“HOLD FAST WHAT THOU HAST”
Revelation 2: 4-7, 17, 24-28; 3: 9; 21: 9-11; 22: 14-17
This section of scripture, dear brethren, deals with church history, something with which we should all be familiar. But I would say one word of warning: be careful from whom you learn it. Many people would tell you certain facts, but it may not be the true view of church history. They may, for example, tell you that things are finished; they could point to many things that would support their reasoning. But here we have a view of church history from the Lord; and we have it written by a man who, when he saw Him, fell at His feet as dead, a person who realised his true position, someone who is competent to speak rightly of church history.
So the Lord reviews in these sections what has come in. He reviews how matters were at Ephesus, Paul’s choice work that was worked out in that assembly, the saints enjoying their heavenly portion. In addressing them here he says, “Remember therefore whence thou art fallen”. These are the times we are in, beloved. Publicly things have fallen, are broken, and He does not suggest there is a revival to that exactly. The Lord goes over these things, pointing out that they have fallen, but He gives the reason for it: “thou hast left thy first love”. The great point of departure has been in affection for Christ; but the great point of recovery is affection for Christ. Paul devotes a whole chapter to love. He says, “And now abide faith, hope, love; these three things; and the greater of these is love”, 1 Cor 13: 13. We used to hear the expression: what is your stock of love? You might know all things; you might be able to set out church history in great detail and great reasoning, but what is your stock of love? Beautiful chapter that: 1 Corinthians 13—love! Paul there writes of the quality itself, how love acts, how it does things. Well, the departure has been, as I say, in affection. The Lord felt that. What feelings in those words: “but I have against thee, that thou hast left thy first love”. The word there, I understand, is ‘chief’. What is your chief love? The Lord is feeling that the assembly has become involved in things that have spoiled the freshness of affection for Him. It is a striking thing that the Lord says to His own: “By this shall all know that ye are disciples of mine, if ye have love amongst yourselves”, John 13: 35. It does not say they will know “ye are disciples of mine” because you can write a good thesis or can set out things in an orderly way, right as these things may be. It says, by this ye will be distinguished “if ye have love amongst yourselves”.
Well, things have broken, things have fallen, but there is reviving as the affections are touched. As we make room for love to express itself: “Love has long patience, is kind; love is not emulous of others ... does not seek what is its own, is not quickly provoked”. That is the character and quality that the Lord says should be found among His own. That is what the Lord would call attention to here.
He says here too that first works have gone. The danger may be of trying to do first works without first love, but getting back to these features involves that the affections are drawn to Christ. The Lord makes a good deal of that: “If ye love me, keep my commandments”, John 14: 15. The great spring is affection for Christ, and that is where things have departed publicly. But amidst all these things the Lord would draw attention to overcomers. That is what I want to speak about principally, that while departure has come in, the Lord has not closed the door. The Lord is serving in these assemblies, even to Laodicea where things have become very, very low. The Lord is still serving. I only comment on this in passing—that there is a view in these assemblies of the public history of the assembly. The first three churches speak of phases that have past, Ephesus that has fallen, and Pergamos, Smyrna. But you notice there is a distinction in the way that the overcomer is addressed in the next four. These things are all well known in the ministry and I expect I speak to intelligent persons, but we should look into them. The features of the last four, as we have been taught, go on until the end. There is what we would call Romanism, Protestantism and there is Philadelphia and Laodicea. Laodicea is still here with its coldness, indifference, hardly a spark of affection for Christ. He says that they are “neither cold nor hot”. O, what a condition to get into! Yet we are very near to this. “We have piped to you”, the Lord says, “and ye have not danced; we have mourned to you, and ye have not wailed” (Matt 11: 17)—a state that is unresponsive to the movements of Christ. That is what marks the general position—indifference and coldness, hard-heartedness, Christ standing outside; professing His name, no doubt: “Because thou sayest, I am rich, and am grown rich, and have need of nothing”. Where is the Lord in Laodicea? He is outside. O, how He feels the cold. Maybe you are wrapped up in your circumstances as the bride was in the Canticles. She says, ‘I am in bed; my room is cosy; things are comfortable for me’, and there is the Lord outside knocking at the door, appealing to her affections. What an appeal He left with His beloved in the Canticles. She says when she opened the door: “And my hands dropped with myrrh, And my fingers with liquid myrrh”, Song of Sol 5: 5. What an