“And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto His heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.” (2Timothy 4:18)
Paul wrote this at the end of his letter to Timothy. He was giving Timothy some last instructions of what he needed. He was imprisoned in Rome for the second time; this time under strict control. He knew his death was near.
Paul knew God had been with him and that he’d completed all that the Lord had commanded him, even through great trials. He didn’t fear what the future held. He expresses his faith in God’s faithfulness to deliver him from every, all and any evil work that would come upon him.
How Paul died is questioned. It was shortly after the burning of Rome, which Nero blamed on the Christians. The traditional belief is that he was crucified upside down. But Paul was a Roman citizen and Roman citizens were exempt from crucifixion. Others believe that he was beheaded. There is no record so we can only speculate. The thing we want to look at is Paul’s letter to Timothy. Paul writes that the Lord would deliver him from every evil work. If Paul believed that, how is his death deliverance?
There are several other verses that Paul wrote about deliverance from evil. “Who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust that He will yet deliver us;” (2Corinthians 1:10) and “But the Lord is faithful, Who shall stablish you, and keep you from evil.” (2Thessalonians 3:3) While Paul was accomplishing God’s Will and Purposes, God was preserving him from evil so that he could complete all the work God had commanded him. Paul had been faithful in declaring the Gospel to the Gentiles throughout Asia. Now imprisoned in Rome for the second time, he knew that his mission was over. He knew his death was near.
We know that this world holds death for us. How and when we don’t know. It’s in God’s hands. But God is True and doesn’t lie. His Word is Truth. We know God’s promises are yes and amen for us. We can count on God’s Word and Promises. He is faithful. Again, you may wonder how can we say in Paul’s case that God was faithful whether Paul was crucified or beheaded?
In the trenches of trials, there is a peace that is beyond understanding. “And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:7) It’s there that the Presence of the Lord is real. With spiritual ears we hear His voice, feel His comfort and experience the glory of heaven. No matter what evil may come, we are under that umbrella that evil cannot touch us, no matter what is happening to our physical body. Paul went to his death, no matter which way he died, under that umbrella of peace looking forward to seeing His Lord face to face.
We have not experienced death yet. But there are people who have died and have returned to give us a witness. It’s hard to believe that the pain we feel here on earth is not felt in death. This seems to be true in every case. While these reports are not found in the Bible, we are curious about what life is beyond this world. The Lord has given us something to look for.
First, He’s given us the Holy Spirit, Who is always with us, always talking to us, leading us, teaching us. This is a taste of heaven. God’s Presence with us, all around us and in us. Jesus prayed that we would be one, even as the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are One. “That they all may be one; as Thou, Father, art in Me, and I in Thee, that they also may be one in Us: that the world may believe that Thou hast sent Me.” (John 17:21) Even now, here on earth, we are one with the Father and Jesus through the Holy Spirit Who lives in us. In heaven this unity with the Father, Jesus and the Holy Spirit will be more real to us. This world holds our natural senses captive, but we will be free of this world’s bondage to our senses in death.
In our trials here on earth, when we are dependent on the Lord and keep our eyes on our Savior, the harm that the world and the enemy would bring on us just washes over us. Paul’s march to his physical death was deliverance from evil. He so looked forward to seeing His Savior, that he felt nothing of this world as he passed on to eternity.
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