The book of life

[Rev. G]

FREE WILL A SLAVE, CH SPURGEON
Delivered on Lord's Day morning, Dec. 2, 1855, AT NEW PARK STREET CHAPEL, SOUTHWARK

"And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life" —John 5:40

"THIS IS ONE OF THE GREAT GUNS OF THE Arminians, mounted upon the top of their walls, and often discharged with terrible noise against the poor Christians called Calvinists. I intend to spike the gun this morning, or, rather, to turn it on the enemy, for it was never theirs; it was never cast at their foundry at all, but was intended to teach the very opposite doctrine to that which they assert."

To read the rest of the Spurgeon's sermon go to:
http://www.mountzion.org/text/spu-freewill.rtf

[ November 22, 2002, 01:41 AM: Message edited by: Rev. G ]

 

[npetreley]

Rev. G, thanks for that link to the full sermon. It is a bit off topic when it stands alone, but I found this particular passage especially inspiring:

Secondly, IN CHRIST JESUS THERE IS LIFE, for he says: "Ye will not come to me that ye might have life." There is no life in God the Father for a sinner; there is no life in God the Spirit for a sinner apart from Jesus. The life of a sinner is in Christ. If you take the Father apart from the Son, though he loves his elect, and decrees that they shall live, yet life is only in his Son. If you take God the Spirit apart from Jesus Christ, though it is the Spirit that gives us spiritual life, yet it is life in Christ, life in the Son. We dare not, and cannot apply in the first place, either to God the Father, or to God the Holy Ghost for spiritual life. The first thing we are led to do when God brings us out of Egypt is to eat the Passover - the very first thing. The first means whereby we get life is by feeding upon the flesh and blood of the Son of God; living in him, trusting on him, believing in his grace and power.

 

[npetreley]

This, on the other hand, is rather on topic, although the first part I include here primarily for its encouragement:

This brings us to the third point: that ETERNAL LIFE IS GIVEN TO ALL WHO COME FOR IT. There never was a man who came to Christ for eternal life, for legal life, for spiritual life, who had not already received it, in some sense, and it was manifested to him that he had received it soon after he came. Let us take one or two texts�"He is able to save to the uttermost them that come unto him." Every man who comes to Christ will find that Christ is able to save him�not able to save him a little, to deliver him from a little sin, to keep him from a little trial, to carry him a little way and then drop him�but able to save him to the uttermost extent of his sin, unto the uttermost length of his trials, the uttermost depths of his sorrows, unto the uttermost duration of his existence. Christ says to every one who comes to him, "Come, poor sinner, thou needst not ask whether I have power to save. I will not ask thee how far thou hast gone into sin; I am able to save thee to the uttermost." And there is no one on earth can go beyond God's "uttermost."

Now another text: "Him that cometh to me, [mark the promises are nearly always to the coming ones] I will in no wise cast out." Every man that comes shall find the door of Christ's house opened�and the door of his heart too. Every man that comes�I say it in the broadest sense�shall find that Christ has mercy for him. The greatest absurdity in the world is to want to have a wider gospel than that recorded in Scripture. I preach that every man that believes shall be saved�that every man who comes shall find mercy. People ask me, "But suppose a man should come who was not chosen, would he be saved?" You go and suppose nonsense and I am not going to give you an answer. If a man is not chosen he will never come. When he does come it is a sure proof that he was chosen. Says one, "Suppose any one should go to Christ who had not been called of the Spirit." Stop, my brother, that is a supposition thou hast no right to make, for such a thing cannot happen; you only say it to entangle me, and you will not do that just yet. I say every man who comes to Christ shall be saved. I can say that as a Calvinist, or as a hyper-Calvinist, as plainly as you can say it. I have no narrower gospel than you have; only my gospel is on a solid foundation, whereas yours is built upon nothing but sand and rottenness. "Every man that cometh shall be saved, for no man cometh to me except the Father draw him."

 

[BobRyan]

JMF
Who is it that will be blotted out (to those of you that may not know, this signifies that it once was there) of the book of life?

Matt 18 last 10 verses - "Forgiveness Revoked".

Gal 5:1-4 those who have "Fallen from Grace"

Ezek 18 - the return of the death sentence - of sin upon those who turn back after being made right with God.

These fit perfectly with the them and teaching your identify in Revelation regarding the book of life and names blotted out. And there is more in perfect harmony with that teaching in Revelation as well.

