ESOCS Devotional 27 May 2025: The Only Book That Matters

ESOCS Devotional 27 May 2025 – The Only Book That Matters

MEMORY VERSE: “And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.” Revelation 20:15

TEXT: REVELATION 20:1-15

Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. ² He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; ³ and he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him, so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished. But after these things he must be released for a little while.

⁴ And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. ⁵ But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. ⁶ Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.

⁷ Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison ⁸ and will go out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle, whose number is as the sand of the sea. ⁹ They went up on the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. And fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them. ¹⁰ The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.

¹¹ Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. ¹² And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. ¹³ The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. ¹⁴ Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. ¹⁵ And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.

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God created man in His own image and likeness for a relationship with Him and to have dominion over the earth, with an end in mind – to give man eternal life. However, man failed God and lost both dominion and relationship with Him. God set up a redemption plan to restore man to his original estate.

Today, God is still working to fulfil His intentions concerning man, “for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure” (Phil. 2:13 NKJV). He gave us life in Christ, and the abundant grace to live a holy life through Christ. We must put that grace to use. We should not leave it redundant in us. It is gift from God, which we must cherish and use. He is daily watching to see us put it to use – the grace to subdue sin, have dominion over it and live above it.

Let us work to have our names written in the Book of Life. There is no better register. The fire of hell is real. People who do not take their Christianity seriously would not have their names in that book. When the last trumpet shall sound and the roll call is made, anyone who is not numbered among the righteous would be cast into the Lake of Fire. There are no two ways about it. This truth is a recurrent decimal in the Bible from the days of John the Baptist. He said, “And even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire” (Luke 3:9 NKJV).

If we want our names written in the Lord’s Book of Life, we should bear the fruits of repentance – fruits of righteous deeds such as humility, love, mercy, kindness, holiness, honesty, chastity, integrity, forbearance, uprightness, joy, faithfulness and all other attitudes that pattern to godliness, purity of heart, and a lot more. If we trade such commodities with God, we will make profound gains at the end of time. There is no better business to indulge.

Since our Lord Jesus has finished the work of salvation for us, we owe ourselves the responsibility to key into His finished work and maintain the holiness, righteousness and sanctification He obtained for us freely (Titus 3:8). This is how we can “work out [our] own salvation” (Phil. 2:12). We should do it with commitment and zeal that we may stand blameless before God at all times. No one will do it for us.

CHALLENGES

• Again, be sure your name is in the BOOK OF LIFE! Have nothing to do with this present world, for it profits nothing.

PRAYER POINT

• Father LORD, thank you for the Lord Jesus Christ; may my name remain in the Book of Life.

FURTHER READING: 1 Samuel 18:1-19; 18:20-80; Revelation 19:17-end

ESOCS Devotional 27 May 2025