2 Timothy: Endure, Encourage, EquipSample

“Guard the good deposit”

Do big responsibilities ever feel like a burden to you? When someone trusts you with something, you might feel a heaviness weighing down your happiness. It’s a compliment to be trusted with an important task, but it’s also a large responsibility—and you don’t want to let that person down.

In 2 Timothy, Paul writes about the responsibility each of us has to steward what he calls “the good deposit.” He begins by talking about his unwavering confidence in Jesus: “I know Whom I have believed, and am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day” (2 Timothy 1:12). Paul trusts Jesus with his salvation, to “guard” his spirit and his life, even as he was in prison.

A few verses later, he goes further, giving the charge to Timothy—and to each of us—to “guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you—guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us” (2 Timothy 1:14).

When you make a deposit, you’re storing up money (or something else) for the future, preparing wisely for the days ahead. In a similar way, we have a place in heaven saved just for us (John 14:2–3). God already made that deposit on your behalf, but part of our charge is to “guard the good deposit”—continue living the life we are called to, keeping our deposit safe from harm, just like you would lock up a large sum of money or important heirloom so it doesn’t get damaged or stolen.

Jesus accomplished your salvation on the cross, but we have the responsibility to steward it well and live in a way that glorifies Him.

And, the Spirit helps guard, protect, and care for you, too—because your salvation is more precious than anything on earth.

1. How do you interpret 2 Timothy 1:12? What do you think Paul meant when he said he trusted Jesus to “guard what I have entrusted to Him”?
2. “Guard[ing] the good deposit” means that we’re actively caring for our souls and our salvation. What other applications could verse 14 have?
3. Does anything in this passage feel challenging or convicting to you?