There are no goats in the Lamb's book

There are no goats in the Lamb's book

by Patte Smith on Friday, April 6, 2012 at 9:01pm ·

A goat can go to church all of her life
but that will alone never make her into a sheep.
She must be born-again
and made a sheep of God
to have her name written in the Lamb's book.


John Owen wrote:


In the visible professing church,
all things outwardly seemed to be equal.
There are the same ordinances administered unto all,
the same profession of faith is made by all,
the same outward duties are attended unto,
and scandalous offenses are by all avoided.
But yet things are not internally equal.
In a great house, there are vessels of wood and stone,
as well as of gold and silver.
All that eat outwardly of the bread of life,
do not feed on the hidden manna.
All that have their names enrolled in the church’s book,
may yet not have them written in the Lamb’s book.
There are yet better things than gifts, profession,
participation of ordinances
and whatever is of the like nature.
And the use hereof in one word is to warn all sorts of persons,
that they rest not in, that they take not up with an interest in,
or participation of the privileges of the church,
with a common profession,
which may give them a name to live;
seeing they may be dead or in a perishing condition in the meantime.
...................... ❦ ....................

An "unfeigned faith" (2 Tim. 1:5) in Christ,
is one which submits to His yoke and bows to His authority.
There is no such thing in Scripture as receiving Christ as Savior
without also receiving Him as Lord:
"As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, walk ye in Him" (Col. 2:6).
If it be an honest and genuine faith,
it is inseparably connected with a spirit of obedience,
a desire to please Him,
a resolve to not henceforth live unto self,
but unto Him which died for me (2 Cor. 5:15).
The man who really thinks he has a saving faith in Christ,
but yet has no concern for His glory and no heart for His commandments,
is blinded by Satan.
There are things which "accompany salvation",
that have a certain connection therewith.
As light is inseparable from the shining of the sun,
as heat is inseparable from fire,
so good works are inseparable from a saving faith.

~ A.W.Pink



He that is not afraid of sinning
has good need to be afraid of damning.
Truth hates error,
holiness abhorreth guilt,
and grace cannot but detest sin.
If we do not desire to be cautious to avoid offending our Lord,
we may rest confident that we have no part in Him,
for true love to Christ will rather die
than wound Him.
Hence love to Christ is “the best antidote to idolatry;”
for it prevents any object from occupying the rightful throne of the Savior.
The believer dares not admit a rival into his heart,
knowing that this would grievously offend the King.
The simplest way of preventing an excessive love of the creature
is to net all our affection upon the Creator.
Give thy whole heart to thy Lord,
and thou canst not idolize the things of earth,
for thou wilt have nothing left wherewith to worship them.

~ Charles Spurgeon

Love is faithful, and because it seeks the highest good of its objects, will reprove, rebuke, admonish, when occasion calls for it. Spiritual love is regulated not by impulse, but by principle. Herein it differs from the backboneless amiability and affability of the flesh, and from the maudlin sentimentality of the day.

~ A.W.Pink

We hence conclude, that not only the reprobates ought to be reproved, severely, and with sharp earnestness, but also the elect themselves, even those whom we deem to be children of God.
~ John Calvin