Intro To Application

Introduction:

I want to welcome everybody tonight. I hope you are finding this study to be helpful, and that as a result it is changing the way you read and study your Bible.

If you were here last week, we finished out the section on Interpretation as we looked at the 5 C’s of interpretation.

The first C being content which represents the sum total of everything we’ve learned in the observation stage of our study.

The second C was context, which represents that which comes before and comes after. Which means, if we’re going to do proper interpretation, we always have to remember that what we are studying doesn’t stand alone. And that it stands within a paragraph, a chapter, a book of the Bible, and then the Bible itself.

The third C was comparison, which means when we study scripture, we should always compare scripture with scripture. Which offers a great safety net because the greatest interpreter of scripture is scripture itself.

What that means then is, if you are studying a passage of scripture, and you come up with what you think it means, then there should be other passages of scripture that back it up.

The fourth C was culture, which means when we interpret, we must always remember that what we are reading was written during a different time and in a different place. In a place where the way people lived and did life was drastically different than our own way of life.

As a result, when we come to scripture, we have to makes sure we are interpreting based on the culture of what we are reading.

The final C was consultation, which involves the use of secondary sources that can shed light on the text and help you make more sense out of what you are looking for. In way, this is your tool belt or utility belt that will aid you in accomplishing the mission of interpretation.

And as we learned there are several secondary sources we can use. Everything from Bible dictionaries, to concordances, to Bible handbooks, to Bible Atlases, to commentaries. Sources that give us greater insight and understanding into what we are reading.

So, hopefully you were able to begin to apply the 5 C’s this past week as you learn to become better interpreters of God’s Word.

Tonight however, we are going to move to the third and final step in this process of learning how to read the Bible. A stage in the process called Application.

A stage that is probably the most important and most neglected when it comes to Bible study. Because regardless of how much you study and observe, or even how accurate you are in your interpretation, if you’re not applying what you’ve learned, then really it’s all for not.

Which is why the third and final stage of Application is actually the most critical if true life change is going to take place as a result of your study.

Because at the end of the day, the Bible was not written to satisfy your curiosity; it was written to transform your life.

But unfortunately for many Christians, this kind of transformation rarely takes place.

And so, as we move into this section on Application tonight, I have two goals.

First, to look at why application is so often neglected by Christians. Because before we can learn how to apply the Bible, we need to recognize why we avoid it.

And second, to look at what application is meant to produce in us. In other words, before we learn to apply the Bible, we need to understand what our end goal is.

And then next week we are going to actually look at how to take what we’ve observed and interpreted, and derive application from it.

So, with that as our basis, let’s get started as we look at why application is so often neglected or avoided by Christians. And I’d like to suggest there are 5 reasons why that’s the case:

Reason #1 - We Substitute Interpretation for Application

What I mean by that is we’d rather settle for knowledge rather than experience. In other words, we’d rather know than do.

And to be honest, this is the problem for a lot of Christians. Christians who know a lot about what the Bible says. Christians who can quote several key verses. Christians who know key Bible characters like Samson, David, Peter, Jesus, and Paul, and the stories that surround them. Christians who are knowledgable of what the Bible says, but rarely live out what it says.

Probably the greatest Biblical example of this would be the religious leaders of Jesus’s day, who knew the OT frontwards and backwards, but rarely applied what they knew.

For example, they knew what the OT said about the Messiah. Because when the Wise Men showed up asking where the King had been born, the religious leaders knew exactly where to tell Herod to look. Look at how Matthew records it:

Matthew 2:4–5 ESV

4 and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. 5 They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet:

You see, they knew what the Bible said. They had interpreted it correctly. But you know what they didn’t do? After hearing the report from the Wise Men, they didn’t go down and check it out. Even though the town was five miles away, they didn’t go and see for themselves if the Messiah had in fact been born.

