The Abomination of Desolation - St. Marys Coptic Orthodox Church

DAY OF THE LORD 165
What about the other Book, the one called “the Book of Life”? The
Book of life is a record of all believers. Your name was entered into the
Book of Life when you were baptized. When the priest inquires into
the name of the baptized and enters it into a register, he is not only
doing this for book-keeping purposes. He is doing this as a symbol that
the name of the baptized has been entered into the Book of Life.
However, having your name in the Book of Life is no guarantee that
you will inherit Eternal Life because, through your works, you can have
your name blotted out of the Book of Life! The Lord himself tells us
so, in Rev 3:5, “He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white
raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I
will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.”
A condition for having your name Not blotted out, out of the book of
life, is that, you have to overcome! Overcome what? Overcome the
world like the Lord, Who told us, “I have overcome the world.” (John
16:33) Overcome sin and the lusts of the flesh. To overcome means to
strive to enter through the strait gate, “Strive to enter in at the strait
gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be
able.” (Luke 13:24)
This is very frightening! “Many shall seek to enter in, but shall not
be able!” How come? “For many are called, but few are chosen.”
(Matt 22:14) Every one that has been baptized is “called” but few are
the chosen, those who strive and overcome! This “calling” only gives
us hope not assurance as St. Paul tells us in Eph 1:18, “The eyes of your
understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of
his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the
saints.” And again, in Ephesians 4:4, “There is one body, and one
Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling.” The calling
gives us hope that we may be “Chosen” or “elected.” St. Peter
reinforces this in II Peter 1:10, “Wherefore the rather, brethren, give
diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these
things, ye shall never fall.” So, we have to be diligent to make both our
calling and election “sure.” St. Peter does not say “do nothing, just
believe and your calling and your election shall be assured.” He says, be
diligent to make your calling and your election assured! And St. Paul
very clearly tells us the same thing in different words, “work out your
own salvation with fear and trembling.” (Phil 2:12) With fear and
trembling, he says, not assurance and security. I think we have said