But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. -James 1:22-24
With an eye toward a transition to small groups, we have recently adapted a new format in our midweek meeting. Rather than having a separate Bible study, our focus has been to further develop the application of the sermon and its corresponding passage. To read the Bible without an eye to application is to err in the way that James wrote about!
So how do we look into the Bible as into a mirror? How do we properly apply the Bible? How can we know what God would have us to do? How do we get from these ancient words to contemporary life?
The key to mining the Bible’s treasures for application in our daily lives is to better understand the following areas: how to discern context, how to ask good questions, and how to grasp the full scope of application.
How to Discern Context
If not careful, we can veer toward one of two extremes:
- The Bible has nothing to do with today, or…
- The Bible is all about today.
It is important that we recognize that the Bible is not written ABOUT us or even TO us, but, it is written FOR us (Romans 15:4). Therefore, it is not a direct road to application for today. The highway to application (what does the Bible want me to do?) is paved with observation (what does the Bible say?) and interpretation (what does the Bible mean?)These are tools to help us to understand the context – observing the text to note details, and interpreting the text to understand what it meant to the audience at that time. Only when we effectively understand what the Bible meant then can we better grasp what the Bible means today.
How to Ask Good Questions
Curiosity about God’s Word lends itself to a deeper understanding (Proverbs 2:1-5)! What better way to incite curiosity than to interact with the Bible with wonder-filled questions? For example, the famous John 3:16 is a further elaboration of John 3:3: “unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” The further explanation comes from Nicodemus’s questions: “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” (John 3:4) and “How can these things be?” (John 3:9). As we interact with the text, we won’t get direct answers, but we can dig for treasures as we curiously seek understanding.
Some great application questions to start with are:
- Is there a command to obey?
- Is there an example to follow or avoid?
- Is there a promise to claim?
- Is there a sin to avoid?
- Is there a principle to follow?
How to Grasp the Full Scope of Application
For those who have been reading, studying, and applying the Bible for a long time, this is an important area for reflection and self-examination. In order to grasp the full scope of application, we need to ask:
What is the purpose of Scripture?
God gave us the gift of the Bible in order to reveal Himself so that we may know Him more, abide in a trusting relationship with Him, and respond to His character and work with trust and obedience. Stated simply:
The purpose of Scripture is to see and respond to God…
that we would worship in spirit and in truth.
This vital truth ought to compel us to slow our time in Scripture: not skipping to a mere moral action, but drawing near to God for worship. We desire to take something away from the Word, YES, but we would do greater to first seek to rest in a glimpse of God’s character and work in His Word, abiding in Him by spending time to dwell in the Word!
Many are familiar with 2 Timothy 3:16-17: “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” But consider for a moment: what is training in righteousness, and what is it to be a “doer of the Word,” apart from a continual renewal of the mind (Romans 12:2, Ephesians 4:23)? That is, some of the primary application of Scripture is a transformation of our minds and a changing of our beliefs to align them with the truths of Scripture!
As we read the Bible:
- What would God have us to change our minds about?
- What would He have us to gain a fresh perspective on?
- What attribute of His character would He have us to meditate upon? (God’s attributes ALWAYS have direct application for us!)
- How would He have us to consider ourselves?
- What desires would He have us to purge, and what desires would He have us to embrace?
Our answers to these questions, while not “action” per se, are some core applications that we ought to labor at in our daily lives! From these also we derive the actions of application:
- Knowing God’s truth, I will prioritize and practice __________
- Realizing God’s hope, I will joyfully endure __________
- Seeing God’s character, I will praise Him and __________
- Recognizing my God-given identity, I will courageously __________
- Appreciating God’s delight in __________, I will pursue __________
It’s no wonder that the psalmist could write “Oh how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day” (Psalm 119:97)! Let us grow in a love of God’s Word as we are doers by seeing and responding to God!