And unfortunately, that’s the issue for a lot of Christians. They’ve spent a lot of studying, but not much doing. And the fact is, there’s some danger in that. Because listen to what James says about knowing and not doing. He writes:

James 4:17 ESV

17 So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.

James says, “To know what God says we should do, but not do it, is actually a sin.”

And if that’s not enough to concern us, Jesus puts it like this:

Luke 6:46 ESV

46 “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you?

In this passage Jesus is basically saying, “If you believe I’m the LORD, then why aren’t you doing what I say.”

And the same question applies to us. Because if we say Jesus is Lord, and we believe His Word is true, then it’s not enough to know what it says. We actually need to do what it says.

This leads us to another reason Christians often avoid application:

Reason #2 - We Substitute Superficial Obedience for Substantive Life Change

The idea here is that are really good or would rather apply Biblical truth where we are already applying it, but not apply it to new areas where we are not applying it.

Let me give you an example of what I mean.

Let’s say you’re reading through the book of Ephesians, and you come to Ephesians 4 where Paul writes:

Ephesians 4:25 ESV

25 Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another.

In this passage Paul encourages us to avoid falsehood and to always speak the truth. So, as you think about that, you begin to think of all the areas you are truthful in.

You think about how you are truthful with your wife and kids. How you are truthful with your friends. How your honest and truthful with your co-workers. In fact, as you think about it, you begin to pat yourself on the back a little bit and tell yourself, “You know, you’re a pretty truthful guy”.

But meanwhile, you fail to recognize that when it comes to your tax return, you’re not always truthful. Or when it comes to some of your business dealings, you’ve done some shady things. Or when it comes to people you don’t like, you’ve sometimes been less than honest. And as a result, it remains a blind spot in your life. And as a result, the truth of God’s word in that instance doesn’t penetrate that part of your life.

Which means at the end of the day, your only partially honest, and you haven’t fully applied to scripture to put away falsehood.

See how that works?

This leads us to a third reason we tend to avoid application:

Reason #3 - We Substitute Rationalization for Repentance.

I would say this is what most Christians are most often guilty of, as instead of repenting from our sin, we begin to rationalize it.

For example, let’s just say after considering how truthful you are, your wife points out to you that you haven’t always been truthful on your tax return. How you’ve falsely reported some of the family income.

But instead of repenting, you get defensive, and start rationalizing. So you say something like, “Well, don’t think for one moment I’m the only one that does that. I mean, a lot of people fudge on their taxes. After all, all the government is going to do is blow it on some government program. And the good news honey is we actually now have more money to give to the church.”

Another example would be two Christians who decide to move in together instead of getting married. Now, obviously they know what the Bible says about this. But instead of doing what is right, they rationalize it. They say things like:

“Well, we plan on getting married anyways. So, technically we are already married in God’s sight”.

Or they say, “Well, it just makes financial sense for us to do this right now. After all, God wants us to be wise with our finances.”

And I could go on on ways that Christians often substitute rationalization for repentance, as they explain away what the Bible commands or is challenging them to do or change.

This leads us to the fourth reason:

Reason #4 - We Substitute an Emotional Experience for Actual Change.

The idea here is that as we study God’s Word or hear a sermon, we experience an emotional moment, but it doesn’t lead to real change.

For example, every Sunday I’ll have people come up to me, with tears in their eyes and say something like, “Pastor, it was if you were talking directly to me today. I so needed to hear that. Thank you pastor for being obedient and sharing that today.”

But as the day wears on, the emotional experience begins to wain, and before long, they are back to their old routine with no real change in their life.

I had something like this happen not too long ago. A man had attended a service where I had mentioned something about not sleeping or living with your girlfriend. So the next day he called me and wanted to grab lunch. At lunch, with tears in his eyes he shared how what I said had cut him to the core. How he recognized something needed to change. And so he asked me, “Pastor, what do you think I should do from here?”

I said, “Well, first, you need to stop having sex with your girlfriend. And second, you need to quit staying over at her house. Third, I would encourage you and her to start attending church together.”

