Bible study is so much more than just learning about God’s Word. It’s a life transforming process as we apply it to our lives. Application of what you’ve learned is the critical part of the inductive process. Once you know what a passage of Scripture says you are then responsible for living it. God will hold you to a higher bar than those who do not know the spiritual truths you have learned.
James 1:22-25 – 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 observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.
Application flows out through observation and correct interpretation. Application begins with belief, which then results in doing. Application takes place as you are confronted with God’s truth and respond to it in obedience. The glorious end result of application is transformation. Transformation is sanctification by the Holy Spirit as you are made more like our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Application answers the following questions:
How does the meaning of this passage apply to me?
What truths am I to embrace, believe, or order my life by?
What changes should I make in my belief, in my life?
As verified in 2 Timothy 3:16-17, we must apply Scripture in the light of its teaching, reproof, correction, and training in righteousness. God could not be clearer about this. These are key to the application of Scripture as instructions for our life. Scripture will never benefit your life if you don’t apply what you’ve learned.
2 Timothy 3:16-17 – All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.
NOTE – My blog series on Bible study, Bible interpretation and Bible application relied heavily on the book “How to Study Your Bible” by Kay Arthur.