Application | Knowable Word

Be Specific in Your Application

March 8, 2013 By Peter Krol

Bible study is perfect for people like me who fear exposure. We who love to mince words and divert attention feel right at home in some churches because it’s easy to deceive spiritual people with high-minded platitudes.

“How are you today?” “I’m too blessed to be stressed.”

“What did you think of the sermon?” “It was pretty good. I like the pastor. He’s easy to listen to.”

“How would you like to grow this year?” “I don’t pray enough. I need to pray more.”

“I need to love my family.”

“I’d like to be a witness to my coworkers.”

And on and on and on.

We hear God’s Word all the time, but we often respond so generally that we rarely change. But God wants to change specific people in specific ways. So we must be specific in our application.

The Apostle John wrote a letter to churches infiltrated by false teachers. These teachers were slick. They were full of vague platitudes like “We know God” and “We love God’s people,” but something was seriously wrong beneath the surface. True believers were second-guessing themselves and their assurance of eternal life because these teachers claimed to have critical inside knowledge unavailable to the masses.

John tackles the issue head-on at the beginning of the letter:

If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us (1 John 1:8, ESV).

In other words, anyone who refuses to acknowledge that he is a sinner is utterly deceived. There is no fast-track with God that can eliminate sin this side of glory. Anyone who claims otherwise does not live in reality.

But notice which error John exposes next:

If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us (1 John 1:10).

In other words, when confronted with a specific sin, anyone who covers it up, shifts the blame, or denies it calls God a liar. This person does not understand God’s Word.

What is the point?

John says that those who understand God’s Knowable Word will acknowledge two things:

They have sin (as a general fact)
They have sinned (in specific instances)

It’s not enough to trust in Christ to forgive your sin, if you are not willing to ‘fess up to the details.

This means that our application of Scripture must be specific. Platitudes aren’t enough. General principles will go only so far.

What does it mean to apply the Bible specifically?

Point your finger at yourself before you point it at anybody else. You’re not qualified to help others grow in Christ unless you are growing in Christ yourself.
Focus on your heart more than on your behavior. Don’t apply the Bible shallowly. Figure out what you desire or believe, and work to change those desires and beliefs. Don’t worry, your behavior will follow.
Know your next steps. Don’t be satisfied with your application until you’ve identified specific steps you can take to address the issue. When you close the Bible and walk away, what will you do to put the application into practice? How will you remember these lessons in the midst of temptation?
Make progress measurable. How will you know if you did the application or not? “Pray more” is not measurable. Next week, can I ask you if you prayed more? Prayed more than what? How? When?
Put off and put on. Think of application as a process of stopping certain things and starting other things. Put off the old self and put on the new self. Don’t focus on stopping sin without actually replacing it with godliness.
Don’t be lame. It’s easy for application to become mechanical or to miss the point (“tomorrow I’ll set my alarm 10 minutes early and pray…”). Ask others who know you, “what do you think I most need to grow in?” Target those areas. Don’t miss the point of what God wants to do in your life by focusing on irrelevant minutiae.

God’s Knowable Word is a piercing Word. It rips us apart and puts us back together. It identifies exactly what is wrong with the world: me and you. It shows us the solution: Jesus. It gives us hope that we can break the patterns of brokenness and replace them with more life-giving options. Let it speak to the details of your life (Heb 4:12-13).

Remember Jesus in Your Application

March 1, 2013 By Peter Krol

Paul, the great Apostle to the Gentiles, was about to die. He had fought the good fight; he had run the race; he had kept the faith. The crown of righteousness was awaiting.

But he had a few final instructions to pass on to his main man Timothy. One of the most important ones went as follows:

Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, the offspring of David, as preached in my gospel, for which I am suffering, bound with chains like a criminal. But the word of God is not bound! Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory (2 Tim 2:8-10, ESV).

"At the cross I bow my knee" by Demi-Brooke (2009), shared under a Creative Commons Attribution License

Demi-Brooke (2009), Creative Commons

It’s hard to imagine such a mature Christian needing to say something so apparently frivolous. How could Timothy possibly forget about Jesus? Isn’t Jesus the reason he became a pastor? Isn’t Jesus the one who put the “Christ” in “Christianity”?

But Paul knows what we so often ignore, that one of our primary temptations as Christians is to forget Jesus. Especially when it comes to studying the Bible.

Isn’t it so easy to think we needed Jesus before we become Christians, but now we need more discipline? We delight in Jesus and his saving work that rescued us from our past sins, but now we live as though it’s up to us to please God.

