Q289 : Who is an Overcomer?

In this view, only a subset of true believers overcome by remaining consistently obedient to Jesus.

But if this were true, then how do we explain that some of the promises to overcomers are identical with the benefits of being saved? If true Christians can fail to overcome, then they won't be able to eat from the tree of life (Rev. 2:7) and will have their names blotted out of the book of life (Rev. 3:5-6). But this is the same as the lot of unbelievers!

So for this view to be logically consistent, one has to also believe that Christians can lose their salvation (which is not the position ^b of teachers at SpiritAndTruth.org).

In this view, overcomers are a subset of believers who manage to remain faithful through their own efforts in order to retain their salvation until the end of their life. (Or, if they fall “in-and-out” of salvation, they happen to be “in” at the time when it counts!)

This view is often used to place believers under duress and to manipulate them in fear that they need to keep performing or else they may not be found among the overcomers at important evaluation points (e.g., the rapture, death, the Second Coming). It leads to a crisis where a believer never really knows how much obedience is enough to be considered an overcomer?

This is essentially no different than Roman Catholicism—where works contribute to one's salvation. Like Roman Catholics and Mormons, believers who labor under this misunderstanding can never know for certain that they are saved. Hence, there is no true peace.

In this view, all believers overcome through their identity in Jesus Christ: the Overcomer who has overcome the world on their behalf. They don't overcome by being "super Christians" or being 100% faithful, but by faith in Christ (Rom. 8:37; 1Jn. 5:4-5). They are saved the instant they believe, never lose their salvation (another large topic ^c), and are guaranteed to receive all the promises made to the overcomers due to their faith in Christ.

In this view, those who fail to overcome are simply unbelievers who attend each of the churches—who may even profess faith—but have never trusted in Jesus: they have not been born again. In this view, the warnings to the churches for the need of repentance and promises made to those who overcome recognizes the reality that most churches contain a mix of people who truly are believers and ones who profess or may act like they are, but aren’t.

This view places performance on Christ and not on those who simply trust in His completed work. It is the only view which squares with the security of salvation (having believed, we can be certain we have eternal life—Acts 13:48) and leads to having peace.

It is important to distinguish two categories of promises which pertain to believers: 1) things we attain (inherit) by virtue of our identity in Christ; 2) rewards for faithfulness. The first category applies to all believers, regardless of performance. The second category varies among believers based on faithfulness to their calling.

As can be seen from what I've said above, I consider the promises made to overcomers to be in the first category: among those things we attain by virtue of Christ’s completed work. For example: eating from the tree of life (Rev. 2:7), immunity from the second death (Rev. 2:11), and being found written in the book of life (Rev. 3:5). These promises are certain for all believers, regardless of their relative performance or obedience. They are not performance-based, but identity/position-based. The promise to rule and reign with Christ, being among the overcomer promises (Rev. 2:26-27; 3:21), also falls into this category.¹

Other promises pertain to rewards—which have nothing to do with our identity in Christ or salvation status. These rewards are evaluated at a separate judgment where only believers stand before Jesus (2Cor. 5:10; 1Jn. 2:28).² This judgment has nothing to do with forgiveness of sin or determining our final destination—we are completely and permanently forgiven and assured of heaven the very instant we trust in Christ (John 5:24; 10:28). Moreover, Paul’s letter to the church at Corinth implies that even if all our works are burned up and we receive no reward, our salvation is assured (1Cor. 3:13-15).

Endnotes:

1.	I also place participation in the Rapture in the first category of unconditional promises since I do not believe that the body of Christ would be torn asunder by the removal of only a subset of “superior” believers.
2.	Unbelievers, and only unbelievers—are judged before the Great White Throne in Revelation 20:11-15.
3.	There is an ongoing intramural debate among Christians about whether a person can be a true believer and have no fruit whatsoever, and hence, no reward (a hypothetical condition implied by 1Cor. 3:13-15) or whether all true believers—being born of the life-giving Holy Spirit—will have at least some rewards. The question often raised in this discussion is, “how could a person born of God (or “born from above”) fail to exhibit any fruit or obedience over their entire life?” In other words: is it possible for a true believer to grieve and suppress the Holy Spirit—by which they were born again—and never be faithful in anything at all? And what would this imply about the ability of the elect, having been regenerated by God, to completely suppress their new nature?