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Tim LaHaye Attempts to "Explain Away" the Bible's Solemn
Warning About Being Blotted Out!
The article, "The Book of Life,"
found on page 104 of the Tim LaHaye Prophecy
Study Bible: King James is manipulatively written. I had to re-read the
article and examine the scriptures in context to
unravel Tim LaHaye's twisted half-truths.
"The Book of Life" essay is an example of
how a teacher can maneuver
the scriptures to fit his agenda rather than teaching the Word of God
straightforwardly. Upon the faulty premise that "the book of the living"
contains the names of all the souls of men, the
anti-biblical doctrine of two books of life was born. Incidentally, this is how Tim LaHaye
and other well-known preachers launch much of their false teaching: through a faulty premise.
Tim LaHaye wrote:
The psalmist
speaks of "the book of the living" (Ps. 69:28), so we
perceive that it is a book that contains the names of all the souls of
men.
Notice his habit of deriving
doctrines from scripture via a subjective, private interpretive manner. He is
also sending the message that the Bible is to be understood
subjectively, or in a way that is influenced by one's personal opinions or
prejudices. If you don't believe me on this statement, please
see the article, Tim
LaHaye's False Teachings About Taking the Mark of the Beast..
According to Tim LaHaye, the
"book of the living" lists the names of all the
souls of men:
Let them be blotted out of
the book of the living, and not be written with the righteous."--Psalm
69:28 It is obvious the righteous are the ones written in the book
of the living.
The book of the
living is not a book that names those who are dead in their trespasses and sins. The word living
in book of the living communicates the idea of being spiritually alive. The book
of the living actually lists the names of those who are spiritually alive
(the righteous), not
spiritually dead as Tim LaHaye asserts.
Dr. LaHaye's teaching that the "book of the living" names the souls of both lost and saved when
the context lends no support for this interpretation paved the way for
him to introduce the "two books of life" doctrine. (Note: Dr. LaHaye is
not the only preacher to teach the "two books of life" false doctrine.)
Purpose For
Two Books of Life False Doctrine
Now that there are
suddenly two books of life (one book of life for everybody and
one book for the saved) Dr. LaHaye can teach that being "blotted out of the
book of life" is something that only happens to people who were never saved
in the first place.
Dr. LaHaye identified the reason a person might
have his name blotted out of the book (of the living):
Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book.
Exodus 32:33
Unbelievers sin as
a rule so it follows that if they are recorded in the book of
the living --as asserted by Dr. Lahaye but not by scripture--
they would of course be blotted out. But what about believers? The Bible
says that "he that overcometh" shall not be blotted out. Dr.
Lahaye redefined overcometh so that the reality of a Christian
being blotted out of the book of life could never occur.
In doing so, Dr. Lahaye usurped authority
over the words of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Note:
By no means is he the
only preacher to do this. Take heed that you are not paying any
preacher to usurp authority over the scriptures because if you
do, God will hold you responsible for bidding God speed to his
evil deeds.
Next he went on to quote Revelation 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.
This "he that overcometh"
conditional Bible verse is a serious obstacle to the unconditional eternal
security premise. If a Christian is not an overcomer, Jesus said he would blot his
name out of the book of
life. Dr. LaHaye attempted to nullify Jesus' sober
promise by giving
a false definition for the word, "overcomer." Tim LaHaye wrote:
"An 'overcomer' here is one who is clothed in the white garments
of Christ through His substitutionary atonement, guaranteeing that his name will
not be blotted out of the book of life."
Tim
Lahaye's Deceptive Re-definition of Overcomer
Tim Lahaye's definition of
overcomer is extremely deceptive because he re-arranged the words of Jesus
Christ to make them say something totally different than what he said! Let us
examine how he re-arranged the words of Jesus Christ.
Jesus Christ said:
"he that overcometh (which
includes "keepeth my works unto the end")
shall be clothed in white raiment and
I will not blot out his name.
Jesus placed a
condition to being clothed in white raiment and not being
blotted out of the book of life. This condition is "he that
overcometh." Overcoming includes keeping Jesus' works unto the
end.
Tim Lahaye said:
"An 'overcomer' here is one who is clothed in the white garments
of Christ through His substitutionary atonement, guaranteeing that his name will
not be blotted out of the book of life."
Tim Lahaye
contradicted the words of Jesus Christ by REDEFINING overcomer
to mean: "one who is clothed in the white
garments of Christ through His substitutionary atonement." In
Tim Lahaye's words (pg. 1369), an overcomer is simply a believer
in Christ."
The Holy Bible says an overcomer is a believer who
keeps the works of Jesus unto the end. Read the Lord Jesus Christ's
definition of overcomer:
And
he that overcometh and keepeth my works unto the end" (Rev. 2:26)
Overcoming means we must keep
Jesus' works and repent of our own works! Tim LaHaye's study note on page 1369,
states that an overcomer is a
believer in Christ. Note: Many people who love this world
"believe in Christ" and attend church services every time
the doors are open. They "believe in Christ" on their church's denominational
terms but they
are not overcomers. They do not keep the works of Jesus) and, if they
fail to repent, will be
blotted out of the book of life.)
In conclusion, if
we believe Dr. LaHaye's definition instead of the definition
given by the Lord Jesus Christ, then Jesus' warning that he who overcomes will not be
blotted out of the book of life makes no sense! Jesus was speaking to the
church at Sardis. Why would he tell them that if they did not overcome
they would be blotted out if they already were incapable of being blotted
out? In order to believe Dr. LaHaye's definition of "overcomer,"
you must assume that the Lord Jesus Christ warned the church of a "blotting out
of the book of life" that
he has no intention of fulfilling. You must reject the words of the Lord
Jesus Christ in
order to accept Dr. LaHaye's words.
Please go back to
Revelation and study the verses regarding the Lord Jesus' promises to overcomers
and let no man beguile you with enticing words via study notes
or study bibles. (See Col. 2:4)
Continued in the article:
Tim LaHaye's "Book of Life" For the
Lost (and Saved) and "Book of Life" For the Saved?
must read:
CAN OUR NAMES BE BLOTTED OUT? by Dr. Cathy Burns
Return to:
False Doctrines in Tim LaHaye's Writings |