We come to the Bible as a book of hope for sinners who can find eternal life by knowing Jesus. But over the years, we change. We begin treating the Bible as a book of rules, and we bludgeon ourselves and others into following those rules out of a sense of guilt or duty. We bind the word of God, and we burden the elect with ethical or doctrinal chains.

I’ve already written about the importance of interpreting every Bible passage through the lens of Jesus. Now, I highlight the importance of remembering Jesus even in our application.

When studying a Bible passage, you might make a theological connection to Jesus, but your work is not yet done. Your application must also connect to and derive from Jesus and his saving work: “Do not be led away by diverse and strange teachings, for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, not by foods, which have not benefited those devoted to them” (Heb 13:9).

In other words, nothing gets up your gumption for serving the Lord more than grace, grace, and more grace. You can’t drum up more faithfulness from the inside. You must be broken by God’s unbelievably high standard, and you must rest in Jesus’ death in your place and obedience on your behalf. Every day. Then, you’ll walk the straight and narrow. And before you know it, you’ll be ready to pass the torch to a new generation.

Here’s what I mean. Once I served as an elder in a church that hired a young new pastor. This guy was a fine preacher, and he had been well-trained to preach Jesus. He got in the pulpit his first week and preached with boldness and clarity.

But he made a few mistakes. He stumbled over his words. He got nervous and said a few things that, frankly, were pretty naïve. After the service, he was discouraged by his failures, and he expected me to hammer him for them. After all, preaching is important business. You can’t mislead God’s sheep, or you’re in big trouble.

We evaluated the sermon together, and he braced himself for some well-earned criticism.

I did not ignore the mistakes. I didn’t approve of them. But I reminded him that Jesus had already died for them. Because the gospel was true, this guy was free to make mistakes, even big ones. I encouraged him to make more such mistakes in the future. I preferred that he give it his all, making a few mistakes in the process, than that he hold back out of fear of imperfection. He was free to live his calling as a preacher with confidence that he was accepted by God and already approved.

He had learned all about how to interpret the Bible with a focus on Jesus, but he had to practice applying it with a focus on Jesus.

So, let’s study (and especially apply) the Bible with such great confidence in Jesus that we can “sin boldly,” as Martin Luther advised his student Philip Melanchthon:

Be a sinner, and let your sins be strong (sin boldly), but let your trust in Christ be stronger, and rejoice in Christ who is the victor over sin, death, and the world. We will commit sins while we are here, for this life is not a place where justice resides. We, however, says Peter (2 Peter 3:13) are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth where justice will reign.

How to Apply the Bible: Summary

February 22, 2013 By Peter Krol

A few weeks ago I promised that anyone could learn how to apply the Bible to life. Since then, I’ve given a several categories to help flex your application muscles. Today I’d like to pull it all together.

We can apply the Bible in 2 directions and to 3 spheres. Think of these things as a matrix, with the spheres (head, heart, hands) down the left side and the directions (inward, outward) across the top. Here’s a worksheet to help you visualize it.

When you sit down to study the Bible, and you feel stuck in application, use this worksheet to help. Just write a few ideas in each box, and see if you can fill all six.

Here are some tips to help you do so:

Don’t fall into the trap of too much self-centered living. Push your application outward, and consider how you can be more effective at influencing others to know Christ.
Don’t fall into the trap of overly theological application (too much focus on your head). God cares about what you think and believe, but he also cares about your character and obedience.
Don’t fall into the trap of overly ethical application (too much focus on your hands). God cares about what you do, but he also cares about your thinking and character.
Don’t fall into the trap of overly pietistic application (too much focus on your heart). God cares about who you are, but it should flow out to your thinking and obedience as well.

Finally, here are some positive suggestions:

Remember Jesus Christ,risen from the dead (2 Tim 2:8). Your application will fall to pieces if it’s about you and your strength to produce change. Only the resurrection power of Jesus, put within you by his Holy Spirit, can make any difference in your life.
Get specific. Your application will flutter about in the wind of life if you don’t nail down details. Don’t settle for broad principles; make concrete action steps.

I’ll expand on these last two tips in the next few weeks.

Apply the Bible to Your Heart

February 15, 2013 By Peter Krol

"Lego Hearts" by Bill Ward (2009), shared under a Creative Commons Attribution license

Bill Ward (2009), Creative Commons

It’s possible to apply the Bible vigorously to your head and hands and still not end up in the right place. Just look at how many (ungodly) theologians and legalists abound in our day, and you’ll see what I mean.