appeal He would leave at the door, an appeal of suffering love, an appeal of a love that went to the cross, that caused Him to bear “our sins in his body on the tree” (1 Pet 2: 24), a love that caused Him to be in the grave for three days and three nights. These are the movements of the love of Jesus. Alas that the persons upon whom He expended that love should find themselves wrapped up in their own circumstances, indifferent, cold, unresponsive to the appeals of His love. That is the condition that we are part of in one sense. The Lord is there outside, knocking at the door. He says, “if any one hear my voice”—ah! it is an unmistakable voice! The knocks may go on. You may think it is someone else knocking, but you could not mistake His voice. “If any one hear my voice and open the door, I will come in unto him and sup with him, and he with me”. If the public body has closed the door to Christ, He is appealing for an overcomer to open the door. He says, “I will come in unto him and sup with him, and he with me”, He will listen. I suppose as the overcomer opened that door and the Lord came in, He would listen to the words of repentance. But then He says, “I will ... sup with him, and he with me”. The Lord will go over the ground of your repentance. He will go over the ground with you of how far you have gone and tell you that He has measured that distance. He has measured it to the full. Remember that David said, “I have sinned”, and Nathan says immediately, “Jehovah has also put away thy sin”, 2 Sam 12: 13. Well, the Lord would bring you in to sup with Him.
But, as I say, these things continue. To Thyatira the Lord addresses ‘‘the rest”. If the public position has broken down, there is something left. He says, “But to you I say, the rest who are in Thyatira ... but what ye have hold fast till I shall come”. I should like to speak of what we have, dear brethren. There are certain things in the revival that we have been brought into that we have to hold fast and not let go. I speak carefully and I trust the brethren will be sympathetic in the way they understand what may not be presented too clearly, but we are part of a revival. There was a revival many years ago which has gone on and is going on and will go on until the rapture, in which through grace we have been brought to have our part, and there are certain things which have come into that revival I would wish to speak about that we might hold fast. In spite of the breakdown, in spite of the confusion, the Lord in His grace has given us a wonderful ministry that has brought in revival to assembly features and character. No, we do not say we are it. Let that be clear! None would claim the position. Yet the circumstances of assembly life are to be experienced and enjoyed by overcomers who hold fast what they have. May the inroads of what there is abroad today not be allowed to encroach on what has been brought to us in the revival, in the Lord’s gracious service to the assembly, because what has come to us is undoubtedly, through the service of the Lord, to revive in the closing days of the dispensation assembly features that are pleasing to Himself in which we are to find our living part.
So it says, “hold fast what thou hast”. Hold it fast! Many things are challenged today which were part of what we call the good teaching. Many things are set aside and licence is taken by saying one thing is done here and I can do that: “hold fast what thou hast”. The overcomer that I would like to speak about is a person who, in spite of declining surroundings and departure all around, holds fast what has been given. He does not claim anything, but he does not let anything go; he does not lower the standard. Standards are in danger of being lowered as to Christ and as to the assembly: “hold fast what thou hast”. As I said, the overcomer holds the light of the assembly without claiming it, but he walks in the principles that are proper to the assembly. He does not engage himself in things that are out of keeping with Christ’s assembly. In the darkening days, the light of a coming day shines into his heart, and that is one thing that has come to us in the period that I speak about, the appeal of the Lord’s coming: “Behold, the bridegroom”. I understand in the early part of the recovery it was much more before the saints: “Behold, the bridegroom”. What a thing to keep up the standards! What a thing to cast us on the Spirit of God that we may hear the Bridegroom’s voice and have our lamps lit when we hear His voice. It says, “they all grew heavy and slept” (Matt 25: 5), but the wise had oil in their vessels. There had perhaps been a little bit of departure, but they had oil in their vessels; they were with the Spirit. So the Lord says, “and I will give to him the morning star”, to persons holding fast. O, what a thing it is to see it! Maybe you have not seen it. Those who are sleeping do not see the morning star. Laodicea and those unresponsive to the love of Christ do not see the morning star. Their eyes are on the breakdown, the confusion, the departure, the sorrows, and it leads them into further departure and further sorrow for the heart of Christ. But He says to the overcomer, “and I will give to him the morning star”. What does it mean? It means that the day is about to dawn. “The night is far spent, and the day is near”, Rom 13: 12. The hymn-writer adds—
Rejoice, for the coming of Jesus draws nigh.
