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Topic: A CONSTANT REASON TO REJOICE
This amazing truth of joy is seen vividly in Jesus’ words to His disciples:
“Then the seventy returned with joy, saying,
‘Lord, 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’ ” (Luke 10:17–20).
Be filled with joy that YOUR NAME is written in the Lamb’s Book of Life!
As wonderful as it is that we are given power over the enemy, Jesus said that we should not get excited about that.
That’s not the real reason for joy. He said, “Don’t rejoice because these defeated demons are subject to you in My Name. It’s fine to be glad about that, but that’s not the reason to rejoice. Rather, rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”
There are many reasons for rejoicing. There are reasons for joy. And one of the greatest reasons in the world that Christians should be filled with joy is that our names are written and enrolled in heaven. Notice that it doesn’t say to
rejoice that your name is written on some church’s membership list. It doesn’t say to rejoice that your name is written on some
organization. It didn’t say rejoice that your name is written in a social register. He said, “If you’ve got your name written down
in the Lamb’s Book of Life, there’s a reason to rejoice!” We can have all kinds of trouble and trials and pains in the world and still have joy, because we know that our names
are written in heaven and we’re headed for an eternity where there’s no sighing, no crying, no dying and no death, and no
separation. That’s a reason for real joy. Come on, rejoice!
In Revelation 13, it states that all the people who worship the Antichrist and take the mark of the Beast are those “whose
names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world” (v. 8). Jesus is “the
Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29).
He is that sacrificial Passover Lamb, the One who fulfilled all the millions of lambs that died with the Jewish ceremonial
system pointing forward to the cross. They had many lambs, but John said, “This is the Lamb of God. Their lambs just covered their sins. But the Lamb of God takes away the sin of the world.”
It’s wonderful to know that your sins can be eradicated,taken away forever and forever. Who is enrolled in the Lamb’s Book of Life?
Not those who are spiritually dead, but those who are spiritually alive. There is a book recorded with all of those who have received eternal life through Jesus Christ. Your religion is not going to help you in death. Your organization is not going to help you in death. Your social standing is not going to help you in death. The question is: is your name written down as one who has bowed the knee to Jesus,
surrendered your life to Jesus, and made Himthe Lord of your life?
And are you in the Lamb’s Book of Life? That’s what counts. Rejoice not that you have the gift of prophecy or you cast
out demons; rejoice because your name is written in heaven.
Come on, rejoice! Yes, you can know your name is written in heaven. If you’ve made Him the Lord of your life, if you’ve
turned fromyour sin and committed yourself to living for Jesus all of your days, that’s what gives you eternal life and that’s
what gets your name in that Book of Life in heaven.
Now consider Revelation 20, which brings us to the end when God will bring everyone up before Him. “I saw a great
white throne and Himwho sat on it, fromwhose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them” (v. 11). Every man, woman, and child will stand before that great white throne, and there will be no place to hide.
You can hide now in your church, in your organization. You can hide in immorality. You can hide in drugs and alcohol. But
when you stand before God, there’s no place to hide.
Notice what else it says: “And I saw the dead, small and great” (v. 12). The insignificant ones who had little or nothing
are standing right beside the great ones who have been kings and rulers and mighty CEOs and have handled millions and
billions of dollars. It will be a leveling place.
You might have been great on this earth, but you’re just like all the others at
that great white throne. With every tick of the clock, you’re headed for that meeting.
“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.The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were
judged, each one according to his works. Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire” (vv. 12–15).You can rejoice because your name is written in the Book of Life.
