I came across the quote below in the Doctrinal statement of an unnamed emergent church plant…
“When we put our faith in Christ, it triggers a spiritual chain reaction. We become the Temple of the Holy Spirit (I Cor. 6:19). Our names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life (Rev. 3:5).”
Sound pretty good? Appears to be based in Scripture? Looks can be deceiving. Please read it again.
It denies the foundational and critical sovereignty of God as clearly stated in the bible. Let’s see how…
Reducing their statement to the logic and intent we have “When we put our faith in Christ, it triggers a spiritual chain reaction…Our names are written…”.
Action -> Result 1 and Result 2
You put our faith in Christ resulting in your inclusion in the Book of Life
I honestly can’ t see that anyone could interpret this any other way.
Well, to be blunt, that is wrong, wrong, wrong.
Let’s look at the truth of Scripture in Ephesians 1:4-6
“even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love 5 he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will” (italics mine)
Their statement stays that the believer was were chosen after they believed and because they decided to believe.
Scripture says that the believer was chosen (and thus written in the Book of Life) before creation. These verses contain no caveats, individual conditions or other provisions for later causation.
These are two opposite positions, and they can’t both be correct. If the Bible is the sole statement of truth (Sola Scriptura), then this doctrinal statement is in error and at completely odds with Scripture.
So what? Next, we will examine why this is significant for all believers…