The Lamb’s Book of Life

Now, I'm supposed to be holding in my hands the history of the Welch family, so I would like you to visualize a book in my hands. The book, however, is on my desk, in my office. It's a blue book, and it's about three-quarters of an inch thick. And it's the history of the Welch family. It is the Welch family genealogical records. How many of you have done some work on genealogy? Any of you for your families?

If you can look around, you'll see there's a number of people who have. It is very important for some people. They really like to know about their roots, about where they came from, and that sort of thing. I found it interesting that the first Welch that we know of in the United States, his name was Solomon.

And his father was also Solomon. The first Welch came over from Northern Ireland, I understand, and settled in Bethel Township in Pennsylvania, in Southampton County. My dad and I took a trip there. I took my dad. He was older, and I took him there. He wanted to go. We went to Southampton County. We went to the county records. We found out that Solomon Welch had ten acres and two cows. It was really very interesting to read about an ancestor. He was living back in the 1700s, I think 1780 or 90, somewhere around there is when he came to the United States. But his father was over in Northern Ireland, and never did come to this country.

I found it fascinating, and I know that some of you have found it fascinating to know more about your history. The ancient Israelites also kept genealogical records. They wrote them down in a register or book, maybe a number of different books. Some of them, of course, are recorded in the Bible. It's nice to have the Welch family book. I'm glad we have it. I'm glad my name is there. My name is actually listed in that book. My children are listed in that book because we had it updated not too long ago. My children are in there, and it goes all the way back to the 1700s.

So that's pretty cool. But, you know, much more so, I am interested in having my name written in a book that is actually mentioned several times in the Bible. To me, it is a much, much more important book. And, of course, I speak of a book called The Book of Life.

There is such a book entitled The Book of Life. What is God's book of life? Why is it called The Book of Life? Who is listed in The Book of Life? How does one have his name written in God's book? How might one have his name blotted out of The Book of Life because it also speaks of the possibility of having one's name taken from the book?

Is your name written in God's book? What does the Bible have to say about the Book of Life? Obviously, that's what we're going to talk about today. In Genesis 5, if you'll go with me there, I do believe you'll find this to be a fascinating sermon. I found it fascinating as I studied this topic some years ago.

In chapter 5 of verse 1, the book of Genesis, this is the book of the genealogy of Adam in the day that God created man. He made him in the likeness of God. He created them male and female and blessed them and called them mankind in the day that they were created. And Adam lived 130 years and he begot a son in his own image, after his image, and he named him Seth.

Now, you may remember that Seth was not actually the firstborn, but Cain, I believe, was the firstborn and he killed Abel. And so Seth was named to take the place of Abel. So that's quite interesting as well, because Seth is the one that's mentioned here. Abel was dead. Cain proved himself unfaithful. Seth is the one that's named. After he begot Seth, the days of Adam were 800 years. He had sons and daughters. And so all the days that Adam lived were 930 years and he died. And Seth lived 105 years and he begot Enosh.

And it goes on and on and on and it gives genealogical records of the family of Adam. We're not going to take the time to read any further, but it is quite interesting. We could go to Noah's genealogy, to Shem, to Tira, to Ishmael, to Isaac, to Esau, to Jacob, or Israel.

They're listed in this book. They're written down because, evidently, this is important to God. He wants us to know something about our roots, about our history. In Numbers, Chapter 1, if we'll go there for a moment, Numbers, Chapter 1, and verse 1. Now the Eternal spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai in the tabernacle of meeting on the first day of the second month, in the second year, after they had come out of the land of Egypt, saying, Take a census of all the congregation of the children of Israel by their families, by their father's houses, according to the numbers of names, every male individually.

From twenty years old and above, all who are able to go to war in Israel, you and Aaron shall number them by their armies and by their tribes. So the Eternal directs Moses to take a census according to family lines. The books of Kings and Chronicles are histories of Kings, of families.

So much history is given there. In Nehemiah, Chapter 7, if you'll go with me there for a moment, in the book of Nehemiah, Chapter 7, we'll see that God inspired Nehemiah to create a registry or a genealogy of those who were the first to return from Babylon. They returned from Babylon, they came back to the land of Israel. So Nehemiah, Chapter 7, Verse 5, notice this.

