This is the 5th and final post in the How to Study the Bible series. If you missed the earlier articles, no worries, here are links to each:
Part 1 – Is Studying God’s Word Worth My Time?
Part 2 – Three Steps of Bible Study
Part 3 – The First Step: Observation
Part 4 – The Second Step: Interpretation
Today we are looking closer at the third step which is Application. This is an important one you don’t want to miss! The goal of bible study is “transformation not just information.” It is not to get smarter but to know God and His will and become more like Jesus. This final step is applying what you learned in the previous steps.
There are three aspects to applying God’s Word: Relate it to your life, meditate on it, and practice it.
But before you can do those three you must know what it is that you are applying, meditating on and practicing. As stated in the previous articles, it is important to complete the steps in order. Application of God’s Word is built on the interpretation. If the interpretation is incorrect, then the application will be wrong as well. While there is one correct interpretation of scripture there are many possible applications. You must first know the truth in order to be able to apply it and since our ultimate goal is to apply it, we need to make sure we are applying it correctly!
Relate God’s Word to your life
“Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.” – 2 Corinthians 5:17
When applying what you have learned consider how you can relate that truth to your everyday life. How do you apply it to your family, marriage, work, hobby, even church life? How should your life change based on what God has revealed to you in scripture? How can you live your everyday life more like Jesus? When you have accepted Christ as your Lord and Savior you are a new creature. Consider what life as that new creature should look like in relation to what you have learned studying God’s Word.
Meditate on God’s Word
“O how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day.” – Psalm 119:97
“This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success.” – Joshua 1:8
Meditate on the truth revealed in God’s Word so that you may be careful (which also can be translated “observe”) to do according to all that is written in it. Along with meditation, memorize God’s Word. If scripture is firmly rooted in your mind it will readily come to your aid in the time of need. One key to memorizing scripture is to put copies of it where you will see it throughout your day, and recite it every time you see it. Also, continually repeat the verses you have previously committed to memory so that you retain them. I have found as I have gotten older that I “lose” what I don’t “use.”
Psalm 1 states that “blessed is the man” who “meditates day and night” in the “law of the Lord” for “he will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in its season.” If your desire is for your life to bear good fruit, mediating on the truth helps to achieve that goal.
Practice the truth in God’s Word
“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” – Psalm 119:105
Put into practice what God has revealed to you through your study of the Bible. Produce that good fruit! As always, pray and ask God to show you areas where the truth can be applied and then to help you apply it. When determining how to practice the truth there are seven questions to help guide you. Consider the passage you studied and ask:
1 – Is there an example to follow? Or perhaps a bad example not to follow. “Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ.” – 1 Corinthians 11:1
2 – Is there a sin (thought or action) to avoid?
3 – Is there a promise to claim? God always keeps His promises!
4 – Is there a prayer to repeat?
5 – Is there a command to obey?
6 – Is there a condition to meet? (e.g. a condition for God’s promise to apply)
7 – Is there a verse to memorize?
Summary
To apply the truth in God’s Word determine how it relates to your life, meditate on it, pray over it, memorize it, ask application questions to determine what action to take – then take action!
Make sure you complete the puzzle and apply what you have learned once the framework of obtaining knowledge is complete. The most important step is determining where all the pieces belong. Ask yourself “where does this piece fit in my life”? Search for the missing pieces that are not immediately obvious. Sometimes when working a puzzle you often try one piece that looks like it might work but it turns out not to be the right piece. It is okay to try and see what works until you find the perfect fit.
Why not make the decision today to establish a regular bible study regime? Set aside time for this endeavor and make sure you keep it. Starting small is fine, maybe 15 minutes a day to study and pray. Consistency is key to turning this into a good habit. I also encourage you to join a bible study group with others who share your passion to study the Bible. Having that accountability will help ensure your success. Can’t find a like-minded bible study group in your area? Then start one! And the other members don’t have to be geographically close to you. Since the outbreak of COVID-19 and the shelter in place order in our state, we have been holding Sunday School class every week virtually using Zoom (there are several other virtual platforms choices also). It’s not as nice as being in the same room, but it works!
I’ll close with one of my favorite quotes I heard when taking an on-line bible course from Dallas Theological Seminary (which much of the content of this post is based on):
“Get into the Word and let the Word get into you.”
Dr. Howard G. Hendricks
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