The Practical Application Of God's Word

(Part Two)

"Apply thine heart unto instruction, and thine ears to the words of knowledge." -Proverbs 23:12

Let us review what we talked about in our last teaching on the practical application of God's Word. We gave a breif exposition of the scripture text. We mentioned that to apply something was to "put to use for some practical purpose; to put into operation or effect." We also discussed the fact that we need knowledge of God's Word in order to have something to give application to. The Bible tells us that we are destroyed without it (Hosea 4:6). The Bible also states "...that the soul be without knowledge, it is NOT GOOD. Nevertheless, knowledge without application is even worse.

Last time we gave two suggestions on applying the Word of God to our lives: The first was TO ALLOW GOD'S WORD TO BECOME A PART OF YOU. We taught that this was to be done by doing three things: Hearing the Word, Meditating on the Word, and Allowing the Holy Spirit to illuminate the Word in our hearts. This time we will talk about the second part which is BE A DOER OF THE WORD. Let us begin by reading 2 Timothy 3:16:

"All scripture is given by God and is useful for teaching and for showing people what is wrong in their lives. It is useful for correcting faults and teaching how to live right." (New Century Version)

Proverbs 23:12 exhorts us to apply our hearts to the teaching of the word of God. 2 Timothy 3:16 tells us why this is necessary. We are told three things here: What is wrong in our lives, How to correct that wrong, and How to live this Christian life right.

Many study the word of God for philosophy, poetry, history, theology, or to impress their Christian friends. These things are fine in their proper place, but none of these should be the believers primary intentions. Our primary goal for studying God's precious word should be to live it.

The Bible has many things to teach us concerning how to live in victory, prosperity, divine health, faith, sin free, prayer; just to name a few. God wants nothing more than to see his children blessed in every area of their lives. The Bible tells us "...the Lord...hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant." (Psalms 35:27). Because of this, God has given us great and precious promises that we can appropriate through His word.

"Whereby are given unto us EXCEEDING great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust." -2 Peter 1:4

Yet, we will find that many of these promises are based on conditions that God has established. For example the Bible promises salvation for every one, but in order for the sinner to receive this promise he must fulfill the condition of "confessing and beleiving" in the work that Jesus has done to purchase this for him (Rom. 10:9, 10). The reason why many are not saved is because they do not fulfill the condition. The reason why many good Christians are sick, poor, and depressed is because they do not fulfill the conditions God has outlined in order for them to obtain healing, prosperity, and peace. God will not do anything outside of His Holy Word.

II. BE A DOER OF GOD'S WORD

It is time for us to stop deceiving our selves in holding the Bible so sacred that we forget to apply it's teachings. We must become doers of the Word. Let us read James 1:22-25:

"But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed."

F.B. Meyer in his Devotional Bible Commentary makes an enlightening comment on this passage of scripture:

"The one and only way of making impresions permanent is by translating them into Christian Living. It is not enough to see ourselves reflected in the mirror of God's Word; we must "continue," not as hearers who forget, but as doers that perform. Many appear to think that blessedness results from hearing and are always on foot to attend new conventions. No; the true blessedness accrues from doing."

F.B. Meyer went home to be with the Lord in 1929, but what he has said is relevant to our day. Many Christians are quick to attend campmeetings to here some popular Bible teacher or speaker. These can be a blessing if attended with the right attitude. It is a shame that people will attend these things, will take notes, by the teaching tapes and books, yet still not put these things into practical application. Many of them still lead defeated lives. Read Luke 6:46-49:

"And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and DO NOT the things which I say. Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like: He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock. But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built an house upon the earth; against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell, and the ruin of that house was great."

Jesus gives us an illustration of two different men. Both heard the Word. One of them decided to build his life upon the word he heard. The other decided what he heard was great but did otherwise. The storms of life came to both of them as they come to all of us. Yet the man who decided to be a doer of the word was not moved by the storm. The one who did otherwise did not only fall, but was ruined. His whole life fell apart. He's one of those you might here say, "That faith stuff doesn't work."

I once read of a man who knew the techniques for "positive thinking" and "self confidence." He could even teach people to overcome worry with his techniques, but in the end, peace eluded him and he committed suicide. This man's life was ruined because he was not a doer of what he believed in.We can see through Jesus' words how vitally important it is to be a doer of the word. There are three things that we must do in order to be true doers of God's Word:

1. Act as if God's Word was real.

2. Keep His commandments.

3. Pattern your walk according to His Word.

1. Act As If God's Word Is Real

"But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?" (James 2:20). God's word is most definitely real whether we act like it or not. But in order for it to become real in our lives we have to act like it is so. It is very easy for us to have a "mental assent" of God's Word. We know in our minds that it is true, yet there are no corresponding actions.

I remember one night when some friends and I were out on the streets proclaiming the Gospel. We ran across three young men who had just finished partying and drinking. We began to witness to them. As I was to sharing some things in the Bible with one of them, he said "Yes, that's God's Word, that's the best book in the world." It didn't bother me at first but as I tried to lead him to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, he still continued to repeat those words without acknowledging the truth that was being shared with him.

Finally, I took my Bible, threw it on the ground, and stomped on it. I did this to get his attention. It certainly worked.

"How could you do something like that to God's book?" He asked angrily.

"Because I want you to see that the Bible is nothing but a bunch of black and white print between two leather covers unless you start living it." I told him, "Unless you accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, you are on your way to hell and this book that you think is so great has done nothing for you." After this he received Jesus Christ as his personal saviour.