Nehemiah says, Then my God put into my heart, so God was the one directing this, He put it into my heart, together the nobles, the rulers, and the people, that they might be registered by genealogy. And I found a register of the genealogy of those who had come up in the first return and found written in it. These are the people of the province who came back from the captivity of those who had been carried away, who Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, had carried away and who returned to Jerusalem and Judah, everyone to his city.

And we could go on and we could read name after name after name in the genealogy. So God inspired Nehemiah to do this. In Nehemiah, Chapter 7, if we drop down to verse 63, notice this. There's a listing of the priests. And of the priests, the sons of Habbai, the sons of Kos, the sons of Barzillah, who took a wife of the daughters of Barzillah, the Gileadite, and was called by their name.

These sought their listing among those who were registered by genealogy, but it was not found. This is important. They could not find the name listed in the genealogy. Therefore, they were excluded from the priesthood as defiled. It was important that their name be listed here. And when it wasn't, then there were consequences. And the governor said to them that they should not eat of the most holy things till a priest could consult with the Urim and the Thummim to decide to determine whether or not this was a legitimate claim.

Now, dropping back to chapter 12, verse 22, chapter 12 of Nehemiah, notice in verse 22, during the reign of Darius the Persian, a record was also kept of the Levites and priests who had been heads of their fathers' houses in the days of Elishaib, Joanna, Johanun, and Jadua. The sons of Levi, the heads of the fathers' houses until the days of Johanun, the son of Elishaib, were written in the book of the chronicles. Okay, so this shows the importance placed upon being listed in the book.

It was very, very important that you have your name listed in the book in the record. Notice in Ezekiel 13 something very important. Ezekiel 13. And of course, I'm leading up to something that has value for you personally today. Ezekiel 13. Let's notice that. The book of Ezekiel 13.

Ezekiel 13, verse 8, Therefore, thus does the eternal God, the Lord God, because you have spoken nonsense and envisioned lies. Therefore, I am indeed against you, says the Lord God. Yes, God does take notice of who we are and how we behave, the choices, the decisions that we make.

My hand will be against the prophets who envision futility and who divine lies.

They shall not be in the assembly of my people, nor be written in the record of the house of Israel, nor shall they enter into the land of Israel. Then you shall know that I am the Lord God, because indeed, yes, because they have seduced my people, saying, Peace, when there is no peace, and one builds a wall and they plaster it with untempered mortar, mortar that is not proper, that's not fit, that's not suitable. Say to those who plaster it with untempered mortar that it will fall. There will be flooding rain, and you, O great hellstone, shall fall, and a stormy wind shall tear it down. Surely, when the wall has fallen, will it not be said to you, Where is the mortar with which you plastered it? Why did it not hold? Why did it not stand up? Therefore, thus says the Lord God, I will cause a stormy wind to break forth in my fury, and there shall be a flooding rain in my anger, and great hellstones in fury to consume it. So I will break down the wall you have plastered with untempered mortar, and bring it down to the ground, so that its foundation will be uncovered. It will fall, and you shall be consumed in the midst of it. Then you shall know that I am the Lord. One day we will all come to know who God is. And there's no question about it, because there is a judgment day coming for each and every one of us. It's something to contemplate, something to consider. God really does care how you live your life.

So here we find, again, that these false prophets were not written in the record of Israel. They were cast out. They would not be in God's kingdom, unless repentance were to come sometime down the line.