So we must not miss the third sphere of application: the Heart.

In calling us to change, God’s ultimate purpose is to conform us to the image of Jesus (Rom 8:29). That’s a fancy way of saying he wants us to be like him.

It’s not enough to believe the truth. Unless you put it into practice, you remain only “not far from [but not yet in] the Kingdom of God” (Mark 12:32-34, ESV).

It’s not enough to do good things. Unless you become a new person, your obedience remains filthy and worthless. “For neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation” (Gal 6:15).

Therefore, as you seek to apply the Bible to your life, you ought always ask the question: “what kind of person does God want me to be?”

You can tackle this question in a few different ways:

What do you desire or value, and what should you desire or value instead?
What ungodly character traits should you turn from, and what Christ-like character traits can you imitate instead?
How might you be relying on your performance, and how can you rely more on Christ’s performance?
What are your greatest hopes? Is your bucket list too small compared to the Lord’s bucket list for you?
Are the kind of person others should imitate? Why or why not, and what will you do about it?

Let’s practice once again with Luke 2:21. We’ve stated the main point as: “God sent Jesus to be born so he might save the lowly and rule them graciously. This brings him highest glory.” In light of that point, what sort of people ought we, who have hoped in Christ, to be?

Some inward Heart applications might be:

I ought to live more for the God’s glory than my glory.
I don’t need to get defensive about… (whatever someone tried to confront me on). It’s okay if my weakness is exposed. I need to grow at being more approachable.
I can be honest about my struggles with my friends, spouse, church family and children.
I must not look down on others for any reason. If God can save me, he can save anybody.
I should love non-Christians and desire their salvation. Why do I struggle with this?

Some outward Heart applications might be:

I should speak of God’s glory often, and call others to do the same.
I’ll figure out why I’m ashamed to speak of Jesus in public. What do I value more than his glory?
As I mentor younger Christians, I need to ask better questions to uncover what they value and desire in their sin struggles. Then I can help point them to the cross so they can repent and be made new.
My children have a greater need to learn teachability than to learn any particular skill or behavior. Am I modeling such teachability as a parent and calling the children to imitate me?
Since Jesus didn’t hide from his conflict with me, I will not run away from conflict with others. I will pursue it with grace, intending real reconciliation.

What other Heart applications from Luke 2 can you think of?

Apply the Bible to Your Hands

February 8, 2013 By Peter Krol

"Hands" by John Lambert Pearson (2007), shared under a Creative Commons Attribution license

John Lambert Pearson (2007), Creative Commons

Christians should be at the top of every field. They should be the best performers in the workplace. They should be the most productive citizens. They should be the most delightful neighbors and the most trustworthy companions.

But so often they’re not. Outsiders often see them as lazy, condescending, irritable, and ignorant.

Why? We’ve been bought with a price, and now get to honor God with our bodies (1 Cor 6:20). We have a new Master, and we work for him – not for any human supervisors (Col 3:23-24). Jesus plans to make all things new (Rev 21:5); surely this includes not only spiritual improvement but also technology, culture, the arts, and education.

Here’s the thing, though. People don’t become Christians because they’re particularly useful to God or exemplary in some skill. They’re not the sharpest knives in the drawer, nor the tops of their classes. They’re not the most beautiful, engaging, or selfless people on the planet. That’s why Christ died for them (1 Cor 1:26-30).

So there’s a reason Christians will never naturally gravitate to the upper levels of society in any generation.

But Jesus is in the business of making the unlovely lovely. He takes the weak and infuses them with his strength. He makes the poor rich in him, and he makes the ignorant wise in him.

In short, Jesus is taking over the world. If you follow him, he’ll shape you into something useful. He guarantees you a part in the drama. You’re an executive in his company.

This means that your application of the Bible must hit your hands. It must equip you in skills you didn’t think you could acquire. The Bible will instruct you and train you in fresh ways, so you can become a skilled laborer for the kingdom of God. This is the second sphere of application.

What does it look like to apply the Bible to your hands? How does one develop new skills?

Let’s practice by using the main point of Luke 2:1-21: “God sent Jesus to be born so he might save the lowly and rule them graciously. This brings him highest glory.”

