Completion of the purpose, of the good news, is still future. Definitions by the largest Idiom Dictionary. They were not busy confirming their souls. The Fourth Commandment (Part 4). Revelation 2 and 3 are an examination of our works because Christ wants to see whether we believe Him! Living faith exhibits itself in works! He is creating sons and daughters in His image (Genesis 1:26; Romans 8:29). A mistake many make is to follow tenaciously the instruction of Revelation 3:11 to "hold fast to what we have" while completely ignoring the additional instructions of I Thessalonians 5:21 to test first. Idolatry was present in their character. In 1 Timothy 4:16, it’s translated, “ Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching.” In Acts 3:5, it’s translated, “ He fixed his attention on them, expecting to receive something from them.” There are few things in religion which men are so ready to forget as the duty of “contending earnestly for the faith,” and holding fast the truth. Instead, He cares for quality rather than quantity, and He promotes truth and loathes counterfeits. Jesus Christ always does perfect work. Hebrews 3:6 | View whole chapter | See verse in context But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end. The church knows it as the gospel of the Kingdom of God. So Jesus Himself tells us in Matthew 24:13, "But he who endures to the end shall be saved.". Christ's concern is that His people are working. . He says, "I want you to make a decision, but this is the decision I think you ought to make.". We can hold fast only to what we have previously been given. He presses them to yield to God and to allow themselves to be reassured that He is faithful to His promises. Our Price: $31.49. Remember that God desires godly offspring (Malachi 2:15). The church's history over the last few decades displays the fruits of taking doctrine for granted rather than allowing clear scriptures to guide our understanding of the truth. He is alluding to the Hebrews' need to become clean. The difficulties will be there, but because the Christian has involved God in the way that he lives his life, then all things will indeed work together for good to those who are the elect and who love God. We have an obligation to do this because of both love and faith. He tells Timothy—and every Christian—to hold to the standards that the apostle had delivered to him. Ecclesiastes and the Feast of Tabernacles (Part 2). He gave an open acknowledgment, a solemn declaration, of a message that He left with mankind. Save: $13.50 (30%) Buy Now. This daily newsletter provides a starting point for personal study, and gives valuable insight into the verses that make up the Word of God. That causes one to think that, even though their neighbors were not persecuting them, nonetheless something was happening. he says. (Revelation 2:2, 9, 13, 19; 3:1, 8, 15). What does hold fast expression mean? Then the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should … Thus, failure to count the cost of following Christ results in an incomplete life. Your delight will be “in the law of the Lord, and on his law you will meditate day and night. See what over 150,000 subscribers are already receiving each day. What does Genesis 2:24 mean? Having been commended for their deeds, love, service, faith, and patience, those who reject Satan will be fine if they hold fast the doctrines and character they have shown. (Part Four). Here we see the close connection between true faith and outward practice that is highlighted on every page of the Bible. Martin G. Collins What good is it to have this wonderful, awesome message—the gospel of the Kingdom of God—carried by those who are poor examples of what it says? This chapter marks a decisive change in the book in that it not only becomes much more positive than it has been preceding this, but it also becomes more exhortive. Hold fast! Who Will Be Kept from the Hour of Trial? When we read I and II Thessalonians, it does not appear that these people were going through any hard or difficult persecution, yet things were happening within the church. Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown. It will move in the direction it is presently traveling unless some external force impels it in another direction. Of course, it is understood that God is always there to help a person do this. Experience proves that not all that we believe is truth, even if held fast for forty years. Steadfastness, Examples Of. See what over 150,000 subscribers are already receiving each day. To turn the last clause of this verse into plain English, God began His purpose before time! Hold Fast to the Word Pay special attention to the third exhortation in verse 24. Apparently, lackadaisical drifting was a particularly common problem for them. Titus 1:16 says, "They profess to know God, but in works they deny Him, being abominable, disobedient, and disqualified." Recall that James uses Abraham, the father of the faithful—the father of the loyal, the conscientious—as the illustration that faith without works is dead! A hold fast is shaped like a shepherd's hook. The quality of the witness is directly tied to the quality of those making the witness. Other translations render “leave and cleave” as “leave and be united” (NIV), “leave and be joined” (NASB), and “leave and hold fast” (ESV). Christ says, "I see what you are doing. David C. Grabbe He does not say, "I know your profession" or "I know your desires." Our responsibility remains clear, however. People have a strong tendency to hold fast to what they feel secure with. Our calling, election (Romans 11:5-6), repentance (Romans 2:4), and justification enable us to stand before God in the sense of being given access into His presence. What the Bible says about I Thessalonians 5:21 instructs us to "test [prove, KJV] all things," which would include our old notions, and then "hold fast" to the good ones—the ones that pass the test. When they left Egypt, they were full of joy. . They were enduring great pressure to relax their standards. But it seems that, from that time on, God's great miracles on their behalf began to recede into their minds, and they did not hold onto the joy and faith and conviction that they had then. For the Perfecting of the Saints. He wants the Hebrews to give special attention to their brethren's circumstances, trials, temptations, weaknesses, and needs. The mark of the Beast identifies those who are devoted to the Beast. However, each individual must himself choose to use them to turn his life around; no one can do this for another. God can use this as a test to determine the true intents of the heart. ", John W. Ritenbaugh Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. How can one study God's Word for instruction in righteousness without self-evaluation? John W. Ritenbaugh Contend Earnestly. (Episode 15), Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License. It is of paramount importance to keep a firm grip on the true teachings of God's Word. Genesis 2:24 It is not true that the Bible teaches multiple views of marriage, and therefore the Bible’s clarity is diminished on this question. Genesis 2:18-25 ESV / 92 helpful votes. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing" (James 1:2-4). "Holding fast to the word of life" is part of the solution for finishing one's life successfully (Philippians 2:16). In use, the shank fits loosely into a hole in the top or side of the bench and the tip of the hook is pressed against the work. That was the testimony of our Lord, the message of the Messenger. (Phillips). And then the witness presents his evidence. Then they know what the Bible says and therefore can “test all things and hold fast to what is true.” In order to do this, a Christian must “be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15). (Part One). Notice that as this exhortation begins, Paul calls upon the "big three" Christian virtues: faith, hope, and love. We have to keep hanging on, faithful and trusting that God, in His perfect work, has everything under control. Parables of Counting the Cost. He strongly urges his readers or hearers to cast their lots with God. In the intervening four verses, the author of Hebrews, probably ultimately the apostle Paul, makes a comparison between Christ and Moses in terms of their faithfulness. What Is the Work of God Now? Why are works so important? The author makes this plain in verse 4: "He who built all things is God.". Not only that, but we know from earlier in the book that the life of the person who is living by faith will also be filled with many of the same kind of adversities that those living in vanity are. Remember that the term qoheleth means "the lecturer" or "the preacher." He will focus their attention on what is most important to survive and grow during that period. The book is designed to focus attention on what is of greatest concern to Christ for His people. So he tells them to "hold fast." John W. Ritenbaugh John W. Ritenbaugh Where does one's allegiance really lie? And ironically—tragically—members of God's church are now being led back to that world and away from keeping His commandments. 23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. To grasp, is to seize, or to keep fast in the hand; hold coincides with grasp in the latter sense, but not in the former. So stand firm, and hold fast to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter. Will a person humbly submit to the clear instructions of God, allowing them to lead him or her to create a true spiritual foundation (Deuteronomy 8:2-3; Psalm 149:4)? The Covenants, Grace, and Law (Part Four). Our cultures tend to stress individuality—doing our own thing. It is, indeed, a step in that direction, but it is not a property of justification to bestow salvation. 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