It is not enough merely to watch for Christ’s return as a distant hope. Scripture calls us to something more active and urgent: to guard the treasure entrusted to us—the gospel itself—against every distortion and assault. This is not a suggestion; it is a charge from the Lord Himself, and it is inseparable from our confidence and assurance at His appearing.
Guarding the Gospel: The Believer’s True Watchfulness
Watching for the Lord’s coming is not passive speculation about world events. True watchfulness means standing guard over the spiritual treasure God has placed in our care. The Lord has identified the threat: thieves and robbers—those who would twist, dilute, or supplant the gospel with another message, often cloaked in religious language or human effort.
These thieves do not come through the door, which is Christ alone; they climb in by another way, seeking to corrupt your inheritance. If you are careless, if you let your guard down, your spiritual house—your faith, your inheritance, your assurance—will be broken into. The result is always the same: the gospel’s clarity is lost, and with it, your confidence before God is shaken.
What is at stake if you fail to guard this treasure?
- The integrity of your spiritual inheritance is compromised.
- The simplicity and rest found in Christ’s finished work are replaced by anxiety and striving.
- Your assurance before God is eroded, and boldness at His appearing is lost.
- The purity of the gospel—your only true foundation—is corrupted.
This is not a theoretical loss. To allow the gospel to be distorted is to forfeit the very confidence and joy that Christ intends for His sons and heirs.
Holding Fast: The Only Foundation for Confidence
The gospel is not merely a doctrine among many; it is the source of your confidence when Christ appears. If you shift your focus to your own performance, or allow the message to be mixed with works, you will stand before Him in fear and uncertainty. But if you hold fast to the truth entrusted from the beginning—that Christ alone is your righteousness, that His finished work is sufficient—you will have boldness and joy at His coming.
Guarding the treasure means refusing every attempt to add to or subtract from the gospel. It means holding fast to the message: Christ died for our sins and rose again. We do not look to our own fruit or religious effort as evidence of our standing; we believe God’s testimony concerning His Son.
This is how we preserve our spiritual house. This is how we abide in Him, rooted in grace, unmoved by the shifting winds of human teaching.
“And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming.” (1 John 2:28)
The Non-Negotiable Call
Let no one deceive you: this is not a secondary matter. To lose the gospel’s clarity is to lose the very ground of your assurance and inheritance. The enemy’s strategy is always to muddy the waters with rules, requirements, and subtle shifts away from Christ’s sufficiency. But the Lord’s charge is clear: guard the treasure. Watch over it with vigilance. Refuse every thief and robber, no matter how pious they appear.
When you preserve the gospel’s simplicity and clarity, you maintain doctrinal purity and a confident anticipation of Christ’s return. You are not left guessing about your place in the house; you stand as a son, an heir, secure in what God has given.
Do not let your house be broken into. Do not surrender your treasure. Stand guard, hold fast, and look for His appearing with joy—knowing your confidence is anchored in the unchanging gospel of Christ.
