Interesting verse, but maybe if you included verse 4, we can see this as an exhortation.
Revelation 3: 4Thou 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. 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.
When God addresses the churches, He gave each one specific instructions for the purpose of avoiding the great tribulation as judgment must fall on the House of God first. Ther following verses speaks as an example to that end.
Revelation 2: 18And unto the angel of the church in Thyatira write; These things saith the Son of God, who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire, and his feet are like fine brass; 19I know thy works, and charity, and service, and faith, and thy patience, and thy works; and the last to be more than the first. 20Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols. 21And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not. 22Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds. 23And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works. 24But unto you I say, and unto the rest in Thyatira, as many as have not this doctrine, and which have not known the depths of Satan, as they speak; I will put upon you none other burden. 25But that which ye have already hold fast till I come. 26And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: 27And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father. 28And I will give him the morning star. 29He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
So as it is a loss of inheritance in that there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, any prodigal son living now repents of his or her deeds, they will not be kicked out of the Kingdom of Heaven at the rapture event to go through the great tribulation... as in those in Revelation 3:4-5 will not have the names blotted out of the book of life if they overcome and thus be considered as those in verse 4.
As it is, using that singular verse of Revelation 3:5 does not negate the will of God in these verses.
John 6:38For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. 39And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. 40And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.
So when I read that verse in Revelation 3:5, I do not see the loss of salvation, but of the inheritance.
As Jesus taught, so will He do. Why save someone and then declare He was not able to finish? That is not to His glory.
Luke 14:27And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple. 28For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it? 29Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him, 30Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish.
So as the ones that did not follow His voice but went after a stranger's voice, they will hear His voice and be on the one fold and one shepherd albeit left behind at the rapture event to go through the great tribulation.
John 10:4And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice. 5And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers.........14I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. 15As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.
What? Did you think Jesus would forget about those that have gone astray?
Luke 15:3And he spake this parable unto them, saying, 4What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it? 5And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing. 6And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost.
So that is what the great tribulation is for when judgment falls on the House of God due to the falling away of the faith. The foolish virgins will finally have oil for their lamps to bear witness of what Christ has done but too late for the Marriage Supper as the prodigal son gave up his inheritance for wild living and yet he is called son still.
Hebrews 12th chapter does speak of God reproving fire as 1 Corinthians 3:10-23 warns about how believers are to build on that faith in their walk with the Lord. There is a loss as God has to wipe the tears from their eyes that come out of the great tribulation to get them passed that loss, so there is an inheritance worth desiring as opposed to looking to oneself to get yourself into Heaven as we look to Christ to enable us to live as His by faith alone... for no flesh shall glory in His presence.
As we look to the elder son that was disgruntled over the return of the prodigal son, we see the hint of the difference bewteen the loyal son and the loss that the poridgal son has suffered.
Luke 15:24For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry. 25Now his elder son was in the field: and as he came and drew nigh to the house, he heard musick and dancing. 26And he called one of the servants, and asked what these things meant. 27And he said unto him, Thy brother is come; and thy father hath killed the fatted calf, because he hath received him safe and sound. 28And he was angry, and would not go in: therefore came his father out, and intreated him. 29And he answering said to his father, Lo, these many years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment: and yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends: 30But as soon as this thy son was come, which hath devoured thy living with harlots, thou hast killed for him the fatted calf. 31And he said unto him, Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine. 32It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad: for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found.
The underline of verse 31 implies that it is not so with the prodigal son.
So as OSAS must be careful to not allow this topic to teach falsely that it doiesn't matter how we live for it does in regards to our first inheritance, but yet at the same time, those that speak against that OSAS or eternal security aspect of it are in danger of denying that we have been bought as His.
2 Peter 2:1But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in ****able heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. 2And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.
One can see the value of what Christ has done when these verse reprove the sin of fornication.
1 Corinthians 6:14And God hath both raised up the Lord, and will also raise up us by his own power. 15Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an harlot? God forbid. 16What? know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? for two, saith he, shall be one flesh. 17But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit. 18Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body. 19What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? 20For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.
Since we are to be witnesses of Him, speaking against the eternal security divides the hope in Christ by placing it partly on the believer to keep himself saved which is not the Gospel nor to His glory. We are to live by faith in the Good Shepherd to help us live as His just as we are to live by faith that we have obtained eternal life through Jesus Christ Our Lord and Saviour. How we build on that faith is how we bear witness of the Good News.
John 1:12But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: 13Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
John 6:28Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? 29Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.
Ephesians 2:8For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9Not of works, lest any man should boast. 10For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
Philippians 1:6Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ: 7Even as it is meet for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart; inasmuch as both in my bonds, and in the defence and confirmation of the gospel, ye all are partakers of my grace. 8For God is my record, how greatly I long after you all in the bowels of Jesus Christ. 9And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment; 10That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ. 11Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.
1 John 3:3And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.
Titus 3:4But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, 5Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; 6Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; 7That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
Jude 1:24Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, 25To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.
Hopefully, the Lord shall lead whomever He wills to read this and know of the hope to trust Him to be their Saviour as well as their Good Shepherd in helping them to live as His thus the just shall live by faith. That is the only way we can get to know Him and be witnesses of Him and not of ourselves.
