“HOLD FAST WHAT THOU HAST”
E. M. Walkinshaw
There is something very distinctive about the Lord’s own words, whether they were uttered in the days of His flesh, or whether uttered from glory, and whatever their character, while He would touch our consciences, He would attract our hearts. A little earlier He says, “I am ... the living one—and I became dead, and behold, I am living to the ages of ages, and have the keys of death and of hades” (Revelation 1: 17, 18). The blessed Lord is without question the One to be eulogized; apart from Him and His precious blood we had all been lost, including our brother, but because He died and His precious blood was shed we come into salvation. Is that true of you? Is that true of every one here? Jesus says here, “I come quickly”. There is no time for delay for any one here who has not faith in Jesus and His blood, and I would appeal to any, in the presence of the death of one who trusted in Jesus, that you might do the same, because His words are, “I come quickly”. Others have said that it is almost as if the Lord says, ‘I am on the way’; it is not ‘I will come quickly’, but “I come quickly”. That touches every lover of Jesus sitting here. Are you waiting, and watching, and working for Christ? Our brother’s service has already been referred to, and what has been said, I believe, is the truth, nevertheless, he would say, could he hear, that the Lord Jesus should be eulogized and not himself. So it is always a time to eulogize the living, that is Jesus, and not to eulogize the dead, save as we have, I think rightly, commented on the value of the work of God in him.
Well, the Lord goes on to say, “Hold fast what thou hast”. It may be a little; He says, “Thou hast a little power”, and then, “hold fast ... that no one take thy crown”. The encouragement and exhortation our brother has given to younger men is appropriate—“Hold fast what thou hast”. It has often been said, and it deserves repeating, that when Jesus says, “Thou hast a little power” (Revelation 3: 8). He would lay the emphasis on the power and not the “little”.
Oh what a gracious Lord we have, dear brethren. One who died for us, and was buried and rose again, and is sitting at the right hand of God. He is listening to what we are saying, and He is looking at the motives, the intents of our hearts. His eye is on our beloved sister and all those associated with her in this sorrow. May she, and they, prove not just a text of Scripture, but the reality of the service of our great High Priest. May the brethren here be comforted and strengthened to go on. As we have so often been reminded, the order of the day is. Go on! You younger men, Go on! Some of us who are older have been laid aside for one reason and another, and I think one of the reasons is that younger men should be stimulated to a total committal to the Lord and His interests on the earth. That is open to all, according to the measure of the grace of God that has been given to each.
Then the Lord says, “He that overcomes”. I think, speaking soberly, we could say of our brother that he was an overcomer. “He that overcomes, him will I make a pillar in the temple”—that is, in the shrine—“of my God”. Our brother was a pillar in the locality; he was a pillar in the district without any question, and I am sure the Lord will write upon him. May we all be encouraged, dear brethren, and comforted, especially our sister and those associated with her in this sorrow, that they may, as I have said, have the real experience of a touch in their spirits from the Lord Jesus Himself. May it be so, for His glory and their encouragement.
Words at burial of Mr. F. M. Knappett, Maidstone
31 July 1986