A name in heaven

Having a name in this world is a snare

“Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you. Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven.” Luke 10:19–20.

You can get a name in this world by performing great works—even good works. However, if a person dwells on these things, he is in great danger of losing his name in heaven.

Some Greeks wanted to see Jesus. They had certainly heard about His miracles, and now they wanted to see this great Man. But Jesus answered: “Most assuredly, I say to you, un­less a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain. He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.” John 12:24–25.

Jesus hated having a name in this world and being the object of people’s admiration. He realized it was a snare of the devil to lead Him away from God. His testimony was: “I do not receive honor from men.” John 5:41. When I begin to dwell on my own name, I serve myself and not God.

An admirer of Jesus or His disciple?

Jesus says further in John 12:26: “If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor.” Jesus did not desire admirers but rather disciples who followed Him.

Jesus served God, and His work was to glorify the Father. Therefore He called out when the greatest trib­ulations were ahead of Him: “Father, glorify Your name.” V. 28. Then it was vital that God’s glory—His love, the virtues—was manifested in the tribulations. That was the great thing and the true glory of God, and not all the miracles. Never before did God’s love radiate so powerfully as when Jesus called out on the cross, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.” Luke 23:34.

This is how we can serve Him. Now we shall also manifest His glory by committing all of our self-life into death in our tribulations and bearing much fruit—the fruit of the Spirit (John 15:8). Then we will not remain alone but enter into fellowship with the Father and the Son, and all the saints who live the same life. But if I seek to preserve my own life and my own honor, I will remain alone and will be excluded from this glorious fellowship.

Satan fell away from God because he wanted to be someone in his own right—outside of God. Now he is trying to get us to go along with him in the same deception. Jesus says in John 5:43: “I have come in My Father’s name, and you do not receive Me; if another comes in his own name, him you will receive.” Why did they receive him who came in his own name? It was because that is what they admired and what they thought was so great—to be someone in their own name and have a reputation.

“Average people” with a name in heaven

Jesus’ heart-felt prayer in John 17:11 was, “Holy Father, keep through Your name those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We are.” The name Jesus received from His Father was “My beloved Son,” and He was declared the Son of God with power, according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead (Romans 1:4). However, Jesus called Himself the Son of Man. John says in 1 John 3:1-2: “Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.”

Now we are in this world as average people without name or honor. But if we faithfully follow our Master and live this hidden life with Him, we will be manifested together with Him in glory as God’s children. We will be manifested together with Him when the Antichrist is consumed with the breath of Jesus’ mouth and is destroyed with the brightness of His coming. For the entire creation, which eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God, will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. Being free from yourself and your own name is an immensely great and glorious liberty.

May we be preserved in this sim­ple joy, that our name is written in heaven. Our joy over our heavenly calling and election must be so great that we hate and despise everything that has to do with being someone and having a name in this world.