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Whether the book of life is the same as predestination?
The Book of Life and Predestination are one in the same, but in different aspects. For anyone who is being called up for service, a record of such is kept with their names listed, so as to identify who is set apart for what type of service or use. Furthermore, God determined those for eternal life by His will, which comes forth from His Ideas and Intellect which are simple. So, for a book to have names ascribed to it for its set purpose is a sign in Him for those who are brought to eternal life. In a different sense, the book of life can be attributed to the Divine Energy which works in the heart and mind of the one being saved, in that His laws and precepts are written on their hearts and in their minds by way of Supernatural Grace, as the Lord promised His people would when those who were subjected to the Law of Moses did not carry out the Law of Moses because of their continuous efforts of falling short and making themselves displeasing in the sight of the Lord their God. It is also a common practice of the Church every year to have its Catechumens (those entering the Church/candidates for baptism) sign the book of life (also called the book of the elect) during Lent before their baptisms at Easter Vigil, as a sign to those of the Church and to God of their intentions to belong to Him. Whether the book of life regards only the life of glory of the predestined? The end state of something should be what was intended from the beginning. For example, if you hire a roofer to fix your roof, then your roof should be fixed when he is complete with his work. So it is for those who attain glory through God’s Predestination, for He will always achieve the end for which He began. To place in a more concrete way, the end of glory “shall exceed human nature,” as Saint Thomas Aquinas puts it boldly. Furthermore, the life of Grace is the aspect of an end which directs it, but is not the end within itself. For those who go so far as to draw closer to God but choose to turn back slightly (not fully) by their own freewill, may have some participation in eternal life in a relative manner, but not fully - as the Holy Apostle Paul mentioned to the Corinthians the multiple levels of heaven. Keep in mind, this in no way implies those that are destined for hell by their deeds and free will choices are to share in the glory of the just and righteous. Whether anyone may be blotted out of the book of life? Some opinions of men, as in the universalist sects, believe nobody will be blotted out of the book of life because a “loving god” is not capable of condemning a soul to eternal punishment. This notion is false because the good men think they do or observe in others at the present time, come to the realization of their fallen state at the point when they are blotted out of the book of life by way of mortal sin. For what is inscribed or removed on a roll of names in the book of life is not a matter of the opinion of men, but is a reality of God who is also a God of Justice and who gives each and everyone justly according to what their deeds deserve. Furthermore, the book of life is the inscription of those who are destined for eternal life in two ways: one, through Divine Predestination which has a certain trajectory that will not fail; two, from grace, for whoever has grace has been fitted in the garments of eternal life (in a relative manner). However, by mortal sin and the free will choice to do wrong and fall short by way of unchecked sin (deficiency), the one fitted in the Holy white garments of eternal life by grace can choose to remove those garments, and when they do so, they fall from grace. So, in this, it just so has it that those predestined for eternal life by God’s will are inscribed in the book of life simply, and those who are written down in the book of life by grace are said to inherit eternal life relatively, in as much as they remain in grace by way of the free will and refrain from mortal sin so as to not stumble and be blotted out of the book of life.
I am blessed to be a Third Order Lay Dominican. However, the ideas expressed in this post are my own and do not represent the endorsement of or position of the Order of Preachers as a whole.
Commentary regarding Saint Thomas Aquinas’ Summa Theologiae derived from: ST part (I), Q. 1-26 from newadvent.org with permission. Scripture texts in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Washington, D.C. and are used by permission of the copyright owner. All Rights Reserved. No part of the New American Bible may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the copyright owner.
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mr. scott lowry, op
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