“May We Hold Fast to God’s Word for Salvation through Sanctification 願我們持守神的道，藉著成聖而得著救恩“（2 Thessalonians 帖撒羅尼迦後書 2:13-15）
But we ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters loved by the Lord, because God chose you as firstfruits to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth. He called you to this through our gospel, that you might share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. So then, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold fast to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter.
主所爱的弟兄们，我们应该常常为你们感谢神，因为他从起初就拣选了你们，借着圣灵成圣的工作，和你们对真道的信心，使你们可以得救。因此，神借着我们所传的福音呼召你们，使你们得着我们主耶稣基督的荣耀。所以弟兄们，你们要站立得稳；你们所领受的教训，无论是我们口传的，或是信上写的，都要持守。
God’s love for us is the primary motivation for all His work in and through us. Before we chose God, He chose us for salvation through sanctification. Salvation and sanctification go together. Those who claim to be chosen but lack evidence of sanctification (separation from the world and unto God) are on shaky ground. We cannot see if a person is chosen, but we can see if that person is sanctified. God the Holy Spirit and His Word are essential to our sanctification. The call for this salvation comes through the gospel of the crucified Christ that will enable us to share His glory. It is only the anchor of God’s Word that can enable us to stand firm under the weight of our present tribulation (including persecution, deception and judgment) and the weight of our coming glory.
神對我們的愛是祂在我們裡面，並透過我們所作一切之工的主要推動力。我們選擇神之先，祂已揀選了我們，藉著成為聖潔而得著救恩。得著救恩和成為聖潔兩者是並行的：那些聲稱自己蒙揀選，卻缺乏成聖（與世界分別而歸向神）之證據的人，是站不住腳的。一個人是否蒙揀選，不是我們肉眼可見的，但我們可以看出那人是否成為聖潔。聖靈和神的道對於我們的成聖，是不可或缺的。這得蒙拯救的呼召，是藉著釘十字架之基督的福音而來的，而這福音能使我們分享祂的榮耀。在我們當前苦難（包括逼迫、迷惑和審判）的負擔，並我們將來得榮耀的分量之下，只有神話語的錨才能使我們站立得穩。
Prayer: God of Trinity, we are so amazed that your love for us has often been with pain unless Jesus Christ returns for His final judgment and then brings along the coming of a new heaven and a new earth. Thank you for your word of truth and the Holy Spirit of truth being always available for us to anchor our saving faith in Christ alone enabling us to confirm our genuine spiritual birth and to pursue spiritual growth towards maturity as well as to revive our love for you even though all these could cause pain in our ‘own self’. Amen.
禱告: 三一神啊，我們感到多麽驚訝，你對我們的愛往往是帶著傷痛，除非耶穌基督再來作最終的審判，而之後帶來新天新地的降臨。感謝你真理的道和你真理的聖靈，常常向我們敞開，讓我們得救的信心單單固定在基督上，使我們能夠確立自己真的屬靈重生，並追求屬靈成長，邁向成熟，與及復興我們對你的愛，縱然這一切可以導致在我們的「自我」裡傷痛。阿們。