At that point he got really quiet, and he said, “Yeah, I’m not sure if she will go for all of that.” So, I said, “Well, it’s your job to lead her to do what is right. You’re the man. You have to be the one who leads this relationship into what God will bless.”

That lunch was several weeks ago, and the man hasn’t been back to church, and he is now living with his girlfriend.

My point is, while he had an emotional experience that was meant to move him, it didn’t lead to actual change.

Because for change to take place, it has to go beyond goose bumps and tears. It has to go beyond an emotional feeling or response. It has to move to the will. To an actual decision to respond to the feelings and make a change.

Last reason:

Reason #5 - We Substitute Communication for Transformation.

This is the idea that we talk the talk but don’t walk the walk. The idea that if we know what the Bible says and can accurately communicate it, that somehow we are off the hook from actually doing it.

Sounds kind of crazy, right? But Christians do it all the time.

And really what it is, is our attempt to appear Christ like or to appear righteous, when the truth is, we are the farthest thing from it.

Again, this is dangerous, because while we may fool those around us, we aren’t fooling God when we do this. Because listen to what the Bible says about this:

1 Samuel 16:7 ESV

7 But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.”

In this passage God reminds us that He can see beyond what’s on the outside, and that He can actually look and see what’s in our heart.

The writer of Hebrews puts it like this:

Hebrews 4:13 ESV

13 And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.

The writer says, “Listen, you need to remember that God isn’t going to be fooled. Because what others can’t see, He can see. And in the end, you will give account for what you’ve hidden.”

You see, what we need to remember is that God is never impressed with our words, because what He is looking at is our heart.

Which means, a person can quote scripture, be knowledgeable in Bible stories, and have the appearance of godliness, but if it isn’t transforming them on the inside, then all it is is empty words.

And in that moment we are as guilty as the Israelites in the day’s of Isaiah. Listen to what Jesus says as he recounts the words of Isaiah:

Matthew 15:8 ESV

8 “ ‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me;

What Jesus is saying here is, is that God doesn’t want lip service. He wants heart change.

Because as we said, that’s the purpose of application. To bring about transformation. That’s what it’s mean to do.

The question then is, “What does that process look like and how does it work?”

Let’s begin with what it looks like. And according to the Apostle James, it looks like a mirror. Look at how he puts it:

James 1:23–25 ESV

23 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. 24 For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. 25 But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.

In this passage, James uses the analogy of a mirror to describe how we should embrace and apply Biblical truth.

So, let’s think about that analogy for a second and what we use a mirror for, because the fact is, everyone of us uses a mirror as we prepare for our day.

So, that being the case, let me ask you this, “What do we use it for?”

Well, first we use it to assess ourselves. For example, as I look in the mirror I assess my need to shave, or I assess my need to comb my hear, or I assess my need to splash some water on my face. Or maybe if you’re a woman, you assess the need for make up. Or your need to wash some make up off. The point being, we use the mirror to determine actions steps we need to take to improve our appearance.

But what if all we did is look at the morning mess in the mirror and then just walk away. Imagine then how that might go later in the day, as your boss walks up and says, “You out of razors”, or “Did you lose your hairbrush”. But then we say, “No, in fact I have a brand new pack of razors and I just bought a new brush.” And then your boss says, “Well, I’d suggest you use the razors and the hairbrush, otherwise you might need to find a job that doesn’t care if you come to work like you just got out of bed.”

It kind of reminds me of my son-in-law. Because from the time he met and married my daughter, he had what I would call a Scooby doo Shaggy look. You know, his hair hung over his ears and came down to his eyes. In fact, I would give him a hard time about it and ask him if he had looked in a mirror recently.

Well, not too long after he graduated from college and married my daughter, they moved out to California, and he started looking for a job. And for 6 months he went to interview after interview with no luck. And so when they came home for Christmas that year, I told him, “Listen, I know you’re probably tiered of me giving you a hard time about your haircut, but if you want to get a job, then you need to look like you want a job. And so that week I convinced him to get a business like haircut, and would you believe it, but a couple weeks later, he got a job.