(Hymn 194)
The Lord speaks about Himself as the bright and morning star” (Rev 22: 16), becoming brighter as the dispensation is drawing nearer to its close, and soon the morning star is no longer seen, but the Bridegroom is seen. But the hope of the Lord’s coming is to help us in holding fast what we have. It is interesting that the Lord refers in three of these churches to His coming. He says to Philadelphia, which would be the normal position, “I come quickly”, chap 3: 11. It is His disposition. That is His attitude towards real assembly affections, so that they are not looking on the night; they are looking for the Bridegroom coming: “I come quickly”.
Then He says to Sardis, “I will come upon thee as a thief”. That is how things will be in the public position, that the Lord will come unexpectedly. A thief does not tell you when he is coming. Would that be how our hearts are today, dulled with all that is abroad, dulled with all that has happened? He would encourage the overcomer with food to strengthen us while we are awaiting His coming. Where I read in Ephesus it says, “To him that overcomes, I will give to him to eat of the tree of life which is in the paradise of God”. What food for an overcomer—to be brought to know something of Christ in His own domain. He speaks of “the tree of life which is in the paradise of God”. The word is addressed to “He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the assemblies. To him that overcomes, I will give to him to eat of the tree of life”. To look on, dear brethren, with unwearied eye, to One who has completed the race: “Looking steadfastly on Jesus” (Heb 12: 2), ‘‘the tree of life which is in the paradise of God”, not only as He was here. As we remarked in the reading, if He was like that in circumstances of tribulation and distress where all was opposing, what is He like in His own domain? It is a great answer to all that has come into the history of the assembly and the history of the world, that God has this tree of life. We read more about it in chapter 22—an interesting subject to look into. There it is seen in the city, by that river, with its fruits and leaves, but here the overcomer has the best portion; he is eating of the tree of life which is in the paradise of God. What food for our souls amidst all the departure, to feed on Christ.
Varied fruits of richest flavour
Offers still the Tree divine.
(Hymn 50)
Mr Darby has a beautiful poem about it. He speaks of that Tree of life—
To its own rich soil transplanted,
Waits alone the eternal morn.
As I said, there He was in circumstances of humiliation, imparting grace, blessing and healing to all around, but think of Him there, ‘‘the tree of life which is in the paradise of God”. What a place He has, dear brethren! What a place He fills! He has already gone in. He already fills that sphere and He would encourage the overcomer to eat and feed on Him as He is in the paradise of God.
Later on we have those twelve fruits, every month fresh fruit (see Rev 22: 2). Oh to be kept fresh in the declining circumstances of the dispensation! We need to feed on ‘‘the tree of life which is in the paradise of God”. There is much inferior food going about. I only remark in passing that the day we are in is a day of fast food and casual clothing, the very opposite to what an overcomer should be marked by. The tree of life is no fast food, nor are the garments that He gives any casual wear. Things have become so indifferent, but the Lord says I will give you the best food, “the tree of life which is in the paradise of God”. He speaks too about being “clothed in white garments” (Rev 3: 5)—nothing casual about these habiliments. May we be helped to overcome, helped to have our eye on ‘‘the bright and morning star” who is coming, but in the meantime to be feeding on that Man in whom all God’s promises and all God’s thoughts are centred. You will never tire of it. The whole year goes through, “in each month yielding its fruit”, each month bringing its own distinctive flavour, bringing its own quickening of step amidst the general departure that is all around.
