On the night of the Mass Meeting of our 18th Annual P.R.Y.P. Convention, Rev. H. Hoeksema lectured on the topic, “Holding Fast to the Truth.”
He first of all pointed out that this was a very beautiful theme, for even though the church in Philadelphia, spoken of in Revelation 3, was very small, it was the true church. This is very applicable to us today for we are also very small and have the truth.
He developed his topic by speaking on these four things:
- The truth – what is it?
- The holding fast to the truth.
III. The manner of holding fast.
- The possibility of holding fast.
There are various kinds of truths. The truth of the universe, the truth of mathematics, the truth of physiology and many others. These are all concentrated into the one truth of God found in the Scriptures.
The truth is the revelation of the God of our salvation in Jesus Christ. Christ is the truth and only through him can we approach the Father as found in John 14:6, “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father but by me.”
We must have a spiritual ethical knowledge of God in order to hold fast to the truth. That is a knowledge that in the first place God loves us, and in the second place we love God. That we know ourselves as being totally depraved must be a deep‑seated reality in our souls so that we too can say, “God be merciful to me, a sinner.”
We must have a knowledge of what Christ is so that we can confess Him as our Saviour.
We must have a knowledge of salvation so we can say God has regenerated us. It would be impossible for us to hold fast to the truth without faith. To hold fast may be distinguished in the positive sense and the negative. In the positive sense we must know the truth spiritually but negatively we reject all that isn’t the truth. We as Protestant Reformed young people must hold fast to the truth, and not let it slip even a little, for when we do, we are on the way to destruction.
We must hold fast to the truth as churches through our ministers and consistories and also in the maintenance of our Theological Seminary and schools even if we are small and despised.
We must also hold fast to the truth as individuals but it is impossible for us to do this because of our sinful hearts. The world and the devil also tell us not to be so narrow minded. But because God is faithful He will make us stand by the power of His Spirit. Only when God inspires us and gives us grace can we fight to the very end. May God give you and me that grace!