Application.

During the summer I was writing in a pseudo blog notebook and, although I have yet to reread it, one thing that I remember definitely having written is that when it comes to the Bible I shouldn't approach it so much as "I've read this already" or "I know this already" but more like "have I applied this yet?"

Also during the summer I had been reading "Knowing God" by J.I. Packer. I was about to continue reading it and to brief myself I was rereading the underlined parts. This is from page 20: "God is triune; there are within the Godhead three persons, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit; and the work of salvation is one in which all three act together, the Father purposing redemption, the Son securing it and the Spirit applying it.

Application.

This is one part of Bible study that I think I am not as great in. I am fairly good at seeing the point of different passages, I can see connections, and by God's grace I have been blessed with a great memory of verses as well as often being privileged to be God's mouthpiece. But when it comes to applying verses to my own life it becomes a lot more challenging.

Sometimes I think I just don't take that time to think and pray through what it means in my life. Sometimes I think in the past I've been somewhat judgemental of how sometimes people jump to application completely out of context such as Phil 4:13 or Jer 29:11 and so I try to avoid doing that.

But the issue here is James.

1:22-25 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.

2:17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

Theory and understanding are not enough. There needs to be application. But the application cannot come from us. As Packer said the application of salvation comes from the Spirit at work in us.

May this increase. May His Spirit work more and more in me.