All Commentaries on Wisdom of Sirach 7:1 Go To Wisdom of Sirach 7
Fulgentius of Ruspe
AD 533
If some people are in the catholic church but live badly, let them hurry to distance themselves from their evil life before concluding this life. Do not let them think that the catholic name is sufficient for their salvation if they do not do the will of God. In fact, our Savior says, "Not everyone who says to me, "Lord, Lord," shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven shall enter into the kingdom of heaven." Indeed, also in the book of Psalms it is written that "the Lord is close to all who call on him in truth. He will fulfill the desire of those who fear him, and he will hear their prayers, and he will save them." Therefore also in Proverbs each one of us is ordered both to fear the Lord and to distance ourselves from evil. There you can read, "Fear the Lord and turn away from all evil, and your body shall have peace and your bones rest." In fact, also in Ecclesiasticus, all the faithful are warned not to do evil with these words: "Do not perform evil deeds, and they will not seize you. Distance yourself from evil, and evil will distance itself from you. Do not sow evil deeds in the furrows of injustice, and you will not harvest them multiplied seven times." In the same book again, because no one, adding sin to sin, wants to deceive himself with a vain thought regarding the mercy of God, the doctrine of salvation meets us with words of this kind: "Do not " add sin to sin. Do not say, "His mercy is great, he will forgive the multitude of my sins," for both mercy and wrath are with him, and his anger rests on sinners." Again, saint Job says, "Does not calamity befall the unrighteous and disaster the workers of iniquity?" It is written in Proverbs, "The iniquities of the wicked ensnare him, and he is caught in the toils of his sin. He dies for lack of discipline, and because of his great folly he is lost."
