Paul’s words to Timothy are a locker room speech for the church: remember the gospel, preach it to yourself, and preach it to one another. The way we handle God’s Word matters deeply. If we drift from the truth, even in small ways—through idle talk, quarrels, or making secondary things central—we risk spreading spiritual “gangrene.” Our words, when not aligned with God’s Word, can bring death instead of life. There is a profound contrast between the life-giving spread of God’s Word and the destructive spread of human words untethered from truth.
Truth is not something we create; it is something we discover in God, who is Himself the foundation and embodiment of truth. When we unanchor from this foundation, we not only shipwreck our own faith but can also ruin the faith of others. The call is urgent: rightly handle the Word, stay anchored to God’s unshakable foundation, and do not drift. God’s promises are sealed and guaranteed—He knows those who are His, and nothing can unseal what He has sealed.
Living as people of faith means both trusting in the security of our belonging to Jesus and actively departing from iniquity. This is not about earning our place with God, but about living out who we already are in Christ. The way to depart from iniquity is to immerse ourselves in God’s Word, to study it deeply, to see Jesus in every part of it, and to anchor ourselves to what we find there. We do this best in community, reminding and encouraging one another to hold fast, especially when life’s storms come. Just as a seatbelt keeps us safe in a crash, anchoring ourselves to God’s truth keeps us from spiritual ruin. The alternative is drift, death, and destruction. But if we hold fast together, God’s kingdom will spread like life-giving vines, bringing light and freedom to us and those around us.