Quote:
Originally Posted by least
Exodus 32: 31- 33
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.
Here is a book that God can blot people out.
But it's not specifically call 'book of life'.
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Rev 3:5 He that overcometh shall thus be arrayed in white garments; and I will in no wise blot his name out of the book of life, and I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.
This verse indicates that Jesus can blot names out of the book of life. Also it would not be much of a reward to the overcomers if He in fact never did blot out names. Therefore it also indicates that He does blot out names.
3 And to the angel of the church in Sardis write:
These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars: I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and thou art dead. 2 Be thou watchful, and establish the things that remain, which were ready to die: for I have found no works of thine perfected before my God. 3 Remember therefore how thou hast received and didst hear; and keep it, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee. 4 But thou hast a few names in Sardis that did not defile their garments: and they shall walk with me in white; for they are worthy. 5 He that overcometh shall thus be arrayed in white garments; and I will in no wise blot his name out of the book of life, and I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.
I think this gives us insight into how those in Sardis "defiled their garments". God's judgements are righteous. What action would prompt a righteous judgement that results in blotting out your name from the book of life? Suppose some church leader excommunicated those who were following the Lord according to their conscience. It seems righteous that in return God would blot their names out. Suppose these ones had come, according to Matthew 18, to stand up for saints who had been offended. In other words they confessed the names of these children of the Lord before these leaders who then excommunicated them. It seems a fitting reward would be that Jesus would confess their names before the father and angels. In the gospels Jesus says that if you confess His name in this age He will confess your name in the coming age.
This also corresponds to the promises made to the overcomers in Philadelphia that "they will not go out anymore". This indicates that they are both overcomers and ones who were forced to "go out" from the church previously.