Guard the Good Deposit

56 • Guard the Good Deposit: The Great Tradition for the Whole Church

for them, serving them, and sharing the Gospel out of our love and care for them.

Rely completely on the presence and power of the Holy Spirit. We have been entrusted with the words of salvation, but not the power to save. That power belongs to God alone. Only through the work of the Holy Spirit will we ever be effective or fruitful in our witness. It is crystal clear in the Scriptures that only the presence and power of the Holy Spirit can enable us to represent Christ and his Kingdom. This means that prayer is essential and foundational to everything we are and everything we do. It is in prayer that we come to God and ask him to work. As we keep in step with the Spirit, and as we learn to rely on him, we can find comfort and confidence in his presence in us. We can also find the power of God to save, heal, restore, and revive. He works in us and through us “to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us” (2 Cor. 4.7). Conclusion This short text outlines the why, what, and how of guarding the good deposit. Where and when are up to you! The Holy Spirit dwells within us. We have been entrusted with a good deposit of faith and practice. It is our time to represent Christ and his Kingdom for our cities, com­ munities, and families. It is our time to guard the good deposit .