September 9, 2025 - 1 Timothy 1:18-20 - "Holding Faith"

1 Timothy 1:18-20

"This charge I commit unto thee, son Timothy, according to the prophecies which went before on thee, that thou by them mightest war a good warfare; Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck: Of whom is Hymenaeus and Alexander; whom I have delivered unto Satan, that they may learn not to blaspheme."

There is a charge laid upon us, and it is not optional. It is not a matter to be taken lightly, nor a mere slogan to be repeated. The apostle speaks of it as a solemn and weighty command: “Holding faith, and a good conscience.” This is essential to the glory of God and to the well-being of our souls, as the children of God in Christ by His saving Grace.

Paul charges Timothy to hold fast to the Faith and a good conscience, even in the midst of conflict. This charge rests not in Timothy’s own strength, but in the grace and power of Christ Who had called him. For the warfare of faith is spiritual, and he that "casteth away a good conscience maketh shipwreck concerning the faith." Herein we behold that Christ Himself keeps His own, yet He warns against the presumption of the flesh. Our confidence is not in our hold upon Him, but in His unchanging hold upon us.

Think for a moment how easily people use the words “keep the faith.” It sounds noble on the surface, but it is often empty and shallow. Faith is not a trinket to hang on to when convenient. Faith is not sentiment. Faith is not a vague optimism about the future. Faith, as Paul declares, is "The Faith," that objective body of revealed Truth concerning Christ and His cross. To hold the Faith is to hold to the Gospel itself. It is to cling to Christ, convinced and persuaded that all of salvation is in the LORD Jesus, by Him, and to Him. The Faith is that God-given persuasion that His blood has truly reconciled and justified those the Father gave Him for whom He laid down His life. It is the persuasion by the Spirit of Grace that His Righteousness is perfect, complete, and forever, imputed by God the Father to each of the elect of God at the cross. So complete was that Righteousness that Christ accomplished that upon completion of His work on the cross, there remained nothing more to do than to declare righteous each of God's elect from the beginning of time to the end, (Hebrews 9:14-17).

This is what makes the difference between a mask of religion and True Faith. Some put on a mask, like actors, pretending outwardly to believe. But that mask eventually slips. True Faith cannot be manufactured. God-given Faith always lays hold of Christ alone as its Object. It is not Christ plus something. It is Christ, and Him crucified alone.

Paul tells Timothy to "war a good warfare." Gospel ministry is warfare, and every believer is enlisted under Christ, the Captain of Salvation. To war a good warfare is to not rely on human strength or carnal weapons. It is to fight with the Truth of Christ, to stand in His righteousness imputed, to resist the pull of the world, the deceit of false teachers, and the accusations of the enemy. Christ has already triumphed. His sovereignty assures the victory. We fight, because He has already overcome, “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places” (Ephesians 6:12).

Now, Paul ties faith to something else—a "good conscience." These two cannot be separated. A good conscience is not the natural condition of man. By nature, our conscience accuses us, or excuses us wrongly, because it is fallen and depraved. By nature, we carry guilt, shame, and dead works. But the Gospel declares that the blood of Christ purges the conscience from dead works to serve the living God (Hebrews 9:14). A good conscience, then, is one cleansed by Christ’s blood, one that rests in His finished work. It is the Spirit of God Who takes the sinner, purges him, and turns his heart away from self, away from vain works, and fixes it wholly on Christ and His righteousness. That is a miracle of grace, and it magnifies God's sovereignty in the salvation of His people.

But Paul gives a warning. Not all who profess faith hold it. Some, like Hymenaeus and Alexander, "made shipwreck of The Faith". Outwardly, they professed to believe, but inwardly they never rested in Christ. In time, their teaching betrayed them. They turned aside from the Gospel, and Paul named them as examples. This was not cruelty; it was necessary, so the church would not be deceived. Even now, many preachers stand and speak of 'faith', but their message is empty because it is Christless. To commend such teachers is blindness. It is like sitting in a house without light and not even noticing—because there is no true sight.

Beloved, how urgent then is this charge. To hold The Faith is to hold Christ, or rather Christ holding the sinner. To put it away is to put away Christ. There is no middle ground. The soul that clings to Christ has Life, Peace, and Hope. The soul that turns away can only result in ruin and shipwreck. Let's remember: holding the Faith is not about our grip on Him, but His hold on us. He is sovereign. He is the Author and the Finisher of our faith. The Captain of our Salvation never loses one soldier. The Lamb Who was slain will not lose one for whom He shed His blood (John 6:39). He commands us to hold faith and a good conscience, and by His Spirit He keeps us holding fast.

So here is the charge for us today: "hold the faith, and hold it with a good conscience." Cling to Christ crucified. Rest in His Righteousness. Trust in His finished work. Do not trade Him for empty religion. Do not put Him aside for the approval of men. Let every hope, every confidence, every assurance be in Him alone. For in Him there is no condemnation, in Him there is peace with God, and in Him there is God's sovereign Grace that holds us fast to the end.