Book of Common Prayer

Exhortation to steadfastness

¹³ But we always owe God a debt of gratitude for you, my family beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the first fruits of his work of salvation, through sanctification by the spirit and belief of the truth. ¹⁴ To this he called you through our gospel, so that you might obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus the Messiah.

¹⁵ So then, my dear family, stand firm, and hold on tight to the traditions which you were taught, whether through what we said or through our letter. ¹⁶ And may our Lord Jesus the Messiah himself, and God our father who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope by grace, ¹⁷ comfort your hearts and strengthen you in every good work and word.

On prayer

⁷ “Ask and it will be given to you! Search and you will find! Knock and the door will be opened for you! ⁸ Everyone who asks receives; everyone who searches finds; everyone who knocks will have the door opened. ⁹ Don’t you see? Supposing your son asks you for bread—which of you is going to give him a stone? ¹⁰ Or if he asks for a fish—which of you is going to give him a serpent? ¹¹ Well then: you may be evil, but you still know how to give good gifts to your children; how much more will your father in heaven give good things to those who ask him!

¹² “So whatever you want people to do to you, do just that to them. Yes; this is what the law and the prophets are all about.”

The two ways

¹³ “Go in by the narrow gate. The gate that leads to destruction, you see, is nice and wide, and the road going there has plenty of room. Lots of people go that way. ¹⁴ But the gate leading to life is narrow, and the road going there is a tight squeeze. Not many people find their way through.