This young man is a good illustration of the many Christians who believe the bible is real, hold it dear to their hearts, but do not act as though it were. The Bible tells us, "And the scripture was actually and fully realized [brought into operation] which said, And Abraham believed God, and it [his ACT of faith] was put to his account for righteousness." (James 2:23; The New Testament, An Expanded Translation by Kenneth S. Wuest). If we were to study carefully the eleventh chapter of Hebrews, we would find that these men acted as if God's word was real, thereby earning themselves a place in God's hall of FAITH. Mental acknowledgement is not enough, we must ACT as if His Word is real.

2. Keep His Commandemnts

"For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments...For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world." (1 John 5:3,4). When we read John's gospel and his epistles we find that he puts a strong emphasis on keeping God's commandments, or in other words keeping his word. Keeping God's commandments simply means to obey his word. Isaiah 1:19 tells us, "If ye be willing and OBEDIENT, ye shall eat the good of the land." The KEY to receiving any blessing from God is to keep or obey His word.

Early in my career in the Air Force, I was given an assignment to Korea. Because it was a remote assignment, my wife and my daughter (Who was only 10 months old) could not accompany me. They both stayed with my wife's parents in Okinawa, Japan. After my tour of duty in Korea, the Lord blessed me to be reassigned to Okinawa, Japan so that I could be reunited with my family.

I had been gone for a little over a year so it did not surprise me that my daughter had grown a little. What did surprise me was that she was so rebellious. She did not listen to anything she was told. It was a horror. My wife was afraid to go anywhere with her because she was afraid that she would misbehave in public. The Bible tells us that "...a child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame."

I began to read a wonderful book by a man named Chuck Sturgeon titled, "Train Up A Child." I began to see through this man's insight that my wife and I were not keeping God's commandments concerning child training. I began to write down the scriptures that were taught in this book. I began to praise God for His Word of instruction and I began to do what they taught. For example Proverbs 23:13-14 says, "Withhold not correction from the child: for if thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die. Thou shalt beat him with the rod, thou shalt deliver his soul from hell." When my daughter would begin to act rebellious, I would lovingly explain her wrong, discipline her, and and once again explain to her the wrong.

The change was a gradual one but today I can proudly say that we have a very good daughter. We learned not to make the same mistake with the second one. This my freind, is keeping God's commandments. Obeying what is outlined in His word. I got results, not from reading the scripture, but from doing it. Regardless of how the circumstances looked, I knew that if I applied God's word to my situation, there would be a change in my daughter's ways.

3. Pattern Your Walk According To His Word

"But [Jehoshaphat] sought to the Lord God of his father, and WALKED IN HIS COMMANDMENTS, and not after the doings of Israel." (2 Chron. 17:4). Cecil Northcutt in A MODERN EPIPHANY tells of a discussion in a camp of young people where representatives of many nations were living together. "One wet night the campers were discussing various ways of telling people about Christ. They turned to the girl from Africa. 'Maria,' we don't have missions or give pamphlets away. We just send one or two Christian families to live and work in a village, and when people see what Christians are like, then they want to be Christians too. In the end the only all-conquering argument is the argument of a Christian life." Walking according to God's word let's others see the Word of God at work in you.

The Bible tells us to walk by faith, walk in the Spirit, walk as children of light, walk with longsuffering, walk worthy of the Lord, walk after His commandemnts, walking in truth, etc... Walking mens to order one's behavior. Walking is simply the practicing of the principles we learn from the Word of God. I believe the most important walk for the Christian is the "walk of love." The Bible tells us that faith worketh by love (Gal. 5:6), love is the fulfillment of ALL the law (Rom. 13:8), and the greatest of faith, hope an love is LOVE (1 Cor. 13:13). Let's read Ephesians 5:1, 2:

"Be ye therefore followers of God as dear children: And WALK IN LOVE, as Christ also hath loved us..."

Some years ago I had so desired to please the Lord that I would spend much time in prayer with Him. Part of my prayer time would be spent praying the prayers for myself that Paul wrote in the book of Ephesians. I would come across the part that says "...that ye , being rooted and grounded in love... (Eph. 3:17). I desired so much to be rooted and grounded in love that I would put special emphasis on this. One day the Lord spoke to me. "Troy, you have praying to recieve spiritual knowledge, haven't you?"

"Yes Lord, I have," I answered Him.

"You wake up every day confessing to have the mind of Christ, don't you"

"Yes Lord, I do"

"Well my son, Christ never thought on impurities." I began to realize that I had been thinking some bad things concerning some of my fellow saints because of some things that had happened. He continued, "You have also been praying to be rooted and grounded in love, haven't you?" I did not answer. There was no need to.

Then God began to teach me some things. " My son love THINKS NO EVIL." (1 Cor 13:5). Since I had been thinking evil, I was not practicing the thing that I was praying from the Word. Many times we pray, "Lord help me to become this or that" when His Word already tells us how to do it. The Lord then had me to read Luke 10:27: "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and all thy soul, and with ALL THY MIND; and thy NEIGHBOUR AS THYSELF." I began to see that it all started in the mind and the heart. "As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he." (Prov. 23:7). Your actions are many times determined by how you think. I began to change my thinking towards people. I made up my mind that no matter how they tried to hurt me, I would love them anyway. This is a hard thing to do sometimes, but if we are to be doers of the Word we must begin to walk, or make a practice of doing it.

In conclusion, I'd like to point out the fact that we do not try to live the Christian life by our own strength or self efforts. When we begin to Allow The Word To Become A Part Of Us, and we become Doers Of The Word, we can expect the power of God to enable us to MAKE PRACTICAL APPLICATION OF GOD'S WORD.

E-mail: victoryword@yahoo.com

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