When We Stand Before God #1647

And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. (Revelation 20:12, NKJV)

The final judgment will be inclusive – every human being will stand before the judgment seat of Christ (2 Cor. 5:10). The “small and great” will stand before God to give a personal account to Him on that day. Whether nobility or commoner, rich or poor, famous or anonymous – all will be there. Our judgment will be impartial, complete, righteous, and according to truth (Rom. 2:2, 5-6, 11). That “books were opened” draws attention to the standard by which we will be judged. God’s word – revealed to humanity and recorded in inspired Scriptures – is the rule by which we will be judged (John 12:48). Another book, the “Book of Life,” will be opened to reveal the names of those who received and obeyed the commands of God, and thus have everlasting life (John 12:50). We cannot afford to live as if we are only answerable to ourselves. No one is an island devoid of moral responsibility toward God and toward others (Rom. 14:7). We are accountable to God for our heart, our words and our actions. We must attune our lives to God’s word now. We are accountable, and one day we will answer to God for our choices to obey His word or reject it.

God’s Book #1143

31 Then Moses returned to the Lord and said, “Oh, these people have committed a great sin, and have made for themselves a god of gold! 32 Yet now, if You will forgive their sin—but if not, I pray, blot me out of Your book which You have written.” 33 And the Lord said to Moses, “Whoever has sinned against Me, I will blot him out of My book.” (Exodus 32:31–33, NKJV)

God has a book. This means that God knows the names of those who are faithful to Him and obtain eternal life, and He knows those who commit sin against Him and lose their souls. “And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire” (Rev. 20:15). Some say once a person is saved, that person can never be lost. This is false doctrine. God had saved Israel from Egyptian bondage, and now, because of their sin with the golden calf, they were in danger of being blotted out of God’s book. It was about Israel (His own people) that God said, “Whoever has sinned against Me, I will blot him out of My book.” Dear Christian friend, do not be complacent about your salvation. “Therefore, let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall” (1 Cor. 10:12). Like Israel, we too can commit sin. When we continue in sin, refusing to repent to be forgiven, our names will be removed from God’s Book of Life. Be faithful to follow Jesus and do not walk in darkness, “but have the light of life” (Jno. 8:12).