All that to say, James point here is that nobody looks in the mirror and ignores the mess. And the same must be true with God’s Word. Because when it comes to our spiritual state, God’s Word is the mirror. And every time you study God’s Word and aren’t changed by it, it’s as if you looked in the mirror, saw the mess, but walked away and did nothing about it. And let me be frank, that’s not an option for us. Because to walk away from the mirror of God’s Word and do nothing about the mess, will ultimately lead to consequences and a lack of spiritual transformation in our life.

The question then is, “How do you avoid walking away from the mirror?” Well, it begins by understanding the purpose of them mirror and what it’s intended to do.

So, let’s begin with what it requires of us.

First, it requires us to come to the mirror.

In other words, through observation and interpretation, we put ourselves in a place where we can hear and understand what God’s Word is saying. Which is what we’ve been learning to do up too this point.

This is an important step and emphasizes the importance of good observation and accurate interpretation. Because the fact is, in order to see what the mirror of God’s Word is showing us, we need to make sure we accurately understand what it is saying. Otherwise, we could get a false understanding of God’s Word that could lead to wrong or even unhealthy application.

Think of it like this. Have you ever looked into a distorted mirror? You know, like a mirror that makes you look really skinny. Or a mirror that makes you look really fat. Or a mirror that makes your head big, your body small, and your feet short.

Now, imagine if you took that distorted image and began to make decisions based on what you saw. Wouldn’t be good, right? Because if the distorted image showed you to be really skinny, you might start eating more than you should. Or if the distorted image made you took really fat, you might go on a diet that you don’t need to go on.

My point is, if the mirror is distorted, then not only are you seeing a distorted image, based on that you’re going to make decisions then that aren’t helpful or healthy for you.

The same is true with God’s Word. Because if we haven’t taken the time to get an accurate picture of what God’s Word is saying, we are going to see a distorted image that will lead to wrong or unhealthy application in our life.

All that to say, it starts with coming to the mirror of accurate interpretation.

Second, it should lead to conviction.

The idea here, is after looking into the mirror of truth, we are moved to change. Paul puts it like this to Timothy:

2 Timothy 3:16 ESV

16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,

Notice that Paul says the Word of God is profitable for reproof. The idea here is that someone has done wrong, with the implication that there is adequate proof of such wrongdoing. Which then should lead to conviction.

And again, this is why some people avoid the mirror of God’s Word. Because they know if they look into it, they will see something that needs to be corrected. Something they may not want to correct or don’t want to feel guilty about.

And what we need to understand, is unless we are willing to be convicted, we can’t be transformed.

It’s like when you go to the doctor because you know something is wrong. The last thing you want to hear is the doctor say, “You have cancer”. But until you hear those words, you won’t be motivated to do anything about it. Because the first step in curing the disease is the diagnosis.

And that’s exactly what happens when we look into the mirror of God’s Word. At that point we begin to see the blemishes. We begin to see the mess. And no, it’s no fun to look at. Yes, it might even make us feel bad. But until we are willing to look at it and see it for what it is, change will never take place.

Not only that, but if we want to be freed from sin, it begins with conviction. It begins by recognizing our sin. Listen to how David describes his conviction after being confronted about his sin with Bathsheba:

