Revelation 3:5
“5 He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.” (Revelation 3:5 KJV)
Some read this one verse and then decide it means that a person needs more works and better works in order to remain saved, otherwise their name will be blotted out of the Book Of Life. THIS IS A VERY WRONG BELIEF! The Context makes this verse actually to mean the very opposite of this false belief. First off, the very same person who wrote down Rev. , Apostle John, also penned this in 1 John 5,
“4 For whatsoever IS BORN OF GOD OVERCOMETH the world: and this is the victory that OVERCOMETH the world, even OUR FAITH. 5 Who is he that OVERCOMETH the world, but he that BELIEVETH THAT JESUS IS THE SON OF GOD?” (1 John 5 KJV)
The English translated word FAITH in this passage is not an action verb, it is a NOUN and in the Greek from Strongs Concordance is:
“πίστις pístis, pis’-tis; from G3982; persuasion, i.e. credence; moral conviction (of religious truth, or the truthfulness of God or a religious teacher), especially reliance upon Christ for salvation; abstractly, constancy in such profession; by extension, the system of religious (Gospel) truth itself:—assurance, belief, believe, faith, fidelity.”
It is simply defined as BELIEVE and in context to belief on Christ for salvation. This Verse 5 of Revelation is a promise for a believer on Christ and also an encouragement to believe on Christ for a person not believing on Christ, to become born again by belief on Christ alone. Read the entire pass and it becomes clearer:
“And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead. 2 Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God. 3 Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, AND REPENT. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee. 4 Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy. 5 He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.” (Rev. 3:1-5 KJV)
We read here a warning to believe on Christ alone for salvation. Why does Jesus find fault with their WORKS? Well, Jesus taught that the way to bear good fruit for God is by abiding in Him and Him abiding is us. In John 15, Jesus taught,
“3 Now YE ARE CLEAN through the word which I have spoken unto you. 4 Abide in me, and I in you. As THE BRANCH CANNOT BEAR FRUIT OF ITSELF, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. 5 I AM THE VINE, YE ARE THE BRANCHES: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: FOR WITHOUT ME YE CAN DO NOTHING.” (John 15 KJV)
In Matthew 7 Jesus taught that people who are focusing on ‘their many wonderful works’ to save them, are not even born again. Christ will on their judgment day tell them that He ‘NEVER KNEW THEM’. Christ was not abiding in them because they never believed on Christ alone for our righteousness (John 3:14-18, 36, 6:37-40). Do you see this truth Jesus taught clearly? No works we do are good enough to save us. The wages for our sins is not good works. The wages for our sin is DEATH (Romans 6:23). In fact all our own righteousnesses are as FILTHY RAGS to God if we are not yet born again. (Isaiah 64:6) Trusting in our own ‘goodness’ in works does not erase our sin debt and that is needed for the Holy Spirit to indwell a born again believer. That is why Jesus said it was important that He die so that the Holy Spirit could come. Jesus paid the sin debt of the whole world on the cross (1 John 2:2) and all who believe on Him has their sin debt eradicated as HIS payment was placed on the believer’s account in belief (2 Cor. 5:21).
Ephesians 1:13-14 and Ephesians 2:8-9 tells us a person is born again and indwelt by the Holy Spirit from the very moment they BELIEVE ON CHRIST ; nothing to do with our goodness nor works. And 2 Cor. 5:17-21 and Ephesians 2:10 states that AFTER we believe on Christ for righteousness, we became a new creation IN CHRIST UNTO good works. We became the very righteousness of God, IN CHRIST. This is because once the Holy Spirit indwells, Christ in IN US, abiding in us as we are abiding in Him (John 15). And so, NOW, once born again, we can bear good fruit for God. My point is a person’s Good Works is as filthy rags before believing on Christ and HIS finished work on the cross. Churches have both saved born again people attending and also unsaved attending. And some of the unsaved THINK they are saved by their good works (Matthew 7:15-23) because they see believers doing good works for God.
Yet, they are not born again by trusting in Christ alone for salvation as a GIFT. A GIFT is never EARNED nor worked to attain nor keep. Otherwise it is not a GIFT. So why is Jesus not happy with the works of the church in Sardis? They fell away from the true Gospel of salvation by belief on Christ and HIS finished work for righteousness and started relying on their good works. It was a progression from a believing Church in the Gospel of Grace to slowly becoming a false Gospel church based on works and not Christ. Jesus wants them to REPENT (change their mind) because that is the road to where the Pharisees in Jesus time on Earth were wrongly believing. It is the sin of Pride. It is Apostate. Jesus warns the Church to get back to the true Gospel of salvation and strengthen the true Gospel belief that still is remaining, as some in the church of Sardis were born again in right belief on Christ alone for salvation and righteousness. Jesus is warning the Church as a whole, before their lamp stand would be taken away completely and they would no longer be a Christian church! The Church false belief in works was taking over the Gospel of Grace for salvation. The church was about to die.
“2 Be watchful, and strengthen the things WHICH REMAIN, THAT ARE READY TO DIE: for I have not found thy works perfect before God.” So this warning is to encourage the unsaved in the Church who were relying on good works for righteousness, to repent and believe the true Gospel of Grace through Christ crucified died and risen. 4 Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy. 5 He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.” (Rev 3:4-5 KJV)
Many many churches in these End Times are just the same. Many have completely fallen, using the name of Christ but teaching against the true Gospel of Christ and focusing on ‘works for salvation’ or ‘works required from salvation to remain saved’. Others, focus on their works more and more and such Churches are about to die as well from God’s perspective. Good works are good! But they have nothing to do with Salvation other than once born again in the Spirit, Christ is abiding in us and we in Him, and the Holy Spirit indwells us. Good works flow outwardly from our new Spirit.
It is Christ living through us and those good works – they are the ones that matter most.
Apostle Paul,
“I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” (Gal. 2:20 KJV)
