“But I have this against you, that you have left your first love. ‘Remember therefore from where you have fallen, and repent and do the deeds you did at first; or else I am coming to you, and will remove your lampstand out of its place—unless you repent… To him who overcomes, I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the Paradise of God.”
“Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life. ‘He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death.’”
‘Thus you also have some who in the same way hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans. ‘Repent therefore; or else I am coming to you quickly, and I will make war against them with the sword of My mouth. ‘He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, to him I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, and a new name written on the stone which no one knows but he who receives it.’”
“And he who overcomes, and he who keeps My deeds until the end, TO HIM I WILL GIVE AUTHORITY OVER THE NATIONS; AND HE SHALL RULE THEM WITH A ROD OF IRON, AS THE VESSELS OF THE POTTER ARE BROKEN TO PIECES, as I also have received authority from My Father; and I will give him the morning star.”
“He who overcomes shall thus be clothed in white garments; and I will not erase his name from the book of life, and I will confess his name before My Father, and before His angels.”
“He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he will not go out from it anymore; and I will write upon him the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God, and My new name.”
“He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. ‘He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’”
These are Scriptures from Revelations 2 & 3 where Jesus was talking to the seven churches. To the churches at Ephesus and Thyatira, He used the words ‘to him who overcomes’. To the Thyatira Church He added, ‘…and he who keeps My deeds until the end…‘). To the other five churches, He used the words ‘he who overcomes’.
I ask if once saved, always saved, is true, why would Jesus even mention overcoming? Why would He warn people already saved?
And if God sees only the righteousness of Christ when He looks at us, why would Jesus point out the things these churches were doing wrong? How would He even know about their wrongdoings? Surely the Father doesn’t see us one way and the Son sees us another way!
Many think Romans 8:1 which says there is no more condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, means that once you’re saved you are no longer condemned for future sins. Nothing could be further from the truth. It says there is no more condemnation for those who are IN CHRIST. They fail to understand that being in Christ is more than just believing in Him. It is forsaking ourselves and abiding in Him. And no one who abides in Him sins, 1 John 3:6.
Sins committed by us after our new birth must be repented of and we must learn to discipline ourselves to turn from temptations and take the way of escape provided by God. This is being a disciple of Christ. If we sin and have no condemnation, it is because we have hardened our hearts, and are not disciples.
Sin dwells in us but it no longer controls us. We are no longer slaves to sin; we are now to be slaves to righteousness:
Romans 6:19-23,
19 I am speaking in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness, resulting in further lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness, resulting in sanctification.
20 For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness.
21 Therefore what benefit were you then deriving from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the outcome of those things is death.
22 But now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification, and the outcome, eternal life.
23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Jon David Banks, God’s most unworthy servant
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. www.lockman.org
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