Revelation 3:11 Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which you have, that no man take your crown. — Hold fast: — I. WE ARE ALREADY IN POSSESSION OF A GREAT PROPERTY. "That which thou hast." As Christians, we are not only striving to gain, but also striving to keep "that which we have." That is the gospel, salvation, Christ, and heaven in Him. II. THE HOLDING FAST OF THAT WHICH WE HAVE. 1. "That which we have" is contemplated more in the light of a trust than of a privilege. 2. Of course, this whole injunction implies the presence of opposition, making this a matter of difficulty. A Christian holding fast against the world, its spirit, and way, is like a man pulling a boat up-stream, when the waters are deep and the current strong. Whether in the boat or on the bank, pulling by a rope, he needs to pull always — a strong, steady, constant pull — that is it! He meets a great many people coming down stream; and they do not need to pull much — a touch of the helm now and again, and a dip of the oar is all that they need. Sometimes a Christian is discouraged by observing that so many more seem to be going with the stream than seem to be going against it. He may be in a great measure mistaken in this. Christians sometimes have a feeling of loneliness. It seems as if all the world were against them. "Hold fast!" you are not so solitary as you imagine. III. THY CROWN. Every duty has a crown when it is well done, and every affliction patiently borne, and every day well spent, and every year well lived through, a crown which hangs trembling on its last hour. There is a sense, too, in which one man can take the crown of another in daily life. To put the matter plainly: if any of us shall be blind or heedless before the face of rich opportunity — if we shall hear, without hearing, the Master say, "Behold, I have set before thee an open door," and if another, listening, catch the Master's words and enter in, that man "takes our crown." He is no richer, for the faithfulness that has proved itself here would have proved itself somewhere else, and in some other service; but we are the poorer — we have lost that little crown. And to lose many of these lesser crowns will diminish the lustre, if indeed it do not also affect the security of the great final crown. IV. BEHOLD HE COMES QUICKLY. (A. Raleigh, D. D.) Parallel Verses KJV: Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.WEB: I am coming quickly! Hold firmly that which you have, so that no one takes your crown. |
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