(1)
Can
God blot out a saved (gospel believing) person’s name from the book of life?
Moses (law) fails to atone (reconcile,
reunite, make peace with God)
And it came to pass on the
morrow, that Moses said unto the people, Ye have sinned a great sin: and now I
will go up unto the Lord;
peradventure I shall make an atonement for your sin. 31 And
Moses returned unto the Lord, and said, Oh, this people have
sinned a great sin, and have made them gods of gold. 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. 33 And the Lord said unto Moses, Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot
out of my book. 34 Therefore now go,
lead the people unto the place of which I have
spoken unto thee: behold, mine Angel shall go before thee: nevertheless
in the day when I visit I will visit their sin upon them. Exodus 32:30-34
Jesus (grace) atones, justifies
(removes guilt/penalty and makes righteous), and saves
But God commendeth his love
toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much
more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath
through him. 10 For if, when we were enemies, we were
reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we
shall be saved by his life. 11 And not only so, but we also
joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the
atonement. Romans 5:8-11
For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the
flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin,
condemned sin in the flesh: Romans 8:3
And he is the propitiation [atonement,
appeasement] for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the
whole world. 1 John 2:2
[Emphasis added]
For whatsoever is
born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the
world, even our faith. 5 Who is he that overcometh the world, but
he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God? 1 John 5:4-5
[Jesus said] 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.
Revelation 3:5 [Emphasis added]
(2)
Can
the saved person lose salvation?
The indwelling promise
Now he which stablisheth us with
you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God; 22 Who hath also sealed
us, and given the earnest [pledge, security] of the Spirit in our hearts. 2 Corinthians 1: 21-22 [Emphasis
added]
In whom ye also trusted, after
that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also
after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, 14 Which
is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased
possession, unto the praise of his glory. Ephesians 1:13-14 [Emphasis
added]
But ye are not in the flesh, but
in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man
have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. Romans 8:9
That is, They which are the
children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the
children of the promise are counted for the seed. Romans 9:8
The gift
For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Romans
6:23
The security
And I give unto them eternal
life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my
hand. 29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than
all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. John
10:28-29
For the gifts and
calling of God are without repentance. Romans 11:29
God cannot lie
God is not a man, that he should lie;
neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not
do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good? Numbers 23:19
God’s chastening
But when we [saved people] are
judged, we are chastened [corrected] of the Lord, that we should not be
condemned with the world. 1 Corinthians 11:32 [Emphasis added]
(3)
Why
is this matter important?
The hope
In hope of eternal life, which God,
that cannot lie, promised before the world began; Titus 1:2
Conclusion
God cannot blot out a saved person’s
name from the book of life because God cannot lie. God the Son did what Moses couldn’t:
He atoned for sin via His cross and promises
salvation to those who believe in Him. He also promises that NO man (including
the saved person himself) can pluck a saved person out of God’s hand. The Holy
Spirit is the pledge of this atonement. God chastens this child of God, but salvation
is an eternal gift never to be revoked. Thus, saved people can confidently
rejoice in their hope and rest in the knowledge that God, not man, initiates
every aspect of salvation; “In meekness instructing those that oppose
themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging
of the truth;” 2 Timothy 2:25