It’s About Application – Truth in Action

When was the most recent powerful sermon you heard? What was it about the message that made such an impression on you?

 

I could cite numerous sermons and presentations that struck me in a powerful way, but I’d have to say they all contained three common elements. The great English preacher of the 19^th century, Charles H. Spurgeon is credited with explaining how he prepared his messages, although I suspect many other pastors have used the same approach.

 

Spurgeon said that in preparing to speak on a specific Bible passage, he would ask three questions: What does it say? What does it mean? And finally, What difference does it make? Or as I’m often tempted to ask near the conclusion of a sermon, “So what?”

 

Perhaps to a fault, I tend to err on the side of personal application, whether in reading and studying the Bible, or writing an article or blog post like this. As Spurgeon said, it’s not enough to read the words and try to discern their meaning. It’s the third step, determining what difference the teachings of a passage should make in our lives, that lights the fire under us.

 

One time I talked with a pastor about his approach to giving Sunday morning messages. He was excellent in explaining to the congregation what a Bible passage said and what it meant, at times even referring to the original Hebrew or Greek terms for clarification. Where his messages fell short, in my opinion, was in the area of application.

 

After a lengthy discussion, the pastor told me that in his view, the matter of application should be left to the Holy Spirit. In other words, it’s up to God’s Spirit to teach us how to apply biblical truth. To an extent I could agree; how one section of Scripture applies to my life might be quite different from how the passage relates to someone else’s life. But to extend the pastor’s logic, why not trust the Holy Spirit to enable us to understand what a passage says and means, as well?

 

Application – the old “where the rubber meets the road” concept – is what distinguishes a growing, fruitful follower of Jesus from one who has merely absorbed considerable biblical information and knowledge. As the apostle James exhorted first-century believers, “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says” (James 1:22). To do what it says involves applying it to our own lives and circumstances.

 

The late Henry R. Brandt, a pioneer in modern-day biblical counseling, also was an accomplished author and popular conference speaker. I heard Dr. Brandt say that whenever he spoke, he had only one point to make – but by using a variety of illustrations, he strived to convey that point in as many ways as he could, so everyone listening had an opportunity to grasp what he was talking about.

 

Most folks aren’t going to write Christian books, speak at Bible conferences or preach from Sunday pulpits. But as we spend time individually in the Word of God, Spurgeon’s counsel could serve as an effective guide for our study. If, when we read the Scriptures we conclude, “I didn’t get anything out of it,” maybe it’s because we’re reading only for information and not illumination.

 

Consider a passage, any passage. It could be a psalm, a chapter from Proverbs, maybe one of the vivid narratives from Genesis or Exodus, an episode from Jesus’ life in one of the gospels, or a section in one of the New Testament letters. As you read it, ask yourself: What does it say? And don’t settle for the first answer that comes to your mind. Next ask, what does it mean? Again, take the time to ponder and even meditate on this for a bit. 

 

Finally, ask yourself, what difference does it make – for you? As someone has wisely observed, “God doesn’t give us information to know something. He gives us knowledge so we can do something.” And that means applying biblical truth to our lives through obedience and practice.

 

This is one reason the apostle admonished, “What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, ‘God, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,’ but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead” (James 2:14-17).

As followers of Jesus, if we’re to live abundant and fruitful lives that glorify Him and fulfill His purposes for our lives, we dare not neglect application of the Scriptures – biblical truth in action.