Some inward Hand applications might be:

I should freely acknowledge those areas of life where I am weak and unskilled (lowly).
I can speak about these issues often, requesting advice so I can improve.
I should praise God explicitly when I succeed.
I should praise God explicitly when I fail.
I ought to think and speak about Jesus, his saving work, and his gracious rule constantly.
I can learn to work Jesus into any conversation, without any hint of arrogance or condescension. (This is not a matter of gifting. God commands every Christian to learn this skill. See Col 4:5-6.)
I can hear others out and seek to understand them, even if they don’t hear me out.

Some outward Hand applications might be:

I can train younger believers (including my children) in any of the items listed above.
I can encourage any and all progress I see.
I should graciously rebuke those who follow Christ, but who aren’t making any improvements in their lives (those who aren’t submitting to his gracious rule).
Whenever I learn a new skill, I should look for someone else to teach it to so God’s glory can keep spreading virally.

As you apply the Bible to your life, don’t stop with thinking true thoughts. Make sure you continue to apply the Gospel by doing good things (Gal 6:9-10).

What other Hand applications from Luke 2 can you think of?

Apply the Bible to Your Head

February 1, 2013 By Peter Krol

"Head" by Tinou Bao (2006), shared under a Creative Commons Attribution license

Tinou Bao (2006), Creative Commons

Gobs of Christians – myself included – do dumb things. We say dumb things and execute dumb decisions.

Every time I talk to someone who was offended by a hurtful, idiotic comment delivered in the name of Jesus, I feel like writing an official instruction manual for Christian growth. It would go something like this:

Take Bible. Read it; study it. Apply with force to head.

The first sphere of application is the Head. It’s critical in our day that we get this. Knowing God through his Word will change your thinking.

Consider 1 Timothy 4:16, where Paul urged Timothy to keep a close watch on himself and on his teaching, for by so doing he would save both himself and his hearers.

Consider Ephesians 4:22-24, where Paul describes Christian growth as a 3-step process:

Put off your old self.
Be renewed in the spirit of your mind.
Put on your new self.

Consider Romans 12:2, where transformation takes place when a Christian renews his mind.

Consider Matthew 22:46, where Jesus was so freaking smart that his opponents couldn’t muster the courage to ask any more sneaky questions.

But how, you ask, does one do this?

In our sin, we replace the truth of God with a lie (Rom 1:25). Therefore, repentance involves doing the opposite.

Therefore, three steps will enable you to apply the Bible to your thinking.

First, identify what you think.
Second, identify what God wants you to think instead.
Third, begin thinking the new thoughts.

For example, how might you apply the main point of Luke 2:1-21 (“God sent Jesus to be born so he might save the lowly and rule them graciously. This brings him highest glory.”) to your head?

I usually think I have to perform adequately before Jesus will take notice of me. I ought to think more of his glorious rescue than my performance.
I usually think that it’s a bad thing for my weakness to be exposed. Actually, it can be a very good thing.
I usually think I must have my act together in order to lead others. It’s more important for them to see me trusting Jesus and giving him glory.

And don’t forget to take your application outward as well:

Do I express favor or disappointment toward others based only on their performance? Or do I believe that, although God requires perfection, he provided it in Christ?
There are people in my life that I believe deep down are beyond salvation. I must repent of such unbelief and act toward them out of a true faith in God’s mighty working through the lowly.
I generally think of myself as “not a people person,” “not gifted at evangelism,” or “witnessing to Christ through my example.” Really, I am in love with my comfort and reputation. I must learn to think of myself as “ambassador,” “witness,” or “mouthpiece” of the Lord Jesus.

What other Head applications can you think of from Luke 2?

Three Spheres of Application

January 25, 2013 By Peter Krol

Last week, I wrote about the two directions we can take with our application. This week, I’d like to propose another way of thinking about application: the 3 spheres. Over the next few weeks, I’ll explain each of these 3 spheres in greater detail. Then I’ll pull it all together into a single model that will give you practical steps to follow when seeking to apply any passage of Scripture.

The 3 spheres for application are Head, Hands, and Heart. These spheres represent 3 different aspects of your life where you can obey the Lord and be conformed to the image of Jesus.

Tinou Bao (2006), Creative Commons

The Head represents everything you think and believe. This sphere involves thinking God’s thoughts after him and believing his truth. It involves identifying lies you believe so you can replace them with the truth.

>>You rebel against God when you believe what is not true (Rom 1:25).
>>When you know the truth of God’s Knowable Word, it will set you free from your slavery to deception (John 8:31-32).
>>”Faith” is what you demonstrate when you lay aside your deception and hold on to what is true, even if it’s not immediately visible (Heb 11:1).

