Revelation 2:11 & 3:5 Overcomer

Revelation 2:11 and 3:5 are often used to prove that an individual can fall away and loose salvation.  However, these verses actually teach absolute security.

Revelation 2:11

¹¹He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the assemblies; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.

Revelation 3:5

⁵He 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.

It is taught that one has to overcome to have salvation or else.  The or else being God will blot them out.

The trouble with these verses is the way an overcomer has been defined.  The definition most people have for an overcomer differs from that of God’s.  In the dictionary, overcome is to get the better in a struggle.

Think about that this, is that what salvation is all about, overcoming a struggle?  What we need is God’s definition and thankfully so God has provided one in 1 John 5:4-5.

⁴For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.  ⁵Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Yeshua is the Son of God?

As far as God is concerned, an overcomer is one that is born of God.  That would make all believers overcomers.  Because one who is born again believes that Yeshua is the Son of God.  Overcoming has to do with being born again, 1 John 5:1.

¹Whosoever believeth that Yeshua is the Messiah is born of God:

Again God’s definition, 1 John 5:4-5:

⁴For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.  ⁵Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Yeshua is the Son of God?

That means if one has eternal life they are an overcomer.  That should make sense; however that may not be what many would tell you.  Who are you going to believe, the Bible, God or the well versed individual?  It is your choice; however, you will suffer instability for the wrong decision.

So an overcomer is a born again believer.  Let’s go back to Revelation and instead of using “overcomer”, lets use the definition for an overcomer “a born again believer”.  Revelation 2:11 would then be:

¹¹He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the assemblies; He that is Born again shall not be hurt of the second death.

Does this teach that a believer can fall away? No way.  It tells me that I am secure in Yeshua.

Revelation 3:5 now becomes:

⁵He that is Born again, 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.

Again this teaches that one is absolutely secure in Yeshua.

The misunderstanding occurs, because people, who teach that these verses say you can fall away, are works centered.  They are centered in themselves and not in Yeshua our Messiah.  For them, salvation is depended upon not doing or doing something.  As long as we remain centered in ourselves salvation is very queasy.

Using God’s definition for an “overcomer”, Revelation 3:12 is a beautiful promise from God:

¹²Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out:

The question we have to answer is, do we believe in the simplicity of the word of God?  Or man’s?  God states that one will go no more out.  God means no more.

We need to understand the Bible in context and 2 Corinthians 11:3:

³But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Messiah.

We need to trust in the simplicity of God’s word.

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