In Christ,

Bob

 

[JMF]

This, on the other hand, is rather on topic, although the first part I include here primarily for its encouragement:

</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />
This brings us to the third point: that ETERNAL LIFE IS GIVEN TO ALL WHO COME FOR IT. There never was a man who came to Christ for eternal life, for legal life, for spiritual life, who had not already received it, in some sense, and it was manifested to him that he had received it soon after he came. Let us take one or two texts�"He is able to save to the uttermost them that come unto him." Every man who comes to Christ will find that Christ is able to save him�not able to save him a little, to deliver him from a little sin, to keep him from a little trial, to carry him a little way and then drop him�but able to save him to the uttermost extent of his sin, unto the uttermost length of his trials, the uttermost depths of his sorrows, unto the uttermost duration of his existence. Christ says to every one who comes to him, "Come, poor sinner, thou needst not ask whether I have power to save. I will not ask thee how far thou hast gone into sin; I am able to save thee to the uttermost." And there is no one on earth can go beyond God's "uttermost."

Now another text: "Him that cometh to me, [mark the promises are nearly always to the coming ones] I will in no wise cast out." Every man that comes shall find the door of Christ's house opened�and the door of his heart too. Every man that comes�I say it in the broadest sense�shall find that Christ has mercy for him. The greatest absurdity in the world is to want to have a wider gospel than that recorded in Scripture. I preach that every man that believes shall be saved�that every man who comes shall find mercy. People ask me, "But suppose a man should come who was not chosen, would he be saved?" You go and suppose nonsense and I am not going to give you an answer. If a man is not chosen he will never come. When he does come it is a sure proof that he was chosen. Says one, "Suppose any one should go to Christ who had not been called of the Spirit." Stop, my brother, that is a supposition thou hast no right to make, for such a thing cannot happen; you only say it to entangle me, and you will not do that just yet. I say every man who comes to Christ shall be saved. I can say that as a Calvinist, or as a hyper-Calvinist, as plainly as you can say it. I have no narrower gospel than you have; only my gospel is on a solid foundation, whereas yours is built upon nothing but sand and rottenness. "Every man that cometh shall be saved, for no man cometh to me except the Father draw him."

</font>[/QUOTE]1. The FACT that all who do come will be saved does not prove that God made them come.
2. Those who were chosen in Christ from the foundation of the world were chosen based on God's foreknowledge of their coming.
3. God foreknew who would come and who would not come; therefore those who He foreknew would not come are not going to come (yet the reason is out of a refusal to bend their will to His.)

1 Peter 1:2 Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.

John 6:64-65 But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him.

 

[KenH]

Originally posted by JMF:
Those who were chosen in Christ from the foundation of the world were chosen based on God's foreknowledge of their coming.

No. When you read this verse -

Romans 8:29(NASB)
29 For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren;

you see that "foreknew" literally means to "love beforehand"(as in Adam knew his wife Eve). Also, notice it is "whom" God foreknew, people, not "what" God foreknew, action.

Ken

 

[JMF]

No. When you read this verse -

Romans 8:29(NASB)
29 For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren;

you see that "foreknew" literally means to "love beforehand"(as in Adam knew his wife Eve). Also, notice it is "whom" God foreknew, people, not "what" God foreknew, action.
{* you confused me here* I didn't think we were debating the issue of whether it was people that He foreknew, but rather the fact that He foreknew}

Ken

{} added by JMF

Yes it does mean love beforehand, know they would be saved beforehand, ect.

and also God predestined(limit in advance) every elect person

the only problem is He doesn't say He predetermined that they would be elected, is says all those He foreknew that would be elected would(after they were born again) be conformed to the image of His son. This is God's decretive will, the election is not.

 

[Helen]

I am always puzzled by those who start the Romans 8 passage with verse 29 instead of its actual starting point at verse 28. Verse 29 starts with a conditional clause related to verse 28, so we really should quote them altogether.

Of course, then you are stuck with the fact that 'those who love God' precedes everything else in the list...

Secondly, when Jesus is referred to as the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world, it is not a title. Even if it were, it would be useless without a basis in fact!

The decision about what to do concerning men was made before men were created -- at the foundation of the world. Therefore, in decision, and thus in fact, Jesus was slain before the world came to be, or at least as it came to be. It simply got played out in time, at the right time. But it was real long before that. That is why Job could say, "I know that my Redeemer lives." He did not say "I know that a Redeemer will live."

 

[tyndale1946]

I thought everyone would be interested in a thought that another brought up in another site on the book of life... For what it is worth from Brother Tom Knapp!

