Many folks are surprised when I tell them that I am a big believer in eternal security. But it’s true. And here is one of many scriptures on which I base my belief:
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 on 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 (Rev. 3:12).
Although all five rewards Jesus promised to overcomers are mysterious to us, all of them speak of eternal security.
The first promise to overcomers is that they will become pillars in God’s temple. Obviously, we shouldn’t take that literally. We don’t have to worry about being turned into stone and becoming an inanimate support post in a building. But pillars represent immovability and permanence. And notice how the second promise to overcomers in Rev. 3:12 affirms that idea: “He will not go out from it [God’s temple] anymore.” Overcomers will be eternally secure.
Incidentally, there is good reason to think that Jesus was referring to the New Jerusalem as being God’s temple (see Rev. 21:1-22). Once you are a resident of the New Jerusalem, you don’t ever have to worry about being evicted.
The third, fourth and fifth rewards that are promises to overcomers in Revelation 3:12 also speak of eternal security. Again, there is certainly some mystery, but overcomers will apparently receive three “tattoos.” One will be the name of the Father; one will be the name of the city in which overcomers reside (New Jerusalem); and one will be Jesus’ new name. Overcomers will be marked and thus be identifiable as belonging to the Father and Son and as being eternal residents of the city where they reside!
Many of Jesus’ other promises to overcomers found in Revelation chapters 2 and 3 also speak of eternal security. To the believers in the church in Sardis, Jesus promised that He would not erase their names from the book of life—if they overcame. That is a promise of eternal security. To the believers in the church in Smyrna, Jesus promised they would “not be hurt by the second death” (Rev. 2:11), which we later learn in Revelation is when people are cast into a lake that burns with fire and brimstone (see Rev. 20:14; 21:8). That also speaks of eternal security. Overcomers do not have to fear the second death.
Of course, Jesus’ promises to overcomers imply that the possibility exists that readers might not overcome. If that is not true, then Jesus’ words are meaningless. Clearly, eternal security only belongs to overcomers.
What does it mean to be an “overcomer”? The answer is found by looking at every reference to “overcomers” in Revelation and John’s first epistle. We know, of course, that the word “overcome” implies victory over an opposing force. John specifically wrote of believers overcoming “the evil one,” as well as evil spirits and “the world” (1 John 2:13-14; 4:1-4; 5:4-5). Those are two opposing forces aligned against Christians whom they must overcome.
Truly believing in the Lord Jesus Christ—as marked by initial repentance and ongoing obedience—and the new birth, are what make one an immediate overcomer over the world and the devil (see 1 John 5:4). But you may have noticed since becoming a believer that the world and the devil haven’t left you alone or ceased their temptations. So we must, obviously, continue to resist them to continue to be overcomers. John wrote, “They overcame him [Satan] because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death” (Rev. 12:11). So they did something that contributed to their being overcomers. They resisted temptation, even when it meant death.
And all of this is why I’m a big believer in eternal security. It belongs to everyone who overcomes! If you are not an overcomer, you can become one right now. Repent and believe in the Lord Jesus. He will give you the Holy Spirit to help you follow Him. Then, keep following Him the rest of your life no matter what the cost. And all of Jesus’ promises to overcomers found in Revelation 2-3 will apply to you!
