The Dead Church
He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels. Revelation 3:5
There has been a great controversy within the body of believers for quite some time about the issue of eternal security in salvation. The question is, can you lose your salvation? Some denominations believe: Once saved always saved. Others believe if you backslide you have to become born again and again and again. Having had some of my own personal experience in this area, I believe the Lord has shown me some supernatural wisdom that actually makes perfect sense to me now that I see this scripture.
In today’s key verse, He Who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars actually says that those who overcome in Sardis He will not blot their name out of the Book of Life. Does this mean that there are some names that will be blotted out? How can this be? God has a blotter? The question really had never entered my thoughts when I was younger because I was of the “once saved always saved” believers. Then having lived my life in a way that was less than spiritual for many years, I still prayed when I needed help and God still rescued me from my trouble. He let me go on to continue to make bad decisions, but when I called on Him, He picked me back up again. This pretty much solidified for me that if you truly ask the Lord Jesus to come into your heart to save you, He will and He will keep you, just as He kept coming to get me when I called out. No matter how low I got, He was faithful to come when I called.
One day, I heard about a person who had been in the Christian faith for many years. Suddenly, they decided they no longer wanted to be a Christian and this person publicly renounced their faith and salvation by the blood of Jesus. I was confused. Can you do that? How can you be once saved always saved if you don’t want to be saved anymore? It was at that time I sensed the Spirit of God speak up on the inside of my heart and say: If a person does not want my gift of salvation and love any longer, they have the free will and the choice to choose to throw it away. Just like you can do with a material gift you get in this world when you no longer have use for it or just don’t want it any longer, you get rid of it.
It broke my heart to think that someone could believe for so long and then one day decide they didn’t want God’s love any longer. Surely, they never really knew Him and were not truly saved, just pretending for a time. When I read this passage in Revelation, it began to make sense to me. Whether they were saved or just pretending, only God knows but some how some have gotten their names in His book and there is a possibility that those names can be blotted out. I have come to the conclusion that because we have the power to chose salvation, people also have the power to reject it. It would have to be the choice of the person because God chose us all, but only some choose Him.
Today I want to encourage you to strengthen the things of God in your life that are starting to fade, mostly your salvation. Step closer to Him by making His agenda a priority in your everyday world. Press into Him by talking to Him daily and getting to know Him more from daily time in His Word. Learn more of His promises and more about His love for you. Don’t leave your salvation and eternal security in question any longer. If you have doubts, do what Jesus told the church in Sardis to do, hold fast and repent. Then begin to solidify your connection with Him by investing in your relationship with Him in close personal quiet time together. When you walk closely with someone, you know where your relationship stands. Don’t wait until the end comes on you like a thief, get ready today and then stay in communication with the One who knows how it is all going to play out. He will keep you ready and He will confess your name before His Father and His angels.
Today’s scripture reading: revelation 3:1-6
1 “And to the angel of the church in Sardis write, ‘These things says He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars: “I know your works, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead.
2 Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die, for I have not found your works perfect before God.
3 Remember therefore how you have received and heard; hold fast and repent. Therefore if you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you.
4 You have a few names even in Sardis who have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with Me in white, for they are worthy.
5 He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.
6 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” ’
The Daily Dose 