In James and Fawcett and Brown, the commentary, getting back to verse 8, if we'll go back to verse 8 for a moment, therefore, Thus says the Lord God, because you have spoken nonsense and envisioned lies, therefore I am indeed against you. My hand will be against the prophets who envision futility and who divine lies. They shall not be in the assembly of my people. They shall not be allowed in the assembly. Now, James and Fawcett and Brown says, the assembly or the council, they shall not occupy the honorable office of counselors in the Senate of elders after the return from Babylon. These people who were not fit, who were false prophets, would not be allowed to serve as counselors. Neither shall they be written in Israel. They shall not even have a place in the register kept of all citizens' names. This is what the commentary says, they shall not have their names there. They shall be erased from it, just as the names of those who died in the year or had been deprived of citizenship for their crimes were at the annual revisal erased. So, this has been a common practice among God's people. Neither enter the land, notice that it says, they shall not so much as be allowed to come back at all to their country. So, there are consequences for our lives, the way we live our lives, the decisions that we make. Now, I'm not going to go to Matthew 1 and Luke 3, but there we find the genealogy of Joseph and Mary. We find the genealogy of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Genealogies are important. Where you come from is important. How you live your life, the example that you set for those who come after you is important. The legacy that you leave behind is important. But what about specifically God's book of life? Let's go to Exodus 32.

We're going to specifically go to some verses that talk about the book of life.

We're going to answer those questions that I raised at the beginning. Exodus 32, verse 31.

Exodus 32, verse 31. Then Moses returned to the Lord and said, Oh, these people have committed a great sin. They sinned with that golden calf. We're familiar with this account of the golden calf having come out of the land of Egypt, having been delivered with a mighty hand from God Almighty.

They turned against him and they worshipped idols. Expressly forbidden, they worshiped idols.

These people have committed a great sin. They've made for themselves a God of gold.

Verse 32. Yet now, if you will forgive their sin, but if not, I pray blot me out of your book.

Moses says, blot me out of your book. If you're not going to forgive them, then blot me out, which you have written. And the Lord said to Moses, Whoever has sinned against me, I will blot him out of my book. I think there's much to be learned here by this. And God was also showing Moses that he meant business. If people are going to live in sin, eventually they will be blotted out of God's book. Or they'll never find their name written in the book. Moses went to bat for the people. That was a good thing. Moses loved the people.

That was wonderful. And God did not destroy all the people. There was a time when God wanted to destroy them all, right around this time, and raise up from Moses a new nation. Moses didn't want any part of that. He felt that that would reflect badly on God. And he didn't want that to happen. So we can really respect Moses for his approach, for the decisions that he made, and for the courage that he shows. But I think what we can learn from this, God says, Whoever has sinned against me, I will blot him out of my book. Now, have you ever sinned? Have I ever sinned?

We've all sinned. What this is saying is, if you do not repent of your sins, eventually you will be blotted out. If you do not have a repentant heart, if God cannot look into your heart and look into your mind and see a repentant heart and a repentant mind, you will not live forever. You will not be in God's kingdom. It's plain and simple. Our sins should never be taken lightly. We should always seek repentance when we sin against God. God is a holy and a just God, and we are to become like Him.

Now, Philippians, let's go to the New Testament where it talks about how our citizenship is in heaven. Philippians chapter 3, we are called to something better, brethren. You are called to something better. God wants you to set an example. He wants you to leave it a legacy in the world today. He wants you to see who you are and what He is doing in your life. So, in Philippians chapter 3, let's see what Paul says. Speaking to God's people, he says, brethren, I'm in Philippians chapter 3 verse 17, brethren, join in following my example and note those who so walk as you have us for a pattern. You know, Paul makes no excuses for this. He says, follow me as I follow Christ. I make no excuses either. I do want you to follow me as I follow Christ. At the same time, do not follow me if I'm not following Christ. Never follow me in my sin or in my error, just like Paul did not want them to follow Him either. Don't follow anyone in their sin and in their error. For many walk of whom I have told you often and now tell you even weeping that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ, whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who set their mind on earthly things. Our minds should not be set on earthly things. Our minds should be set on spiritual things, on godly matters.

For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body, these lowly, carnal, fleshly, sinful bodies.

We will transform, these bodies will be transformed. Lowly bodies shall become conformed to His glorious body. We shall become like Christ. We shall see Him as He is, and we will be like Him, spirit beings unable to sin any longer, born into the family of God. According to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself, therefore my beloved and longed-for brethren, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord beloved. Your citizenship is in heaven.

Your name is to be written in heaven. Let's see that in another verse.

