If
your name is in the roll of honour of a very prestigious organization, I’m very
sure you will feel very honoured and proud. It is natural for men to love
recognition from other men. The Chinese has this saying: “Tigers die and leave
their skins; people die and leave their names.”
Men
wish that after they die, their names will be remembered for ages. And indeed,
many men had their names written in history. Who can forget Alexander the
Great, Julius Caesar, Winston Churchill, Elvis Presley, Confucius, etc. Even
bad guys like Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin had a place in history.
But
all of them died without having their names written in the most important book
of all. They might have their names written in the books of men, but did they
have their names written in the book of life? “And whosoever was not found
written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire” (Revelation
20:15).
Our
Lord Jesus taught us to rejoice at all times because our names are written in
Heaven. The difference between the saved and the unsaved is in the place where
their names are written. The saved have their names written in heaven and
therefore this is a cause for rejoicing. Even in the face of tragedy,
inexplicable mental anguish and personal suffering, there is always joy in
knowing that their names are written in the Lamb's Book of Life (Acts 5:41).
They know that though their bodies may be perishing, their souls are going to a
better place (2 Corinthians 5:1, 2).
Next
to our homes here on this earth, the greatest blessing in our lives should be
knowing that we have a home in heaven. Our names may not mean anything to
anyone, but this shouldn’t bother us as long as we know that our names are
written in heaven.
Zion,
the city of David, is to the children of Israel, a holy city. They considered
it the greatest place to be born on this earth. And, the Psalmist wrote about
this honour to be a citizen of Zion in Psalm 87. Zion is called the city of God
(vs 3). And in verse, 5 and 6, he wrote: “And of Zion it shall be said, This
and that man was born in her: and the highest himself shall establish
her. The LORD shall count, when he writeth up the people, that this man
was born there.”
God
kept a record of those who were born. And, He paid special attention to those
who were born in Zion.
But
Psalm 87 is forward looking. The Psalmist was looking forward to a greater
Zion. The city of God is called the New Jerusalem in Revelations 3:12 and 21:2.
And the New Jerusalem is in heaven and not of this earth. Indeed, it is an
honour to any Jew to have been born in Zion. But greater is he that is born of
Zion that is above!
Question:
How can one get his name written in the “book of life”? The “book of life” is
just like a registry of birth on this earth. Whenever a child is born into the
world, his parents go to a government organisation to register his birth. That
registration makes him a citizen of the country he is registered in. Likewise,
to get into the registry of the “book of life”, one must be born again: “Verily,
verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he
cannot enter into the kingdom of God” (John 3:5). Have you been born again?
“Rejoice
that your names are written in heaven.” This is not something that we did
but something God did when we are born again. Our names are written in heaven,
written there with the blood of Christ. Thank God for His wonderful grace. Is your name written in heaven?
Jimmy Lau
Psa
119:97 Oh how love I thy law! It is my meditation all the day.
No comments:
Post a Comment