And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.
Read Chapter 4
John Chrysostom
AD 407
And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work.
See how near he had been to death. He had fallen into the very jaws of the lion. For he calls Nero a lion from his ferocity, and the violent and daring character of his government. The Lord delivered me, he says, and will deliver. But if he says, He will deliver me, why does he say, I am ready to be offered? Attend to the expression, He delivered me, he says, from the lion's mouth; and again, He will deliver me, not from the lion's mouth, but from every evil work. For then He delivered me from the danger; but now that enough has been done for the Gospel, He will yet again deliver me from every sin, that is, He will not suffer me to depart with condemnation. For that he should be able to resist unto blood striving against sin Hebrews 12:4, and not yield, is a deliverance from another lion, even the devil, so that this preservation is greater than the former when he seems to be given up.
And will preserve me unto His heavenly kingdo...
For then, he says, the threat had vanished. But because the Gospel became sufficient, he will rescue me from all: that is to say, he will not leave me and the threat will disappear.