In Luke chapter 10, let's go to Luke chapter 10. Let's see what Christ says about where our names need to be written.

Luke chapter 10.

Luke chapter 10 verse 1.

After these things, the Lord appointed 70 others also and sent them two by two before His face into every city and place where He Himself was about to go. So these were 70 elders who went before Christ into the various cities where Christ would be going. And then if we'll drop down to verse 17, then the 70 returned with joy, saying, Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name.

They were given great power, these 70 elders that were sent forth.

They, as it says here, even the demons are subject to us in Your name. And He said to them, I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions. And over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because Your names are written in heaven. These were servants of Almighty God. They were servants of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Their names were written in heaven.

So when does one have his name written in heaven? When does one have his name written in the Book of Life? It's interesting to consider this. Now, this is interesting because what I was about to say doesn't necessarily square with what I just read.

Because in some ways, now, maybe they were converted already, but it doesn't seem so, right? These were 70 people that were sent out. Perhaps God had given them His Spirit. We know He gave them His Spirit. They could do great power and might. Did they have the Spirit dwelling in them?

Or were they simply just able to use God's Holy Spirit to perform these miracles and things that we're talking about? Christ was still living at this time, we know. But He says already, their names are written in heaven. It seems logical, though, however, that basically the time our name is written in heaven is when we become converted, when we receive God's Spirit, unless it's a special thing, which it was with these 70.

Nowadays, I would say that it's very likely that your name is written in heaven. It's written in God's book when you receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. When God's Spirit is dwelling in you, your name is written in the book. It's when you receive the Spirit of God and you're walking in the Spirit. Now, God is clearly taking note of His people. We should all understand and realize that.

The Scripture says that judgment has begun on the house of God, on the people of God, on the children of God, the brethren of God. We are held accountable. This is our day of salvation.

He knows who He has called, He knows who He has chosen, and He knows who's remaining faithful to Him. God knows all things. He knows our hearts, our minds. He knows the names of those who are written in the book of life. In Hebrews 12, we find a few verses very germane to what we're talking about today. Let's go to Hebrews 12. Hebrews 12, verse 22. Hebrews 12, verse 22.

Therefore, strengthen the hands which hang down and the feeble knees. I mean, Hebrews 12, verse 12.

Strengthen these knees, these hands, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be dislocated, but rather be healed. Pursue peace with all people. I'm not reading the right... it's 22 that I wanted to go to. Let's go to verse 22. Hebrews 12, verse 22. But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, to the General Assembly and Church of the First Born, who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect.

Let's go back in context a little bit here. Paul, the writer of Hebrews, most likely, he's talking about our future. He says in verse 18, For you have not come to the mountain that may be touched and that burned with fire, and to blackness and darkness and tempest, and the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words, so that those who heard it begged that the word should not be spoken to them anymore. He's reflecting back, of course, back to the time of Moses.

For they could not endure what was commanded, and if so much as a beast touches the mountain, it shall be stoned or shot with an arrow. And so terrifying was the sight that Moses said, I am exceedingly afraid and trembling, but you have come to Mount Zion. He's talking about projecting ourselves into the future and considering our glorious future and what is in store for us. We should have the vision of the new Jerusalem before us continually.

We should have that vision. That's what he's talking about.

