“Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you – guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in you” (2 Tim. 1:14).

The rich neighbourhoods in Accra, Ghana have one significant commonality – high walls around the houses, huge security gates, and security personnel. Curled on the walls are razor-sharp wires, the type used to secure the walls of US prisons. Some have electricity running through them for extra protection. Question is: Why do people build very beautiful and expensive houses only to turn them into “high security prisons”?  The answer may lie in recent increase in thefts and armed robbery in the city and its suburbs. To protect property and life, house owners spend tremendous amounts to secure their property. The walls provide a sense of security for them, whether real or imagined. The same can be said of the spiritual condition of our time.

Christians have tremendous spiritual wealth in doctrine that needs to be secured with much care, diligence, and personal investment of time and effort. But, are we willing to do everything to secure the body of truth committed to us, as people do for their personal property?

Paul stresses this point in his final letter to Timothy (2 Tim 1:14). “Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you – guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in you” (2 Tim. 1:14). Paul knew the looming threats to the sanctity of the Christian doctrine entrusted to Timothy. As he faced imminent death, he wanted to make sure that Timothy would be diligent in securing the faith. Knowing he couldn’t do it by himself; Paul reminded Timothy of the partnership of the indwelling Holy Spirit for the power and ability to do so (1:14).

We too have been given stewardship of God’s word. It is more precious than anything in this world. It’s pure and holy and must be kept unadulterated. Like Timothy, we must guard our doctrine with eagle eyes and the heart of a jealous husband. That requires alertness against false teachers who pollute and dilute the word of God. They take advantage of ministry for personal gain, distort the truth, and deceive many. The urgency of this charge for us in a time when so much filth and false doctrine abound is as it was for Timothy. The world needs to hear the Gospel, but they must hear the pure and unadulterated Gospel of Jesus Christ.

So, what are you doing to maintain the sanctity of the word of God? Do you value it enough to preserve it? Are you aware of the prevailing corruption in the church today?  Are you prepared to guard against the incursions of the false teachers and imposters with the zeal of Ghanaian homeowner?

The good news is that we don’t have to spend money to guard the treasure entrusted to us. We have the ministry of the Holy Spirit to accomplish that.  His power and strength for this effort is readily available for us, if we care to tap into it for God’s glory.