Day 8/17 – An Ill-defined Bible

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Thoughts from the Diary of a Desperate Man by Walter A Henrichsen (“Walt”)
An Ill-defined Bible
Day Two Hundred Twenty-nine

“And who is my neighbor?” Luke 10:29

A lawyer asked Jesus this question, prompting Jesus’ Parable of the Good Samaritan. As powerful as the point was that Jesus made, you still have a difficult time deciding “who is my neighbor?” For example, what obligation do you have regarding hurting people half way around the world? Where does your responsibility begin and end?

People tend to be product oriented; God is process oriented. We like to look at what we have done; God looks at what we are becoming. God is not as interested in how holy you are as in the degree to which you are engaged in the process of application. If you are new in Christ with a great deal of the carnal self still present in your life, but you eagerly seek to do His will, you are pleasing to God. If you have known Christ for years, but have ceased seeking to grow in Christ through the process of application, you are not pleasing God.

Your challenge in maturing in Christ will be tested by your application of the ill¬ defined or positive commandments. For example, Jesus said the Law is summarized by, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.”303 What does this look like as you go to work each day? How do you demonstrate a love for God and others in the heat of a contract negotiation in which you perceive the other party to be unreasonable? The Bible gives you no clear-cut answer. God designed the ambiguity in which you are forced to live in order to keep you trusting in Him. To the degree that you know what God’s expectations of you looks like, you do not need Him. Seeking to apply positive commandments forces you into a posture of dependence upon God, which is right where He wants you.

303 Luke 10:27

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Psalm 97-99 Romans 16 (New King James Version)

Psalm 97-99
A Song of Praise to the Sovereign Lord
97
The Lord reigns;
Let the earth rejoice;
Let the multitude of [a]isles be glad!
2
Clouds and darkness surround Him;
Righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne.
3
A fire goes before Him,
And burns up His enemies round about.
4
His lightnings light the world;
The earth sees and trembles.
5
The mountains melt like wax at the presence of the Lord,
At the presence of the Lord of the whole earth.
6
The heavens declare His righteousness,
And all the peoples see His glory.
7
Let all be put to shame who serve carved images,
Who boast of idols.
Worship Him, all you gods.
8
Zion hears and is glad,
And the daughters of Judah rejoice
Because of Your judgments, O Lord.
9
For You, Lord, are most high above all the earth;
You are exalted far above all gods.
10
You who love the Lord, hate evil!
He preserves the souls of His saints;
He delivers them out of the hand of the wicked.
11
Light is sown for the righteous,
And gladness for the upright in heart.
12
Rejoice in the Lord, you righteous,
And give thanks [b]at the remembrance of [c]His holy name.
A Song of Praise to the Lord for His Salvation and Judgment
A Psalm.
98
Oh, sing to the Lord a new song!
For He has done marvelous things;
His right hand and His holy arm have gained Him the victory.
2
The Lord has made known His salvation;
His righteousness He has revealed in the sight of the [d]nations.
3
He has remembered His mercy and His faithfulness to the house of Israel;
All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.
4
Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth;
Break forth in song, rejoice, and sing praises.
5
Sing to the Lord with the harp,
With the harp and the sound of a psalm,
6
With trumpets and the sound of a horn;
Shout joyfully before the Lord, the King.
7
Let the sea roar, and all its fullness,
The world and those who dwell in it;
8
Let the rivers clap their hands;
Let the hills be joyful together
9
before the Lord,
For He is coming to judge the earth.
With righteousness He shall judge the world,
And the peoples with [e]equity.
Praise to the Lord for His Holiness
99
The Lord reigns;
Let the peoples tremble!
He dwells between the cherubim;
Let the earth be [f]moved!
2
The Lord is great in Zion,
And He is high above all the peoples.
3
Let them praise Your great and awesome name—
[g]He is holy.
4
The King’s strength also loves justice;
You have established equity;
You have executed justice and righteousness in Jacob.
5
Exalt the Lord our God,
And worship at His footstool—
He is holy.
6
Moses and Aaron were among His priests,
And Samuel was among those who called upon His name;
They called upon the Lord, and He answered them.
7
He spoke to them in the cloudy pillar;
They kept His testimonies and the [h]ordinance He gave them.
8
You answered them, O Lord our God;
You were to them God-Who-Forgives,
Though You took vengeance on their deeds.
9
Exalt the Lord our God,
And worship at His holy hill;
For the Lord our God is holy.
Footnotes:
• Psalm 97:1 Or coastlands
• Psalm 97:12 Or for the memory
• Psalm 97:12 Or His holiness
• Psalm 98:2 Gentiles
• Psalm 98:9 uprightness
• Psalm 99:1 shaken
• Psalm 99:3 Or It
• Psalm 99:7 statute

Romans 16
Sister Phoebe Commended
16 I commend to you Phoebe our sister, who is a servant of the church in Cenchrea, 2 that you may receive her in the Lord in a manner worthy of the saints, and assist her in whatever business she has need of you; for indeed she has been a helper of many and of myself also.
Greeting Roman Saints
3 Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, 4 who risked their own necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles. 5 Likewise greet the church that is in their house.
Greet my beloved Epaenetus, who is the firstfruits of [a]Achaia to Christ. 6 Greet Mary, who labored much for us. 7 Greet Andronicus and Junia, my countrymen and my fellow prisoners, who are of note among the apostles, who also were in Christ before me.
8 Greet Amplias, my beloved in the Lord. 9 Greet Urbanus, our fellow worker in Christ, and Stachys, my beloved. 10 Greet Apelles, approved in Christ. Greet those who are of the household of Aristobulus. 11 Greet Herodion, my [b]countryman. Greet those who are of the household of Narcissus who are in the Lord.
12 Greet Tryphena and Tryphosa, who have labored in the Lord. Greet the beloved Persis, who labored much in the Lord. 13 Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord, and his mother and mine. 14 Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermas, Patrobas, Hermes, and the brethren who are with them. 15 Greet Philologus and Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints who are with them.
16 Greet one another with a holy kiss. [c]The churches of Christ greet you.
Avoid Divisive Persons
17 Now I urge you, brethren, note those who cause divisions and offenses, contrary to the doctrine which you learned, and avoid them. 18 For those who are such do not serve our Lord [d]Jesus Christ, but their own belly, and by smooth words and flattering speech deceive the hearts of the simple. 19 For your obedience has become known to all. Therefore I am glad on your behalf; but I want you to be wise in what is good, and [e]simple concerning evil. 20 And the God of peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.
Greetings from Paul’s Friends
21 Timothy, my fellow worker, and Lucius, Jason, and Sosipater, my countrymen, greet you.
22 I, Tertius, who wrote this epistle, greet you in the Lord.
23 Gaius, my host and the host of the whole church, greets you. Erastus, the treasurer of the city, greets you, and Quartus, a brother. 24 The[f] grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.
Benediction
25 [g]Now to Him who is able to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery kept secret since the world began 26 but now made manifest, and by the prophetic Scriptures made known to all nations, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, for obedience to the faith— 27 to God, alone wise, be glory through Jesus Christ forever. Amen.
Footnotes:
• Romans 16:5 NU Asia
• Romans 16:11 Or relative
• Romans 16:16 NU All the churches
• Romans 16:18 NU, M omit Jesus
• Romans 16:19 innocent
• Romans 16:24 NU omits v. 24.
• Romans 16:25 M puts Rom. 16:25–27 after Rom. 14:23.