The Way of the Wise - Proverbs
4 - Hold on to, or Take Firm Hold
This time we are looking at chapter 4 of Proverbs. Verse 13 is our key verse, and this is what it says: “Hold on to instruction, do not let it go, guard it well for it is your life.” We are going to have a brief introduction, and then three questions about what it means to take hold of Christ.
The major theme in Proverbs is wisdom as opposed to folly, and we have been looking at this wisdom as a picture of the Lord Jesus Christ. All that is said of wisdom is found in Christ, for as God, He is the source of all true wisdom and knowledge. In verse 7, wisdom is described as supreme, and tells us that it is worth sacrificing everything to gain it. So too, the Lord Jesus Christ is higher than any other; and to know Him is more important than anything else in life. He is to be greatly desired. Verse 8 speaks of loyalty to Christ; of holding Him in esteem, that is giving Him his rightful place and honour. We are not to be ashamed of Him and we are not to bring shame to his Gospel. Those who give Christ his rightful place will be honoured by God, for He honours those who honour Him.
Verse 9 speaks of the riches of Christ’s grace: “Wisdom will set a garland of grace on your head and present you with a crown of splendour.” This speaks of how Christ enriches those who trust in Him and how He beautifies the life of the humble Christian. Verses 11 and 12 speak of a safe path: “I guide you in the way of wisdom and lead you along straight paths. When you walk your steps will not be hampered; when you run you will not stumble.” Before we came to Christ we walked in the darkness, but by trusting in Him we are now walking in the light.
So we come to verse 13, the key verse for our study. “Hold on to instruction, do not let it go, guard it well for it is your life.” “Hold on” here means “take firm hold.” In other words take firm hold of God’s word, of God’s promises. And take firm hold of Christ who is our wisdom. How firm is your grasp? How strong is your faith? Ask yourself, is my Christian faith half hearted? Is my conversion to Christ thorough? Does it affect my thinking, my living, my giving and my forgiving? In this age of unbelief and spiritual ignorance; in this age of worldliness; this selfish greedy age; this age of novelty when Satan tempts us to doubt, God says ‘take firm hold of my word and of Christ.’ Christians who take firm hold on these are the backbone of the Church and of society.
So we come to the three questions. They are: “How do I take hold of Christ?”; “What are the obstacles in the way?”, and “What are the benefits?”
The first question: “How do I take hold of Christ?” The answer is by becoming serious about eternal things. Some, by their very temperament, are wholehearted, fervent, and enthusiastic believers. It is true that great sinners often become great saints. There are no half measures. We see this in the conversion and life of the Apostle Paul. How do I take hold of Christ? By coming to Him with a sense of desperation. Remember the dying thief crying out from his cross, “Jesus remember me when you come into your Kingdom” (Luke 23:42). Have you seen the state of your own heart? Have you thought about the evil of sin and what sin does to humanity; about how we are under God’s judgement, and that God is too holy to tolerate sin? It is just as the Bible says: “All we like sheep have gone astray, but the Lord has laid on him, upon Christ, the iniquity of us all” (Isaiah 52:6). Come to Christ with a humble heart, a longing heart, a beleaguered heart, be serious, be wholehearted, be desperate. Take hold of Christ by faith right now.
Secondly, “What are the obstacles in the way?” Well, the basic facts are: either sin will keep you from Christ, or Christ will keep you from sin. Some people say that they have an intellectual problem with the Gospel. It is probably pride that is the problem. In Psalm 14:1 we read, “The fool has said in his heart there is no God.” There are three voices that will tell you not to trust in Jesus Christ, they are the voices of the world the flesh and the devil. The world lies under the sway of the devil, the spirit of this world is anti-Christian, it always was. Friendship with this world, in other words its spirit and its mentality, is to be at war with God. The flesh, sinful human nature, will hinder you; the flesh is full of unbelief; the flesh says, ‘I love my sins; I love my lifestyle, if I turn to Christ it will all have to go.’ The Devil does not want you to turn to Christ; his is the kingdom of darkness. The Bible says he is a deceiver, a liar and a murderer. He doesn’t mind you being merely religious or agnostic. The Apostle Paul speaks of those who need to escape from the trap of the Devil who has taken them captive to do his will. These are the great obstacles to faith in Jesus Christ.
But thirdly, “What are the benefits of taking hold of Christ?” Well, here are just three of them: first, we can have the assurance of salvation. Think of what it means to be eternally saved. Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life, and will not be condemned. He has crossed over from death to life” (John 5:24). Before he raised Lazarus from the dead, Jesus declared, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live even though he dies, and whoever lives and believes in me will never die” (John 11:25, 26).
Secondly, there is real joy in the heart. This world offers superficial merriment and pleasure, what some people call a fix. The Lord Jesus Christ offers true, deep lasting joy. The world offers many counterfeits. It offers false gospels, false cults and false promises. It believes in star signs and horoscopes; it believes in superstition; it believes in luck and fortune and fate, it offers false hope, it offers false peace. The Lord Jesus Christ says, “Until now you have not asked for anything in my name ask and you will receive and your joy will be complete” (John 16:24). In praying to the Father Jesus says, “I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them” (John 17:13).
The third great benefit of taking firm hold of Christ is that we can have a living relationship with Him. John said our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. When you do take firm hold of Christ, you realise something wonderful: He has actually taken firm hold of you and will never let you go. It is a relationship that is far deeper than that of any human relationship. He is a friend who sticks closer than the most loving brother. He is one who shares in our every experience, good or bad. He will never leave or forsake his own, and you can turn to Him to find grace to help in every circumstance of life. Have you taken hold of Christ as your Saviour and Lord? Seek Him today while He may be found, call upon Him today while He is near.