I have an old unabridged dictionary or two and if you look hard you will find one of the root meanings behind the word book is beech from the Beech tree which was used much in producing early paper I imagine. I have heard it was from the bark that was used mostly. Well it happens that the word beech for the tree means "The tree with edible fruit". From here I would like to defer to "The Tree of Life". Would it help if we could see "The Tree of Life" as being one in the same as "The Book of Life"? There is some book eating that goes on in scripture and those you are free to look up on your own. In 1.Co.1.24 we see that God's wisdom is in fact a person. It is The Lord Jesus Christ that is God's wisdom. If you have residing within Christ, you then have Wisdom. This Wisdom within (Christ) will produce outwardly (his righteousness) by the removing of the body of sin. When we allow, by surrender, The Lord Jesus Christ to live (see Gal.2.20) we then have manifested Wisdom, That is Understanding. If you do some proximity searches using wisdom and understanding you may find that Wisdom is inward and the speaking thereof outward, that is understanding. Only thing is, all of this IS a person not loose objective facts or brainpower. You see, Christ is the Life within (Jn.14.6) and that life lived outwardly (salvation worked out) is the Fathers desire. For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ 2.Co.2.15 This is the incense from the alter in Rev. Wisdom IS Christ, there I said it again. Now look at Prov.3.13-18 What is Wisdom here? Aha!, So we see a tree within that will produce fruit called Life, I'm in for that. The Book is much the same. Whenever we find God's people in rebellion, he speaks of streets within the city. Funny thing though because in "The City" there is but One street of gold. Do not go by our songs, look in the book. Likewise when it comes to The Book. There is One when speaking of "The Book of Life" and pluralism when speaking of "the books were opened". Are we not reading from "The Revelation (singular) of Jesus Christ" when we read about the Book of Life? What would a revelation of Jesus Christ be attempting to reveal? Why do we look for so much other than him in this book. Love, Tom

In the end, there will be but one name in the book of life. All who are then called by that name and found in him have part. Rev.2.[17] He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.

Rev.3.[12] Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.

There can be only One!

This following brother summed up the belief of Primitive Baptist of which I belong quite nicely!

The Books of Life that have been refferred to in the previuos replies are defenitley 2 different books. The LAMBS book of Life, which holds the name of all of God's children that He chose before the foundation of the world, is symbolic to eternal salvation. The Book of life you ask of is also referencing a salvation but not eternal, it's a timely salvation. It's speeking of blessings that will be removed from one's life in this world. It's (this scripture) giving a lesson on obedience. Most of the scriptures that speak of salvation in the Bible are about a timely salvation or a way of being saved here on earth from earthly harm...not eternal. We have nothing to do with our eternal condition. God finished that work! In christian love, Bro. Kevin Johnson / Terrell, TX... Brother Glen

 

[tyndale1946]

I like the correlation drawn between the tree of life and the book of life.

Genesis 3:[22] And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever:

[23] Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken.

[24] So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.

Now how does he take of that tree of life and live forever if it is protected with a turning flaming sword?... And show me one place in the Bible when one of Adams race did or put his name in the book of life or took it out?... Brother Glen

 

[Pastor Larry]

Originally posted by Helen:
Of course, then you are stuck with the fact that 'those who love God' precedes everything else in the list...

You are also stuck with "those who have been called." However, v. 29 is an argument that, in Paul's mind, precedes v. 28. Consider his point.

V. 28 -- All things work together for good.

v. 29 -- Begins with a causal "hoti" which is understood as arguing "why things work together for good." Now, after v. 28, we ask the question, Why do things work together for good to them that love God, those who have been called according to his purpose?" Why?? Because of God's assurance that he works from beginning to end. From foreknowledge to predestination to justification to glorification -- God is at work in all of it. Therefore, we know that all things work for good resulting in glorification for those whom he has chosen.

So in fact, Rom 8:28-29 argues against the point that you have tried to pin on it.

The decision about what to do concerning men was made before men were created -- at the foundation of the world. Therefore, in decision, and thus in fact, Jesus was slain before the world came to be, or at least as it came to be. It simply got played out in time, at the right time.

So since God ordained Christ to die before the foundation of the world, before there was sin, did Adam really have a choice to sin?? Didn't he have to sin so that Christ could die? After all, if Adam didn't sin, there would have been no death. If the atonement was planned prior to sin, then it was a guarantee that sin had to come into the world. I think once again, your position (which I agree with) leads you places you are not willing to go.