John Lambert Pearson (2007), Creative Commons

The Hands represent everything you do. This sphere involves imitating the Lord and his ambassadors, learning new skills so you can be more effective at building God’s Kingdom, and laying aside your old patterns of selfish behavior.

You haven’t really repented of sin until your life changes (Luke 3:7-8, 10-14).
Change involves believing the truth (this overlaps with the “Head” sphere), quitting your old behavior, and developing new habits of obedience (Eph 4:20-24, with specific examples in Eph 4:25-32).
Any “faith” that cares only about the doctrinal statement is not true faith. Your doctrine matters (“Head” application, again), but only if you put it into practice (James 2:14-17).

Bill Ward (2009), Creative Commons

The Heart represents who you are. This sphere involves becoming a new person who desires the Lord above all and shows godly wisdom and selfless character.

>>Changing your behavior without changing your heart is an abomination (Isaiah 29:13-14).
>>Knowing the right thing to do (“Head” application) and doing it (“Hands” application), without being born again to new hopes and desires in Christ won’t count for anything (Gal 6:15-16).
>>A Christ-like heart with love for God and men is much more valuable than good religion and proper behavior (Mark 12:32-34).

All 3 spheres matter. Much of the trick of application is figuring out how to land in all three areas without imbalance.

Which of the three spheres do you find easiest or most difficult? Why?

Two Ways to Handle Disappointment

January 22, 2013 By Peter Krol

Disappointment results when our expectations are not met. Most people deal with their disappointment by taking it either 1) in & down or 2) out & around.

“Spiral Staircase” by Roberto Verzo (2010), shared under a Creative Commons Attribution license

1) Those who take disappointment in & down tend to see themselves as the source of the problem. Perhaps, they reason, their expectations were too high. They mentally relive the situation and assume it won’t get any better. They might lower their expectations to avoid further disappointment, even to the point of losing hope. These people might believe God is disappointed with them for failing him. They feed the downward & inward spiral until they bottom out in full-fledged depression. They read passages like Proverbs 3:1-12, but refuse to get their hopes up. So they always go back to Job and focus there, because that’s how life really is.

For example, if your friends forget your birthday, and if you take your disappointment inward, you might begin to assume that nobody will ever remember your birthday. You don’t want to be a burden to people, so you say nothing about it. You lower your expectations to the point where you’re surprised and uncomfortable if your birthday comes up in conversation. You begin thinking of God as a distant authority figure. He’ll let you into heaven because he has to, but he’s pretty discouraged by what he ended up with when you became a Christian. As God and men continue to disregard you, you get even more discouraged, justifying your hopelessness. You’re trapped in a heartbreaking cycle.

2) Those who take disappointment out & around tend to blame others for causing the problem. They pity themselves and expect others to join the party. They might attack those whom they perceive to be the offenders, by complaining, scolding, or sucking the life out of them until they change. They’re difficult to work with because they always have a critical remark or a better idea. These people might believe God is against them and has failed them. They feed their disapproval until they gain a reputation for anger and aggression.

For example, in season one of Downton Abbey, Downton Village prepares for its annual flower show. The Grantham Cup is supposed to go to the “finest blooms” at the show, but the Dowager Countess of Grantham (played expertly by Dame Maggie Smith) has won the cup as long as can be remembered. The Countess’s flowers are clearly inferior to those of the aging commoner Mr. Molesley, but she has used her title and prestige to pressure the judges for so long that she’s certain to win again. She’s become so skilled at enforcing her expectation of victory that she doesn’t even realize when she’s doing it. Only when she chooses to deny herself and award the trophy to Mr. Molesley, does she handle her own expectations in a non-abusive manner.

We get trapped in these two spirals (in & down, out & around) all the time, and there’s no end in sight. But, God enters our disappointment to break the cycles. He helps us to look up & over our disappointment that we might see him, our loving father.

Tomorrow, I’ll expand on how exactly God enters our disappointment.

Two Directions for Application

January 18, 2013 By Peter Krol

We think rich application is complicated, but Jesus proved it can be quite simple. Consider his summary of how to apply the Bible:

A lawyer asked him a question to test him. “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets” (Matt 22:35-40, ESV).

“All the Law and the Prophets” is pretty comprehensive. Jesus said that the entirety of what God wants us to do boils down to two things: love God and love your neighbor.

"The Fork in the Road" by i_yudai (2008), shared under a Creative Commons Attribution License

i_yudai (2008), Creative Commons

These two commands show two “directions” in which we can apply any passage of the Bible: inward and outward. We can work on becoming more Christ-like people who love God more desperately (inward application), and we can work on becoming more selfless people of influence who love others as Christ has loved us (outward application).

