"Letter to a New Christian"
EPISODE 61
Hold On!
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One of life's transcendent joys is watching someone you love rise from the waters of baptism. What a pleasure to see a friend become family in Christ! But with it comes the knowledge that at some point, the road will get rough. If you wrote a letter to a new disciple, what counsel would you give?
I find myself wanting to impress two words upon new Christians: "Hold on!" Anyone who has followed Christ for any length of time has watched brothers drift away (Heb. 2:1) like unanchored ships (Heb. 6:19). The same Savior who said, "Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved" (Mark 16:16), also said, "the one who endures to the end will be saved" (Matt. 24:13). So, don't let anything pull you away!
If we're going to make it, we have to "test everything" and "hold fast to what is good" (1 Thess. 5:21-22). The word for "hold fast" means "to glue together," "to join together," "to bind."1 Gorilla Glue the good stuff to yourself and hate everything that doesn't pass the test (Rom. 12:9). What should every Christian hang onto?
Hang on to These Words
The gospel has the power to save you, if and only "if you hold fast to the word I preached to you" (1 Cor. 15:1-2). "Let your heart hold fast my words" (Prov. 4:4). The more time you spend with Scripture, the more you'll understand your life.
Hang on to Your Family
After Paul told the Romans to "hold fast to that which is good" (Rom. 12:9), he said, "Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor" (Rom. 12:10). Christians are the best thing in the world. They are a work in progress (like you), but the relationship between you will grow more meaningful, and they will — at times — astonish you with their goodness, courage, and love. Treasure your newfound "brothers and sisters and mothers and children" (Mark 10:28-29).
Hang on to Hope
One of your life's most significant changes is now you have hope. More and more, you'll discover the power of living for a bright future. When a group of Hebrew Christians teetered on the brink of falling away, a prophet repeated the call to hold fast our confidence (Heb. 3:6), and the hope set before us (Heb. 6:18) "without wavering, for he who promised is faithful_" (Heb. 10:23).
I remember water skiing for the first time, the wake and wind fighting against me. It got harder and harder to hold onto the handle as I bounced over the water. But I knew I had to hold on and stay connected to the boat. Jesus once told a church, "I am coming soon. Hold fast what you have, so that no one may seize your crown" (Rev. 3:11). Never loosen your grip on him, but "serve him and hold fast to him" (Deut. 13:4) and he'll see you through.
Schmidt, K. L. (1964–). κολλάω, προσκολλάω . G. Kittel, G. W. Bromiley, & G. Friedrich (Eds.), Theological dictionary of the New Testament (electronic ed., Vol. 3, p. 822). Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans. ↩
