The following seems to be a passage to say that Christians can lose their salvation. God says that the works of the Laodicean church was neither like hot water nor cold waters. This “lukewarm water” refers to a spiritual condition or a heart attitude towards God. When their works were bad, it says that God spews this lukewarm person out.
The Christian church is living in the age of Laodicea (the last age before the pre-tribulation rapture) which means that this verse is particularly aimed towards us. In this age, it is said that church goers increase in material prosperity, have a lukewarm attitude towards God (attends church but going through the motions, and doesn’t really want to serve God).
Revelation 3:15-17 “ I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:”
In the following passage, it shows that works could defile their garments. The person was saved because his name was written in the book of life.
Revelation 3:4-5 “Thou 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. 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.”
In the following, the writing down of the new name depends on overcoming (works).
Revelation 3:12 “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.”
The easiest way to handle this is by looking at the book of 1 John 5. All the verses in the Revelation 3 had the works of “overcoming,” but if we look in the below verse, it shows that an overcomer is someone who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.
1 John 5:5-6 “For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?”
However, Bible believers also believe in dispensational salvations. If we look at the rest of the verses in 1 John 5, they seem to indicate that we need to have works if we are a saved believer. 1 John is the favorite book among Lordship salvationists.
1 John 5:2-4 “By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous. For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.”
The book of Revelation is about end times and tribulation according to Revelation 1:1. There will be faith and works in the book of Revelation because it is about tribulation saints. General epistles (1 John, Hebrews, Jude etc) were written by the Apostles for the Jews.
Paul was dealing with Gentiles, the rest of the apostles were dealing with Jews
Paul was the one who gave the clear-cut teaching of salvation by faith only. Paul said in the following verse that this dispensation of the grace of God was toward the gentiles.
Ephesians 3:1-2 “For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles,If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward:”
Furthermore, Gentiles (non-Jews) become heirs of God by the faith.
Ephesians 3:5-6 “Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel: Whereof I was made a minister, according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of his power.”
The below verse shows that Paul was an apostle toward the Gentiles, but John and the rest of the apostles worked with the Jews.
Galatians 2:9 “And when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship; that we should go unto the heathen, and they unto the circumcision.”
In Matthew, Mark, and John, the teachings were for Jews. In Matthew 10, Jesus says not to go to the house of the Gentiles. That’s why Jesus talked about the earthly kingdom and what would happen in the end times in Matthew 24. That’s why the apostles were working with the Jews.
But, Revelation was written to the churches, right?
Suppose we think that Jesus’ earthly ministry was toward the Jews and the end times only, that’s not right. He mainly dealt with the Jews, but He also talked about the Gentiles and Christian doctrine. For example, this is a Christian doctrine: “Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God (John 3:3).”
Jesus was mainly dealing with the Jews and end-times event, but He gradually turned towards the Gentiles because the Jews were rejecting Him. The apostles also started by ministering to the Jews, but they gradually turned to the Gentiles because the Jews rejected them. This is a transitional period where God was dealing first with the Jews, then with the Gentiles.
Why was there this transition?
When God is dealing with one person, out of mercy and grace, He will not cut off the person immediately. He gradually turns to a different person to use for His glory. God gives everyone a chance to turn back.