Problem Texts for Sovereign Grace (Part 57) – Rev 2:7; Rev 2:11, 17, 26; Rev 3:5; Rev 3:12; Rev 3:20-21; Rev 21:6-7; Rev 22:14

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1.      Rev 2:7

1. “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.” (Rev 2:7)
2. Does this verse teach that eternal life is conditioned upon overcoming?
   1. No, it doesn’t.
   2. Overcoming the world is a work and is therefore not a condition for obtaining eternal life because eternal salvation is not of works (2Ti 1:9; Tit 3:5).
3. One must already be born of God to overcome the world (1Jo 5:4).
   1. Those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God overcome the world (1Jo 5:5).
   2. Those who believe that Jesus is the Christ are born of God (1Jo 5:1).
4. Those who overcome are of God (1Jo 4:4).
5. Those who overcome already have eternal life (1Jo 2:13-14 c/w 1Jo 5:13).
6. Eternal life cannot be lost (Joh 10:28).
7. Just as believing the gospel gives one evidence that he has eternal life and that he shall not come into condemnation (Joh 5:24), so overcoming the world, temptation, persecution, and tribulation gives one the evidence that he has eternal life and will eat of the tree of life in heaven (Rev 2:7 c/w Rev 2:11; Rev 2:17; Rev 2:26; Rev 3:5; Rev 3:12; Rev 3:21).
8. Those that do God’s commandments likewise have the evidence that they have right to the tree of life (Rev 22:14 c/w Joh 5:28-29 c/w Rom 2:6-7).
9. Therefore, overcoming and doing God’s commandments is the evidence, not the cause of eternal life.

2.      Rev 2:11,17,26

1. “11) He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death. 17) He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it. 26) And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations:” (Rev 2:11,17,26)
2. Do these verses teach that eternal life is conditioned upon overcoming?
3. No; see Rev 2:7 – Section III.

3.      Rev 3:5

1. “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 3:5)
2. Does this verse teach that eternal life is conditioned upon overcoming?
3. No; see Rev 2:7 – Section III.
4. Does this verse teach that the elect can have their names blotted out of the book of life?
5. No; see Rev 22:19 – Section III.

4.      Rev 3:12

1. “Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.” (Rev 3:12)
2. Does this verse teach that eternal life is conditioned upon overcoming?
3. No; see Rev 2:7 – Section III.

5.      Rev 3:20-21

1. “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. 21) To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.” (Rev 3:20-21)
2. Is Rev 3:20 teaching that Jesus is knocking on the door of every unregenerate sinner’s heart and begging him to open up to Him so that he can give him eternal life?
   1. In Rev 3:20, Jesus was speaking to the church at Laodicea, not unregenerate sinners (Rev 3:14).
      1. The church of Laodicea was one of the seven churches in Asia to whom the book of Revelation was written (Rev 1:4).
      2. The members of those churches were loved by Jesus Christ and washed from their sins in His blood (Rev 1:5; Rev 3:19).
      3. Those who are washed from their sins by the blood of Christ are elect and predestinated children of God (Eph 1:4-7; 1Pe 1:2).
      4. Those who are loved by God and washed in the blood of Christ have eternal forgiveness and eternal life (Rom 5:8-11; Heb 9:12; Col 1:20-22; Col 2:13).
      5. Therefore, the Christians in the church of Laodicea to whom Jesus was speaking were elect, regenerate, blood-bought, children of God.
      6. Nothing could separate them from the love of God in Jesus Christ (Rom 8:38-39) and they could never lose their eternal life (Joh 10:28).
   2. The church in Laodicea had become lukewarm and affluent and thought that they were rich and needed nothing, not realizing that they were wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked (Rev 3:15-17).
      1. Jesus was rebuking them and exhorting them to repent (Rev 3:18-19), lest He would spew them out of His mouth (Rev 3:16) and they would cease to be one of His churches (Rev 1:20 c/w Rev 2:5).
      2. If they would hear Jesus’ rebuke and repent, they could come back into fellowship with Him (Rev 3:20; Joh 14:23) and be spared punishment.
      3. They were as the prodigal son who was still a son, but needed to repent to enjoy the fellowship with his father (Luk 15:24). (See Luk 15:24 – Section III)
      4. They were Jesus’ sheep for whom He died (Joh 10:15) and to whom He gave eternal life (Joh 10:27-28), and Jesus as the Good Shepherd was seeking for His lost sheep which had gone astray to protect them from danger (Luk 15:4-7 c/w Joh 10:11-15).

• Using Rev 3:20, as so many do, to try to prove that Jesus is knocking on the heart of the unregenerate and begging them to accept Him is a gross wresting of the scriptures by the unlearned and unstable (2Pe 3:16).

1. Is Rev 3:21 teaching that eternal life is conditioned upon overcoming?
2. No; see Rev 2:7 – Section III.

6.      Rev 21:6-7

1. “And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. 7) He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.” (Rev 21:6-7)
2. Is Rev 21:6 an invitation for unregenerate sinners to come to Jesus by their freewill and receive eternal life?
3. No; see Rev 22:17 – Section III.
4. Is Rev 21:7 teaching that eternal life is conditioned upon overcoming?
5. No; see Rev 2:7 – Section III.

7.      Rev 22:14

1. “Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.” (Rev 22:14)
2. Is this verse teaching that eternal life is conditioned on keeping God’s commandments?
3. No; see Rev 2:7 – Section III.