Then too He gives the overcomer in Pergamos to eat “of the hidden manna”. The Lord was once in those circumstances that we are in. The hidden manna refers doubtless to what God has treasured of the pathway of Jesus. We have the gospel writers’ impressions of the pathway of Jesus, each precious in its own way, but the hidden manna is something more. It says, “To him that overcomes, to him will I give of the hidden manna; and I will give to him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written, which no one knows but he that receives it”. There is a secret side that the Father has treasured up of the manhood of Jesus. I believe that enters into the hidden manna that is to be known in secret. Every overcomer has a secret place, and anyone, beloved, who is at all drawn to Christ and has His part in the assembly has a closet, a secret place where the confusion, the breakdown, the troubles are all shut out and you know something of feeding on the hidden manna, something of what it is to have a new name, “which no one knows but he that receives it”. Overcomers are personalities who have a distinct personal impression from Christ of His love and of His grace, and an impression, too, I believe, of how precious the assembly is to Christ. May we make way for that food that will cause us to keep on our tiptoe that the Bridegroom is soon coming.
Another thing that has come to us in the recovery is the Lord’s supper. He says to Philadelphia, they “shall know that I have loved thee”. Is that not enjoyed at the Lord’s supper? Can you tell me any better expression of the love of Christ: “This is my body, which is for you: this do in remembrance of me”, 1 Cor 11: 24. So the Lord says to this assembly in Philadelphia, they “shall know that I have loved thee”. He does not say anything about their love for Him. It was there, but it cannot be boasted about. Very humbly we would say that we love the Lord, we would have to say though feeble here, but He loves the assembly. Dear brethren, the Lord’s supper is one of the cardinal features that has come out in the recovery of which I am speaking, and the setting of it in assembly circumstances. We are in a day when there are so many who would claim to be having the Lord’s supper, but the Lord does not say to Laodicea, they “shall know that I have loved thee”; He says it to Philadelphia, where love is functioning. Philadelphia means that, love, brotherly love, those that love Me and keep My commandments. Those are the surroundings of the Lord’s supper, and He would give an impression too to Philadelphia of His love for them. May we respect what has been said as to the Lord’s supper. It is set in localities. The Lord has placed it in the assembly. The Lord gave it, as we remarked in the reading, from the glory, something that is very precious to the Lord. May it be held in its preciousness to us, dear brethren, the Lord’s supper, “in remembrance of me”. It is what would engage every true lover of Christ, that they are finding their place, responding to the Lord: “This do in remembrance of me”. We have had great help as to how the Lord’s supper is set and the circumstances in which it is set. We need to guard these things. The Lord would have us do this “in remembrance of me”—till He comes. What it means to the Lord to see the saints gathering for the Lord’s supper! It has been said that, if the world knew what we were really doing in celebrating the Supper, they would not allow us, because what are we doing? We are renouncing the world’s judgment about Christ. The world in which we are, even the public body, has forgotten Him. The world crucified Him. They said, “Not this man” (John 18: 40), but in the Supper we are renouncing the world’s judgment and we are saying, Worthy art Thou! We are doing it in view of His appearing. We are holding the ground for Him until He comes. May we be diligent in holding the ground, dear brethren! “Hold fast what thou hast”! May we not be casual in any way as to the Lord’s supper. It becomes every lover of Christ to have in view the first day of the week for the calling of Him to mind. The Lord would give His compensations, as we have proved, in “that I have loved thee. Because thou hast kept the word of my patience”. That is what a lover would do, keep His word. The Lord says that: “If ye abide in my word, ye are truly my disciples”, John 8: 31. These things are all in the environment of the Supper and in that holy occasion the Lord gives us to know “that I have loved thee”. These matters, as I say, are part of what we have to hold fast. The time will not be long.
