What is holding on to the faith?

 

Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck: (1 Tim 1:19)

Holding faith, and a good conscience.....

In this passage, "faith" doesn't refer to the grace of faith, but rather to the teachings of faith.The grace of faith refers to the spiritual gift that God gives to believers which allows them to believe in Him and His promises.Thats not what he is refering to. When it talks about "holding" onto faith, it doesn't just mean professing and acknowledging it, which all believers should do without wavering but more than that.

Paul therefore is implying  a holding it forth in relation to the ministry of the word:

1. We shouldn't hide or ignore any part of it.
2. We should hold onto it firmly and not waver in our commitment to it.
3. We should stand up to any challenges to the word and not be afraid to share it with others.

They must be committed to the mystery of the faith now revealed and must live with a clear conscience. ( 1 Tim 3:9) 

In addition to faith, we need to have a good conscience. 

Our conscience isn't naturally good because it's stained by sin. Only the conscience that's been cleansed by the blood of Jesus is truly good, and this cleansing leads to a holy and upright way of living. This passage specifically talks about the upright behavior of ministers who are faithfully doing their work in spreading the Gospel.

We can say with confidence and a clear conscience that we have lived with a God-given holiness[a] and sincerity in all our dealings. We have depended on God’s grace, not on our own human wisdom. That is how we have conducted ourselves before the world, and especially toward you. (2 Corinthians 1:12)

Which some having put away; that is, a good conscience; 

The text doesn't assume that someone had something and then got rid of it, because it's possible to reject something that was never really accepted in the first place. For example, the Jews who refused to believe in God's word are said to have put it away from them, even though they never really received it in the first place.

And Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly, saying, “It was necessary that the word of God kbe spoken first to you. Since you thrust it aside and judge yourselves munworthy of eternal life, behold, we are turning to the Gentiles. (Acts 13:46 )

The word "abhorrence" means to reject and hate something. These men had a strong dislike for being good people and living a good life. They pretended to have a good conscience, but they eventually showed their true selves and gave up their faith. It's important to note that their "good conscience" wasn't the same as having a clean conscience because of believing in Jesus. Some people without faith can still have a good conscience in certain situations or in how they behave towards others. This passage shouldn't be used as proof that someone has fallen from God's grace just because they acted against or lost their good conscience. 

And looking intently at the council, Paul said, “Brothers, I have lived my life before God in all good conscience up to this day.”(Acts 23:1)

concerning faith have made shipwreck; 

This passage talks about how people can turn away from the teachings of faith, not from God's grace. Even if it is talking about faith as a form of grace, the phrase "made shipwreck of it" isn't strong enough to prove that someone has completely and finally fallen away from faith. People can have problems or difficulties with faith, but it doesn't always mean they've lost it completely. For example, the Apostle Paul was in a shipwreck three times but he still survived. Additionally, some people pretend to have faith but they really don't, and their faith can be lost like a shipwreck.