Psalm 19:7 English Standard Version (ESV) The law of the Lord is perfect,^[blameless] reviving the soul;
the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple;

The comment yesterday about loving God not being simple led to a study of the word simple. It is complicated. In the Old Testament the Hebrew word pethi was meant to be used in a positive sense. Its origins indicate that we are to be open. Its common understanding is to be open minded, to listen to reason. Who we listen to in reasoning may determine whether this is good for our souls or leads to abuses.

Isaiah 1:18 English Standard Version (ESV) “Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.

Reasoning with the Lord leads to salvation. Reasoning with anyone who is not of the Lord will lead to abuses.

Romans 16:17-19 English Standard Version

Final Instructions and Greetings

¹⁷ I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them. ¹⁸ For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive. ¹⁹ For your obedience is known to all, so that I rejoice over you, but I want you to be wise as to what is good and innocent as to what is evil.

The word simple only appears in the KJV once in the NT and not at all in the ESV. The ESV translates simple as naïve. While simple is simple, naïve tends to be a little more complicated because it involves a lack of experience and/or knowledge. The use of naïve brings an accusation against the reader as to what they believe and what they have done.

1 John 5:1 English Standard Version (ESV) Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him.

This is such an easy verse to understand. We have fellowship in the saints and in loving one another we demonstrate that we love God.

Now we must ask ourselves a more difficult question. Whose name is written in the book of life that we should be loving?

Revelation 20:12,15 English Standard Version (ESV) And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

None of the books, the books of deeds nor the book of life were opened until after all stood before the throne of God. No judgment was to be executed until then.

Jesus told us not to judge one another. That is a reminder, a strong reminder, to love everyone as if their names are written in the book of life. He said love your enemies because the love of God is the only thing that ever changed anybody.

It is when we are faced with the challenge to love our enemies that we come to understand that we need to allow Christ in us to love them because we do not. Putting aside personal animosities is one of the most difficult things to do. It goes a step further than forgiveness, it takes a change of heart on our part.

Anyone who tells you that loving God is simple has ignored all that is asked of us when Christ dwells in our hearts. We are His Temple and He rules from the Throne of our hearts.