Articles
How to study the bible contd...
This is part three of a three-part article, but even if you missed part one and two, this can
still be useful. The study of God’s word should be a vital part our daily life. We have been
looking at helpful tips to make our study time more productive.
Step 3: Application. Application is why we study the Bible. We want our lives to change;
we want to be obedient to God and to grow more like Jesus Christ. After we have observed a
passage and interpreted or understood it to the best of our ability, we must then apply its truth to
our own life.
Ask the following questions of every passage of Scripture you study:
How does the truth revealed here affect my relationship with God?
How does this truth affect my relationship with others?
How does this truth affect me?
How does this truth affect my response to the enemy, Satan?
Scripture is meant to be transformative. Simply reading it is not enough. Even
understanding every word of the Bible is not enough. The word must live in us and result in us
being more like Christ. Some additional questions we need to ask: Are my thoughts, are my
words, are my actions in accordance with what I have read and what I have learned?
Every time we study God’s word we must make a choice. Accept what is written and live
our lives according to the truth, or deny the Truth and reject Jesus. “The Word became flesh…”
(John 1:9-14). We can’t allow ourselves to think of the Bible as just a collection of stories. “Do
not merely listen to the Word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” (James 1:22).
~B Tolbert via OnePlace.com.
