TIDES iii : Hold Fast
“Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown.”
Revelation 3:10-11 NKJV
What does it mean to hold fast? And what is Jesus asking us to hold fast to? Both the Old and New Testaments of the Bible heavily use this term to express the utmost gravity of its meaning.
Hold fast, in its literary meaning, implies to hold on, and tightly to; remain in. In relation to the Bible, the physical meaning is suppressed more so by the spiritual state, no longer having bodily representation, in which holding fast exalts the human spirit to endure beyond its physical condition.
In a graver sense, it is found that the term hold fast is used by God as an assigned anthem of endurance endowed to all believers of Jesus Christ to hold firm to our faith until the end. Despite earthly persecution, unbearable suffering, continuing trials, worldly deceptions and arising temptations, every follower of Christ is called by the voice of God to endure and stand firm in their faith until the end, despite incitements to do otherwise.
The Love of the Father
In order to fathom what the Lord has instructed us to hold fast to, we must look at the Father’s love.
As we first conceive the love of the Father that is recorded in the first Book of the Bible, Genesis, it is gripping to the human soul, and incomprehensible to the human mind, the level of intimacy captured in God’s divine nature when giving God-breathing life to His human creation.
On the 6th day of creation, God took what was dust from the ground and breathed both physical life and spiritual life into it, that which became human. This was the earliest start that the Creator of the universe connected with a human heart that had the ability to return love back unto Him. An inseparable bond created between the Father and every beloved name written in the Book of Life (Revelation 3:5).
David writes about this same unfathomable, yet intentional, love of the Father recorded in the Book of Psalms. Before the beginning of time, we were on our Heavenly Father’s mind and intended for His purpose. Before we had the ability to love, He, first, loved us. David continues to elaborate on how well the Lord knows each and every one of His creation by saying, “Before a word is on my tongue you, LORD, know it completely” (Psalms 139:4). Just as the Creator of the universe marked the start of history through His living and breathing design, He also marked creation with His identity. Like an artist who signs a masterpiece, God in His great vastness, validated His very image in us to, ultimately, receive His love.
An invitation freely given as desperate call for one to receive, yet rejected by His own. Just as sin has entered the world through Satan, so has the fulfillment of temptation through human’s individual free will. In our flesh’s deliberate state of rebellion to pursue its desires, it, ultimately, leads us to sin, and in its most deadly form, when it is full-grown, sin gives birth to death (James 1:14-15).
God Gives Us a Way Out
In 1 Corinthians 10:13, Paul writes about how no temptation can overtake us that is beyond human resistance, because God has given all of mankind the ability to overcome temptation. Even if temptation approaches us, in its most desirable form, it will not be beyond what we can bear to resist, because God, in His saving grace, will always provide a way out. Therefore, if the human soul can resist temptation, through a higher love for God, the entryway to sin can be escapable.
Even with humans’ wayward hearts, the Lord, in all of His divine being, sent us an Escape from the penalty of eternal death through His one and only Son— Jesus Christ. God has provided the world no alternative for salvation; except in Jesus Christ.
As a result of our own sin, God loved first
In acceptance of God’s love, through His one and only Son, Jesus Christ, we profess with our mouth that Jesus Christ is LORD and believe in our hearts that God raised Him from the dead in fullness of the Gospel, we are saved— through faith.
This faith that we hold fast to— is developed in its own timing between you and the Father. It begins as an open invitation with your name addressed as the recipient. You can accept this invitation by acknowledging your sins before the Lord, asking Jesus for His forgiveness through the repentance of your sins, and ultimately, walking away from your sin. Our call is not to postpone picking up this invitation, but to respond as an urgent sinner who needs a Savior. The cross is an invitation for every sinner, and His blood is for all.
We all have a God-given right to accept what is freely given without the works of religion to justify our salvation, but to receive it as a gift from the Lord above. Time and time again, we will continue to fail by the engulfing of our individual sin, as we are not perfect humans. The real decision is if we accept and acknowledge our sin to Jesus Christ and allow grace, through His works to be sufficient enough to justify our position with the Lord.
Hold fast to your faith in Christ Jesus
Someone may ask you, how do you have faith in Him who you have not seen? But, Christ’s response is, “how great are they who have not seen Me and still believed” (John 20:29).
If our allegiance is to Jesus Christ, Peter explains that when we hold fast, “the end result of our faith will be the salvation of our souls” (1 Peter 1:9). This steadfastness of firm faith, leading up to our final breath, will be rewarded an inheritance far greater than the earth can hold.
Jesus identifies those who hold fast and remain faithful as “the one who is victorious” (Revelation 3:12).
May we long to hear:
“Well done, good and faithful servant!”
Matthew 25:21
Read Along References //
Genesis 2:7, 21-22; Psalms 40:1-2; Psalms 139:13-16; 1 John 4:19; Romans 8:5, 38-39; James 1:14-15; 1 Corinthians 10:13; 1 Peter 1:7,9; John 3:16-17; Hebrews 10:23; Ephesians 2:4-5,8; Acts 4:12; Revelation 2:25; Revelation 3:3-5, 10-12
The invitation is there, accept it through the Word of God—