Another thing that has come out particularly in this period of the recovery is the light of the assembly as a heavenly vessel. John is brought to see that. The Lord in these early chapters goes over how breakdown has come in, but He still makes the way open for the overcomer. The way is still open that assembly ground and assembly experience can be realised; and now at the close He draws our attention to the assembly in its heavenly beauty and glory. Something that has been revived most distinctively in this period in which we are is the light of the assembly as a heavenly vessel. There was conflict about it. If you read these early matters of church history in the good books, you will see that there were persons who were comparing the assembly with what had gone before. They were saying that Israel failed, Noah failed, Abraham failed, they all failed. There is a very good letter about it and it answers it all, see J Taylor, Letters vol 1 p122. It says that, in contrast to all these families, the assembly is an exotic—very beautiful! She does not belong here. She is a heavenly vessel, heavenly in origin, heavenly in conception. That is the light that has come into this broken day in which we are: “I speak as to Christ, and as to the assembly”, Eph 5: 32. The assembly does not involve herself in politics, is not marked by worldly principles, habits and features. She portrays and reflects the glory of the heavenly Man. That is something I commend to you that has shone in this time of the recovery in which we are, the assembly as a heavenly vessel.
John is brought to be shown it here. It says, “Come here, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb’s wife”. He could have omitted “the bride”. Here is the assembly as it is in the heart of Christ and it is the assembly as is presented to us in the ministry of the recovery—a heavenly vessel, heavenly in origin and heavenly in destiny. John is brought to see it. It says, “And he carried me away in the Spirit, and set me on a great and high mountain, and shewed me the holy city”. Is that your view? Here is the Lord’s view of what the assembly is: “the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of the heaven from God, having the glory of God”. What a view to have! Amidst all the departure, amidst all the confusion, to have a view of what has been revived among us, the light of the assembly as a heavenly vessel, and watchful that worldly principles do not obtain or find an inroad to spoil what is so precious to the heart of Christ. Dear brethren, it will go through. Will you go through with it? Hold fast what we have! Hold fast to these great matters! There is much more, but I think these three matters that I have spoken about illuminate the time of the recovery, and they would be what the overcomer would cherish in his heart and hold fast until He comes.
It is worked out in local companies because, as He closes, He says, “I ... testify these things to you in the assemblies”. It is not an unreal matter. The features of the assembly are to be seen in local gatherings and the overcomer would see to it that what is proper to the assembly is what dominates in the local position. Let us not entertain any other thoughts! Let us not lower the standard that is becoming to the heavenly vessel! Let us hold fast! He speaks here so beautifully: “I Jesus”, no longer in those robes as in the early chapters, He says, “I Jesus”. How He loves the assembly, how He loves the overcomer! “I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify these things to you in the assemblies. I am the root and offspring of David”. That is something about Christ that no-one will ever share. But then He says, “And the Spirit and the bride say, Come”. There is a vessel that is suitable to be the companion of the heavenly Man. Deity belongs to Him, but there is a very touching word to Philadelphia. The Lord says about the assembly, “behold, I will cause that they shall come and shall do homage before thy feet”. I do not know that we could say too much about that, but the Lord says those words, that the assembly is so precious to Him that He is going to cause others to come and do homage to this glorious vessel. We, through grace, have been called to have part in it now. May it be precious to us as it is precious to Him. It says, “And the Spirit and the bride say, Come”, a creature vessel and a divine Person using the same word at the same time. How we need to be near to the Spirit in these days, to the One who has come from heaven, to gather up these assembly affections and these assembly features. May we in unison with the Spirit say “Come”. He is not speaking here of departure. “And the Spirit and the bride say, Come”. How the Lord would love to hear that, and He hears it at the Lord’s supper. There is an expression in the Lord’s supper of the Spirit and the bride saying, Come. May there be a clearer expression of that word, “Come”! It is not said dolefully. It is said in all the joy of one who is looking for Him: “Come”! Come to take up Thy rights! Worthy art Thou! Come to reign! But He has it now in the assembly. He has it now among the saints. May we be encouraged! “And let him that is athirst come; he that will, let him take the water of life freely”. Whosoever will let him come! It is for all to come into and find their living part in this heavenly, glorious vessel. May we hold fast what we have! It has come into our hands at great cost. The ministry of the revival did not come easily; it came through suffering and at great cost. I know persons who were cast out of their homes, cast out of their families, because they sought to walk in assembly light. Hold fast what we have! May we treasure, beloved, what the Lord has placed in our hands, yea, what He has placed in our hearts! For His Name’s sake.
LONDON
17th July 1993