Verse 20
20. In this rejoice not This is said comparatively. Rejoice not so much in a temporal power as in your own eternal salvation. Of what use is it to cast out demons, if you are finally cast away with devils forever?
Names are written in heaven The record or census of the names of all the living citizens was, as we find, kept in Jerusalem. Isaiah 4:3. So, figuratively, a book or census-roll of the living, a book of life, a celestial census, is kept in the New Jerusalem. “1 John saw the holy city, New Jerusalem… And there shall in no wise enter into it any… but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life.” The record of our names in this New Jerusalem census is evidence of our heavenly citizenship. Our names are there recorded when we are justified by a living faith. The retention of our names is conditional; that is, our names may be blotted out by sin, and thus our citizenship be lost. Psalms 69:19; Psalms 69:28; Exodus 32:31. “God shall take away his part out of the book of life and out of the holy city.”
Revelation 22:19. To cast out devils, to possess great power, may be a joyous prerogative; but what if it be enjoyed at the expense of a loss of our citizenship from heaven and name blotted from the Book of Life?
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