Yes!
“Rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” – Jesus. Luke 10:20.
I read this verse today, but I’ve never slowed down to focus on the command here from Jesus to rejoice that our names are written in heaven. It’s not that I haven’t rejoiced from time to time about this before, it’s that I never saw the permission, the command, the encouragement to always rejoice in having my name written down in permanence.
In context, Jesus says this after explaining that he has overcome evil and that evil is subject to us, his followers. He says we are not to rejoice that we have authority in Christ over evil, but instead rejoice that our names are written in the book.
Speaking about the end times, the prophet Daniel says, “But at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone whose name shall be found written in the book.” (Daniel 12:1).
Even more surprising is that the apostle John wrote that the names in this book were, “written before the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who was slain.” (Revelation 13:8).
Before we lived or did anything, the names of those who would believe in Christ were written down. Now, what I’m excited to share today is that, Jesus says we can actually rejoice that our names are written down! I don’t mean simply rejoice that you are a Christian. Jesus didn’t say that here. He didn’t say, “but rather, rejoice that you are my followers,” though we can rejoice in that.
So why does it matter that our names are written in the book of life? Why else, but because, being written, it is permanent. We’re not to rejoice because our names might be in the book, or might stay in the book. That is not at all what Jesus is saying. If you have faith in Christ as your Lord, your name is written! Even if the “book” we’re talking about is figurative, the ink then is still figuratively permanent ink. There is no reason to rejoice that our names are written if it was written in figurative pencil. It is written! It is final! That’s cause for rejoicing.
Adorn the Gospel 