God's books

<p>J.V. McGee, "Let them be blotted out of the book of the living, and not be written with the righteous [Ps. 69:26-28].

"Let them be blotted out of the book of the living" raises a question. There has been a great deal of debate on Revelation 3:5 which says,"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." Apparently there is the book of creation, and when we are born we are recorded in that book -- "Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them" (Ps. 139:16). Also there is a book of life for those who are saved. And there is the book of works. It would seem that the blotting out has to do with the works of the person who is already saved. There is no suggestion of a name being blotted out of the book of salvation. There have been many other explanations for this passage. Another one is this: When you are born, you are put in God's book of the living. I take it that you are a candidate for salvation. When you are blotted out of that book, you have crossed over the line and are no longer a candidate for salvation. Now here in Psalm 69 the "book of the living" is obviously the book of creation; and "not be written with the righteous" means that they will not be written in the book of salvation."

Thru The Bible with J. Vernon McGee.</p>