You have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, to the General Assembly and Church of the Firstborn, who are registered in heaven. I believe that we are registered in heaven. We are part of this church of the Firstborn. We are to be the first fruits. When Christ returns, we are to rise and meet Him in the air. If we're dead, we'll be resurrected. We'll come out of the graves. If we're alive, we'll be changed in a moment. In the twinkling of an eye, our names are registered in heaven. The Spirit of God dwells in us. We are sanctified and set apart, in a sense made holy. In a sense, we are now made holy by the Spirit that dwells within us. Sometimes we don't always walk in the Spirit, though, do we? And it's shameful, frankly, when we don't. It's shameful, but we all do it. And God understands that. We're all flesh. Christ understands that. He knows what it's like to struggle in the flesh. He knows the weakness of the flesh. But nevertheless, He holds out to us our glorious future in His eternal kingdom. He says our names are registered in heaven. In Hebrews 11, if we go back to Hebrews 11, the faith chapter, verse 13, we read, These all died in faith. It's talking about the patriarchs and those who came before us. They all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, just like us. We see them afar off. They're not here yet, but they're afar off. Having seen them afar off, they were assured of them. They had faith in them. They embraced them. They confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. We are also strangers and pilgrims here on this earth. For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland. We talked about that a few weeks ago. We seek an eternal homeland, and truly, if they had called to mind that country from which they had come out, they would have gone back. They would have returned. We must not keep our mind on Egypt. We must not keep our minds on the ways of this world, but we have to keep our minds on the New Jerusalem, on the kingdom to come. But now, they desire a better, that is, they desire a heavenly country. Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them. That city is prepared for us. We await the New Jerusalem. Now, if we go to verse 39 of chapter 11 of Hebrews, and all these having obtained a good testimony through faith, they did not receive the promise. Those who have died in the faith, perhaps your mother, your father, my mother died in the faith.

She did not receive the promise. She is in the grave. A few years ago, she died.

But I have faith that she will be among the first born at Christ's return.

So, people who have died in the faith, they didn't receive the promise. Verse 40, God having provided something better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from us.

Of course, Paul thought that he might be alive when Christ returns. He was mistaken. Mr. Herbert Armstrong was mistaken. You know, we make mistakes.

We sometimes draw conclusions that we ought not.

But the point is, we're all in this together. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, they'll be resurrected at the same time as my mother, who's died. And if I die first, I'm going to be resurrected with them. If not, right after them. So, we have an exciting future ahead of us.

Let's go to Revelation chapter 3. You see, the book of life includes all those who were faithful to God during Old Testament times and those who are faithful to God during New Testament times.

Those who remain faithful, those who endure to the end, who have the Spirit of God dwelling in them when they die or when Christ returns, they will inherit eternal life because their names are written in heaven. And why are their names there? Because they're faithful to God.

They're repentant. They've learned what love is all about. They're becoming like God. They're becoming like Christ. God is love. We are to become just like God and like Christ.

In Revelation chapter 3, this is written to the church of Sardis. Revelation chapter 3, notice this. Revelation chapter 3 verse 4, you have a few names, even in Sardis, who have not defiled their garments. And they shall walk with Me in white. Why? Because they're worthy.

They're worthy. It doesn't matter when you live as long as you're worthy. It doesn't matter which time period you live in. If God calls you and you are worthy, your name is written in heaven.

They will walk with Me in white, for they are worthy. He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments. And I will not blot out His name from the book of life. That tells me that it's possible to have your name blotted out. So why would you have your name blotted out? Because you did not remain faithful. Because you did not remain repentant. Because you allowed Satan the devil to get into your heart and into your mind to the point you rejected your God. It's a dangerous thing to allow Satan to get inside your head. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus. Satan has deceived the whole world. He continues to deceive the whole world, and he does it in many, many ways. We should all humble ourselves continually that we might be given the gift of life, eternal life. I will not blot out His name from the book of life, but I will confess His name before my Father and before His angels.

You can believe that Christ is your advocate, that Christ will intercede for you, that Christ is always there for you, that Christ will never leave you, and He will never forsake you. So, if you do not give up on Him, He will never, ever give up on you.

And it says, He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

So, why again would someone have His name written or have His name blotted out?

You see, God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

But God does not force us to repent. He doesn't force us. He looks into our heart, and if our heart is repentant, He grants us repentance. It's a gift. He continues to grant us repentance as long as we seek forgiveness. As long as we are humble enough to admit that we have sinned, that we have fallen short of God's glory, and that we desperately need the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, and we are not playing games with God, and we are striving to put sin out of our lives, and we stopped making excuses, and we are overcomers, and we are making progress, and we are moving forward, that is the key.

You know, King David did not want to have his name blotted out of the book. It's interesting, he did not want his name blotted out, but he knew he was in danger of having his name taken from the book of life. In Psalm 51, let's go there for a moment, and I only have a few minutes before I need to wrap things up here. In fact, we don't have time to go there. David said, blot out my transgressions, God. Please, blot out my transgressions.