Psalm 38 ESV

A Psalm of David, for the memorial offering. 1 O Lord, rebuke me not in your anger, nor discipline me in your wrath! 2 For your arrows have sunk into me, and your hand has come down on me. 3 There is no soundness in my flesh because of your indignation; there is no health in my bones because of my sin. 4 For my iniquities have gone over my head; like a heavy burden, they are too heavy for me. 5 My wounds stink and fester because of my foolishness, 6 I am utterly bowed down and prostrate; all the day I go about mourning. 7 For my sides are filled with burning, and there is no soundness in my flesh. 8 I am feeble and crushed; I groan because of the tumult of my heart. 9 O Lord, all my longing is before you; my sighing is not hidden from you. 10 My heart throbs; my strength fails me, and the light of my eyes—it also has gone from me. 11 My friends and companions stand aloof from my plague, and my nearest kin stand far off. 12 Those who seek my life lay their snares; those who seek my hurt speak of ruin and meditate treachery all day long. 13 But I am like a deaf man; I do not hear, like a mute man who does not open his mouth. 14 I have become like a man who does not hear, and in whose mouth are no rebukes. 15 But for you, O Lord, do I wait; it is you, O Lord my God, who will answer. 16 For I said, “Only let them not rejoice over me, who boast against me when my foot slips!” 17 For I am ready to fall, and my pain is ever before me. 18 I confess my iniquity; I am sorry for my sin. 19 But my foes are vigorous, they are mighty, and many are those who hate me wrongfully. 20 Those who render me evil for good accuse me because I follow after good. 21 Do not forsake me, O Lord! O my God, be not far from me! 22 Make haste to help me, O Lord, my salvation!

In this moment David is struck to the core because of his sin. Because that’s what conviction is meant to do. It’s mean to show us what needs to change.

Third, it should convince us of the benefits of change.

The idea is that as we look into God’s Word, we begin to see the positive aspects of change. The good that will come from it. The hope that it will give us. The new life it promises.

A great example of this would be the story of the Prodigal son. A story where a son finally comes to the end of himself, and as he looks into the truth of what he’s become, he recognizes his need for repentance and change. Look at how Jesus tells the story:

Luke 15:17–19 ESV

17 “But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger! 18 I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants.” ’

Jesus says as the son recognizes his sin, he decides to go home and beg his father for forgiveness, in the hopes that his father will at least let him be a servant.

But much to the sons surprise, his father responds in a totally different way. Jesus goes on to say:

Luke 15:20–23 ESV

20 And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. 21 And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ 22 But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. 23 And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate.

Jesus says as the son returns home, the father is so excited his son returns home that he throws a celebration and restores his son to full sonship. Something the son would have never expected.

And what was true for that son is true for anybody that is willing to repent and turn their life over to God. Because in that moment God welcomes us home and he restores us despite our sinful past.

You see, God’s Word convinces us that the change is not only necessary, it’s beneficial.

Fourth, this then leads to Conversion.

The idea here is that ultimately the mirror of God’s Word brings about conversion. And when I say conversion I’m not just talking about initial salvation, but the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit in our lies as day by day we are formed more and more into the image of Jesus. A process we refer to as sanctification.

And for the Christian, this is going to be a day by day process as we daily look into God’s Word and allow the Holy Spirit to continue the work of transformation in our life. Transformation that isn’t always pleasant or painless. Transformation that will require sacrifice and change. Transformation that is meant to change habits, remove spiritual strongholds, and move us forward in our relationship with God. The Apostle Paul puts it like this in 2 Corinthians 3:

2 Corinthians 3:18 ESV

18 And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.

Paul says we are being transformed from one degree of glory to another. A work that comes as the Word of God exposes our weaknesses, leads us to deal with our sin, convinces us of change, and leads us into spiritual transformation.

What kind of transformation?

Transformation from old beliefs to new beliefs.

Transformation from old values to new values.

Transformation from old behaviors to new behaviors.

Transformation from old habits to new habits.

Transformation from old relationships to new relationships.

Transformation from old outlooks to a new outlook.

Transformation from old dreams to new drams.

Transformation from an old purpose to a new purpose.

Transformation from an old environment to a new environment.

Transformation from an old job to a new job.

Transformation from an old character to a new character.

Transformation from old morals to new morals.

Transformation from old desires to new desires.

Transformation from the old you to the new you.

The Apostle Paul puts it like this:

2 Corinthians 5:17 ESV

17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

And at the end of the day, that’s what application is meant to do. That’s why it’s so critical to Bible study. Because without it, there can be no change. Without it, there can be no transformation.