Hold On!
by Sandy Simpson, 3/7/11


1 Tim. 4:1-2  But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons, by means of the hypocrisy of liars seared in their own conscience as with a branding iron ...  (NASB)

If we are to pay attention and obey the written Word we must listen to what the Holy Spirit says.  It is not I who wrote the above.  I am simply reminding Christians that in the end times some will fall away from the Faith.  Clear and simple.  This is why the Lord reminds those who claim to be His followers that we need to hold on till the end.

The word for "hold on" is katecho meaning hold, hold fast, keep, possess, stay, take, have, make.  The Bible tells believers to hold on and keep what they have till the end.   But what are we to hold on to?

HOLD ON

Re 3:11  I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no-one will take your crown.
We are to hold on to our faith because Christ is coming soon.  Who can take our crown?  The world, the flesh and the devil.  This is talking about losing rewards as a Christian.  But it gets even more serious than that.
Re 2:25-26  Only hold on to what you have until I come.  To him who overcomes and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations—
We are to hold on to the Faith and be overcomers.  We are to do His will to the end because in the Millennial Kingdom those who hold on and do His will are given authority over the nations.
Heb 3:6  But Christ is faithful as a son over God’s house. And we are his house, if we hold on to our courage and the hope of which we boast.
We are part of the house of God if we hold on to courage and the hope we say we have in Christ.  The courage is that of standing for the truth of the Gospel and God's Word.  The hope is the second coming of Christ.  Those who throw away the Gospel and the blessed hope are not a part of the house of God.
1Th 5:21  Test everything. Hold on to the good.
We are to be discerning and grow in discernment by testing all things.  We are then to hold on to what passes the test.
Php 2:16  as you hold out {Or hold on to} the word of life—in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labour for nothing.
We are to hold on to what Christ, and Apostles and prophets said written in the Bible.
Pr 4:13  Hold on to instruction, do not let it go; guard it well, for it is your life.
Again we are to hold on to the instruction of the written Word.  The Word of God is life.  If we let it go we let life go.

KEEP

The word keep is also katecho.

1Ti 3:9  They must keep hold of the deep truths of the faith with a clear conscience.
We are to hold on to the truth and a clear conscience.  Those who are true believers will do this.  Those who claim to be true believers but do not hold to the truth and a clear conscience are headed for eternal punishment.
2Ti 1:13  What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus.
We are to keep the sound teaching of Jesus Christ, the Apostles and prophets (2 Pet. 3:2). We are to stay in that sound doctrine.  We are not to run after false teachers and heresies.

PERSEVERE

"Persevere" is the word epimeno meaning to tarry, continue in, continue, abide, abide in, abide still.

1Ti 4:16  Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.
We are to be watchmen, first of our own lives and second of the lives of other believers, particularly if we are in leadership in God's Church.  What are we to watch?  Our doctrine and our practice.  We are to continue in right doctrine and practice because if we do that we guarantee our salvation and that of those who listen to us.
Heb 10:36  You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.
We are also to continue in doing the will of God.  If we do not then we will not receive what He promised.

OVERCOME

"Overcome" is the word nikao meaning to overcome, conquer, prevail, get the victory.  How do we ge the victory and by Whom does it come?

1 Jn 5:3-5  This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.  Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.
We overcome by obeying the Lord.  That is how we prove we love him.  Fortunately to obey the Lord it not "rocket science".  Those who are truly born again will overcome the world because God will help them.  If a person has not overcome the world then they need to "examine themselves to see if they are in the Faith".  The victory that overcomes the world is through our Faith in the one who overcame death and the devil for us, that is Jesus Christ.  But we must hold on to the belief that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, not putting our faith in another "Jesus".  There are many variations of "Jesus" out there today, but there is only one historical biblical Jesus Christ.  To those who overcome the world, the flesh and the devil through Christ, there are great and mysterious awards that await.
Re 2:7  He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.
Re 2:11  He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes will not be hurt at all by the second death.
Re 2:17  He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give him a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to him who receives it.
Re 2:26  To him who overcomes and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations—
Re 3:5  He who overcomes will, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out his name from the book of life, but will acknowledge his name before my Father and his angels.
Re 3:12  Him who overcomes I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will he leave it. I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on him my new name.
Re 3:21  To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne.
Re 21:7  He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son.
Overcoming is so critical to those who follow Christ that they are not the children of God without it.