For example, Ephesians 6:4 has obvious and immediate inward application to fathers: Be a more Christ-like, patient, loving father to your children. Instruct and discipline them in the ways of the Lord. We could get much more specific, but I think you get the general idea here.

However, taking your application outward will deepen your insight, whether you are a male with children in the home or not. How can you invest in the fathers around you to help them be better fathers? How can you make the most of your current season of life (singleness, retirement, etc.) to serve others and help them in their parenting of their children? What can you do to serve in your church’s children’s ministry? How can you image God by being a father-figure to the fatherless in your community? How might these issues affect your prayers for your church and community?

Let’s practice further on Luke 2:1-21. We previously identified Luke’s main point as: “God sent Jesus to be born so he might save the lowly and rule them graciously. This brings him highest glory.”

Inward application might yield the following questions:

Do I see myself among the lowly, or among the high and mighty?
Am I open to the Lord’s correction and salvation?
How can I give more glory to God when he rescues me from my sin and foolishness?
Where do I feel the pain of my weakness? Where am I resisting the Lord’s efforts to change me?
Who can help me be more brutally honest about my need for Christ? How can I invite that person’s counsel?

Outward application takes us in a different, yet just as important, direction:

Am I faithfully proclaiming the message of Christ’s rescue to others?
How can I be more effective at connecting every conversation to the saving power of Christ to rescue the lowly?
How can I season my conversation with salt to expose where people trust in themselves and need Christ?
Do I believe that the Lord can rescue anyone?
How can I pray for God to rescue my extended family? My neighbors? My co-workers?
Why do I remain silent, caring more about my glory and comfort than God’s glorious rescue of sinners?

As you study the Bible, remember to consider both how you can change and how you can help others to change. All the Law and the Prophets depend upon it.

Application: the Art of Producing Change

January 11, 2013 By Peter Krol

We call our Bible study method OIA to help us remember the steps: Observation, Interpretation, Application. It’s not quite perfection, but we think it’s much more than just a good idea.

In approaching any passage of Scripture, we must first observe what the text says. If we’ve had a keen eye, we can move on to interpret what the author meant. We’ve allowed the passage to lead us to Jesus so we could see his beauty and glory and mercy. We’ve discovered the main point that the author wanted to communicate.

"What's Down Your Hall?" by Ian Burt (2006), shared under a Creative Commons Attribution License

Ian Burt (2006), Creative Commons

Now we’ve come to the threshold of Application. We’re ready to take what we’ve learned and put it into practice.

The biggest problem is…we don’t know how.

We see people do it all the time. Maybe you’ve got a friend who always seems excited by the Bible. She’s often quoting verses and sharing what God is teaching her. She makes connections you wouldn’t have dreamed of making. She’s delightful to learn from. But you’ll never be able to duplicate her success…

Maybe you have a favorite preacher whose sermons you download onto your iPod. You can’t get enough of this great Bible teacher, because he’s just so good at making the text sing. When you hear him preach, your awareness sharpens and your conscience springs to life. You’re motivated to make changes, and you’re captivated by a vision for God’s glory. But you just can’t stimulate those same feelings in your personal Bible study…

I’m writing this post to encourage you.

Although rich application is a serious art, and some people are just natural at it, it is also a muscle that anyone can exercise and shape. If you are a Christian, you have the Spirit of God (Rom 8:15), who is able to help you understand God’s words (1 Cor 2:12-13). The Spirit glorifies Jesus (John 16:14) and brings conviction of sin (John 16:8-11). The Spirit empowers you to obey Jesus and make significant changes to your life (Eph 3:14-21).

You are able to learn how to apply the Bible in exciting ways. Over the next few weeks, we’ll unpack some specific steps, but here’s a quick overview.

We can apply a Bible passage in two directions: inward and outward. In other words, we can change our own lives to be more like Christ (inward), and we can become influencers who help others learn how to change to be more like Christ (outward). We are both slaves and ambassadors to King Jesus.

We can apply a Bible passage to three components: head, hands, and heart. In other words, a passage can address any or all three areas of conviction/doctrine, competence/skills, and character.

While a passage likely has only one main point (although there’s almost never one “right way” to phrase it), it can have almost an infinite number of applications. Since the Bible applies to any person living in any place at any time, it must be pretty versatile when it comes to specific application.

What do you find most difficult about applying the Bible to your life?

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