The point was, don't blot me out of the book of life. Don't take away your spirit from me.

Don't blot the spirit from me, but give me this gift of eternal life in your kingdom.

Blot out my transgressions. Forgive me. That should be our prayer, the prayer of David.

Now, there's much more that could be said about this topic.

David had a very personal relationship with God. We should seek to have the same personal relationship.

Psalm 56, if you want to go there, verses 8-13 will speak to this relationship that he had with God.

A person decides that they no longer want to walk in the ways of God. They cut themselves off from the true vine. It is their choice. It is their decision. Whether it be because of apathy, being lethargic, being deceived, whatever the reason, it is their choice.

If a person continues to neglect his spiritual well-being until he becomes so spiritually sick that he dies, spiritually, yes, God takes his spirit away.

It is a danger, but we need not fear that if we are truly wanting to be in God's kingdom. If we have that desire that burns within us and we'll go home and repent, if we need to repent today, if you need to repent, go before God and repent. God knows what's going on in your life. I don't.

I don't know what you do behind closed doors. I know only what I do, and I know there are times I have to repent. So go to God and repent and realize that the New Jerusalem is something that's awaiting us. In Revelation 21, let's go there for a moment. Revelation 21, as we draw near to concluding the sermon today, Revelation 21, Revelation 21, verse 27. Notice this. Revelation 21, verse 27.

But there shall by no means enter it, talking about the New Jerusalem. No one will enter God's eternal kingdom if they're defiled. It says, there shall be, there shall by no means enter it, anything that defiles, anything that's actively defiling. If it hasn't been repented of, if it's not pure, then it is not entering the kingdom. There shall by no means enter it, anything that defiles or causes an abomination or a lie. But only those who are written in the Lamb's book of life. Only those who are written in the Lamb's book of life. In Revelation 22, verses 18 and 19, if we'll just go over a page.

We must honor this book, the Bible, and live by it. In Malachi chapter 3, verses 16 through 18, it speaks of a book of remembrance for those who fear the Lord. There is a book of remembrance. It's God's book of life. In Malachi 3, it says, they shall be mine. That's what the eternal says. Those who are written in the book shall be mine. God loves you. God wants you to be with Him forever in His kingdom. But, you know, it's up to you. How badly do you want to be in God's kingdom? How badly do you want to have your name written in the book of life? Is there anything more important? To have your name written in the book, you must be continually eating of the tree of life. That you may be given eternal life at Christ's return. The tree of life is symbolic of eternal life, of living forever in God's kingdom.

But, you know, symbolically, we can eat of that tree now because we are sanctified and made holy and set apart by God. We can eat of that tree, or we can eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. We can lean to our own understanding, and we can lead to what people say, what human beings say, instead of what God clearly says. So, brethren, you must allow God's Spirit to lead and guide you, and you must be walking in the Spirit, and you must learn to be an overcomer.

To put sin out of your life, you must repent.

And the only way to repent is to be faithful and diligent and vigilant and do your part, because repentance is a gift, and God looks at the heart. So, you have to pour yourself into this.

The Bible says that we should love God with all of our heart, with all of our soul, and with every ounce of our being. That's how important your calling is. That's how important it is when you come here, and you're taught and instructed by God Almighty. I make no excuses for that. I'm just a man.

But God speaks. It's God's Word that you need to listen to. It's God who needs to live in you.

So, brethren, it's kind of nice to have a Welch family book. I like it. It's kind of cool.

But I hope and pray that my name is written in God's book, and that it stays there. When Christ returns, I will rise to meet Him in the air. I also hope and pray that your name, your name, is written in God's book of life, or if it's not yet there, that it will be there, and that your children's names will be written there, and their children's names will be written there. Because there's nothing more important than having our names written in God's book of life.

Thankfully, God is extremely merciful, and He is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to a knowledge of the truth. Once a person comes to that knowledge, he must embrace it, and he must live by it. May your name be written in the Lamb's book of life.