Hold Fast What Is Good 好事要持守
Author: Rev Ng Eng Keng
Translated by: Ps Andrew Xu
“But test everything; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil.”
In today’s world, there are many things that will seem good on the surface and are positive, sometime even coherent to biblical teachings. But if we look deeper into the details and “test” them, you will find that they stem from worldly values, even from the devil!
The scripture above says to “test” everything. To test is to use your heart and your wisdom to observe. Especially in this end times, we need to use our God given wisdom, to discern and observe based on biblical truth, what truly comes from God and what comes from the work of the evil one.
Satan is the one behind who is controlling all “evils”. His very existence is to deceive God’s creation. When Satan saw all the beautiful things that God gave Adam and Eve, he expended all his strength to take these away from them. When Satan saw that King David pleased God, he exhausted all his ways to break the cordial relationship between King David and God. We must remember, do not take all that is good in life for granted, we must hold fast to what is good!
As Christians, we might be facing the doubts, judgement and condemnations from the world:
～The world might condemn us that our moral standards are too archaic and not progressive.
～The world might judge that the way we teach our children is not contemporary and not fitting of the times they are in.
～They might also feel that you are too “obsessed” with your faith and believe.
The way that Christians live their life and approach challenges are often different from the world. But isn’t this what Jesus taught us to be? We are to be the “light” and “salt” of the world, that we should show the world what God stands for!
Dear brothers and sisters, God gave us a sensitive heart that we might understand and know His heart and will, that we might be humble and live out His teachings in our lives. In this world that holds aloft human rights, esteem personal “freedom” and promotes relativism, Christians must have the God given ability to “discern” and “test” what we hear and see. So that we can filter out God’s voice in this noisy world and do the things that truly pleases God!
文/黄永庆牧师
“凡事都要察验，好的要持守，各样的恶事要远离。”
在现今这一个时代，有许多的事情，表面看来是好、是积极正面、甚至是非常合乎圣经的教导。但当我们仔细去“察验”时，它可能是来自世界的价值观；甚至也可能是来自恶者！
经文说到凡事都要“察验”。“察验”是运用心思智慧去观察与察考的意思。特别在这末日的时代，我们更需要运用神所赐予我们的智慧，并按照圣经的教导去分辨与察考，当中那些是来自神、那些是那恶者所为。
撒旦是这一切“恶”背后的掌控者，它存在的目的就是要扰乱神的创造。当它看到神给亚当、夏娃的一切是那么美好，它就想方设法夺走它们； 当它看到大卫王讨神的欢喜，它就设计毁坏大卫与神的关系。让我们谨记，千万不要把生活中美好的事情当着是理所当然，很多的美事，是要“持守”的！
身为基督徒的我们，可能会面对许多来自世界的质疑与批判：
～他们可能会批评你的道德标准，太过“老土”、不够“开放”；
～ 他们可能会认为你教养孩子的方法，没有与时并进，不切合时代的需 求；
～ 他们也可能觉得你太过“热衷”于你所信的。
基督徒的生活形态与做事方法或许与世界的不一样。但这何尝不是耶稣的教导，就是要我们在这个世界上，成为“光”、成为“盐”，就是我们必需在这个世界，将神的价值观向世人表明！
亲爱的弟兄姐妹们，求主赐给我们一颗敏感的心，以至于我们晓得神的心意，并愿意谦卑的将神的教导活现出来。在这个高举人权、提倡自由、是非颠倒的时代，基督徒需要有从神而来的“分辨”与“察验”能力，以至于我们能够在众多的声音中，分辨出那一个是神的声音，好让我们能够行出讨神喜悦的事!