Hold Fast the Confidence
The sermon emphasizes the importance of holding fast our confidence in God through simple trust and perseverance, even in the face of struggles and adversity.
A.B. Simpson emphasizes the importance of holding fast to our confidence in God, illustrating the journey of faith through the examples of Elijah and Joash. He describes the initial simple trust represented by Elijah's proclamation of rain, followed by a deeper, more intense prayer life that requires perseverance and active faith. Simpson warns that many believers fall short in their faith journey, failing to meet God's expectations after asking for His blessings. He encourages believers to remain steadfast in their confidence, reminding them that they are partakers of Christ if they endure to the end. The sermon concludes with a message of hope for struggling believers, urging them to trust in Christ's victory over their challenges.
Text
The attitude of faith is simple trust. It is Elijah saying to Ahab, There is a sound of abundance of rain (1 Kings 18:41). But then there comes usually a deeper experience in which the prayer is inwrought. It is Elijah on the mount, with his face between his knees, travailing, as it were, in birth for the promised blessing. He has believed for it and now he must take it. The first is Joash shooting the arrow out of the window, but the second is Joash smiting on the ground and following up his faith by perseverance and victorious testing (2 Kings 13:14-25). It is in this latter place that many of us fall short.
We ask much from God, and when God proceeds to give it to us we are not found equal to His expectation.
We are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast unto the end (Hebrews 3:14), and trust Him through it all. Fainting soldier of the Lord, Hear His sweet inspiring word, "I have conquered all thy foes. I have suffered all thy woes; Struggling soldier, trust in Me, I have overcome for thee."
Sermon Outline
- The Attitude of Faith
- The Deeper Experience
- The Importance of Endurance
- Holding Fast the Confidence
- Partaking of Christ
Key Quotes
“I have conquered all thy foes. I have suffered all thy woes; Struggling soldier, trust in Me, I have overcome for thee.” — A.B. Simpson
Application Points
- We must trust God through all circumstances, even when we are struggling, and remember that He has overcome for us.
- Endurance is crucial in our spiritual walk, as it allows us to persevere and receive the blessings that God has promised us.
- We must follow up our faith with action and perseverance to receive the blessings that God has promised us.