Do you believe that Christ Jesus
is your total, only acceptance with God? If you believe Him,
According to this book, your name is written in that book.
A man that trusts in his own works or claims he trusts in
Christ but he partly trusts himself, that's the evidence that his
name is not written in the book. That is a defiler, a worker of
abomination, and a maker of lies. It's only those who trust Christ
Jesus only. That's the evidence. Faith is
the evidence. Faith is the substance of things
that we're hoping for. Do you believe the Lord Jesus
Christ? Do you believe the Lord Jesus Christ? Our security is God wrote our
names there, Christ died for us. and the Spirit of God made
us partake in that first resurrection and see we're seated right now
in glory, in Christ. Our life is Christ at God's right
hand and when Christ shall appear, then we shall appear with Him
in glory. Is that your only salvation?
It is for those whose names are in the book. I pray the Lord
will Keep us looking only to Christ. You see what Paul is
doing in this Philippian letter. I tried to preach this Thursday
night. Paul is promoting unity. And if these two sisters hear
this, and they hear what Paul is declaring, and the Spirit
of God blesses it to their heart, they are going to stop judging
the other. They are going to stop judging
each other. And they are going to put their
face in the dust as the sinner. who needs to be found in Christ
only. You see, this gospel is the only
thing that makes unity between brethren. As long as you're looking
at you, you'll be looking at somebody else too. And you won't
be looking at Christ. And if you can go on in that,
and go on in that, and go on in that, it's the evidence your
name's not written in the book. But God's people, and I love
how Paul said here, He names those two sisters and then he
said, and their names are in the book of life. He didn't doubt
them because they fell into this division and trouble. He didn't
doubt them. Paul, in fact, when he goes to
the Corinthians with all the trouble the Corinthians were
in and all the sins they were committing and all the carnality
they were engaged in, he told them, you've been enriched by
God in everything so that you come behind in no guilt. He called
them brethren. He didn't doubt them. Why? That judgment's not mine. That
judgment's not yours. That's Christ's judgment. And
we can all stand before Him and give account of ourself. Who made you righteous? The old
regenerative man said, didn't we do all these wonderful works?
God's child's going to say, Him only. Him only. Christ only. I pray God keep us running this
race looking to Him. Father, we thank You for this
Word and pray, Lord, that You keep us turned away from self
and this world and one another and keep us in communion with
Christ, looking to Him alone, worshiping Him alone, trusting
Him alone, running this race, looking to Him alone. Father,
we thank You that You wrote the names of Your people in the Lamb's
Book of Life, that You trusted Christ to save us, to bring us
to you perfect. Thankful you revealed Christ
in our hearts. What grace, Lord, what amazing
sovereign grace and unchanging love that you've shown to your
people. Don't let us look to ourselves,
keep us looking to Christ. And Lord, wherever there's division,
we pray that You make us see we're just worms, vile worms,
sinners that can do nothing of ourselves and make us see Christ
is all. Make us see we're being saved
by His power, by His righteousness, by Him keeping us and turning
us to Him to look away, to Him alone. Lord, we thank you for grace.
Forgive us now of our sins. Forgive us of putting too much
affection on this world and our works and ourselves. Thank you, Lord, for mercy. In
Christ's name we pray. Amen.