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Application: the Art of Producing Change

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We call our Bible study method OIA to help us remember the steps: Observation, Interpretation, Application. It’s not quite perfection, but we think it’s much more than just a good idea.

In approaching any passage of Scripture, we must first observe what the text says. If we’ve had a keen eye, we can move on to interpret what the author meant. We’ve allowed the passage to lead us to Jesus so we could see his beauty and glory and mercy. We’ve discovered the main point that the author wanted to communicate.

"What's Down Your Hall?" by Ian Burt (2006), shared under a Creative Commons Attribution License

Ian Burt (2006), Creative Commons

Now we’ve come to the threshold of Application. We’re ready to take what we’ve learned and put it into practice.

The biggest problem is…we don’t know how.

We see people do it all the time. Maybe you’ve got a friend who always seems excited by the Bible. She’s often quoting verses and sharing what God is teaching her. She makes connections you wouldn’t have dreamed of making. She’s delightful to learn from. But you’ll never be able to duplicate her success…

Maybe you have a favorite preacher whose sermons you download onto your iPod. You can’t get enough of this great Bible teacher, because he’s just so good at making the text sing. When you hear him preach, your awareness sharpens and your conscience springs to life. You’re motivated to make changes, and you’re captivated by a vision for God’s glory. But you just can’t stimulate those same feelings in your personal Bible study…

I’m writing this post to encourage you.

Although rich application is a serious art, and some people are just natural at it, it is also a muscle that anyone can exercise and shape. If you are a Christian, you have the Spirit of God (Rom 8:15), who is able to help you understand God’s words (1 Cor 2:12-13). The Spirit glorifies Jesus (John 16:14) and brings conviction of sin (John 16:8-11). The Spirit empowers you to obey Jesus and make significant changes to your life (Eph 3:14-21).

You are able to learn how to apply the Bible in exciting ways. Over the next few weeks, we’ll unpack some specific steps, but here’s a quick overview.

We can apply a Bible passage in two directions: inward and outward. In other words, we can change our own lives to be more like Christ (inward), and we can become influencers who help others learn how to change to be more like Christ (outward). We are both slaves and ambassadors to King Jesus.

We can apply a Bible passage to three components: head, hands, and heart. In other words, a passage can address any or all three areas of conviction/doctrine, competence/skills, and character.

While a passage likely has only one main point (although there’s almost never one “right way” to phrase it), it can have almost an infinite number of applications. Since the Bible applies to any person living in any place at any time, it must be pretty versatile when it comes to specific application.

What do you find most difficult about applying the Bible to your life?

10 Reasons Why You Should Apply the Bible to Your Life

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  1. To scoff at death and evil and to find the truly good life (Deut 30:16-20).The Holy Bible
  2. To bear fruit all year long and never have to rake leaves (Psalm 1:1-6).
  3. To get to go on the Lord’s camping trip (Psalm 15:1-2).
  4. To gain the sweetest treasure (Psalm 19:7-11).
  5. To get good flood insurance (Matthew 7:24-27).
  6. To be the one God brags about to all his friends (Eph 2:4-10).
  7. To remember what you should look like (James 1:23-24).
  8. To get to share all the good stuff with God’s people (3 John 5-8).
  9. To prove that God really does love you (Rev 3:19).
  10. Because everybody else is doing it (Rev 7:9-10, 13-14; 14:1-5, 19:6-8).

It’s worth it.

Not to mention the opportunity to fulfill your purpose in life by bringing glory to the only Lord who is worthy of all praise (1 Cor 10:31).

What other reasons can you think of?

The Greatest Enemy of Application is Insight

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Application happens when we understand the meaning of a Bible passage (i.e. we see Jesus and our need for him) and conform our lives to it.  This conformity to Christ is the great purpose of God from the foundation of the world (Rom 8:29).

But the chief obstacle to vigorous application is insight.  As we gain more insight into the Bible, we become more prone to revel in the insight itself and not in the life-change that ought to result from that insight.

"Debate Sobre" by Secom Bahia (2010), shared under a Creative Commons Attribution License

“Debate Sobre” by Secom Bahia (2010), shared under a Creative Commons Attribution License

For example, have you ever read a verse like Romans 8:29 (which I referenced above) and turned it into a theological debate?  What does this verse mean about the predestination/free will controversy?  Which side is right?  Who has the best insight into what Paul meant by the word “foreknew”?

I’m prone to feel good about myself if I can answer these questions.  I really want to win such debates.  I’ve invested much time fighting my way through them.

But the chief question shouldn’t be whether predestination or free will is right.  The chief question is: How is my life becoming more and more conformed to Christ?  It doesn’t matter which side of the debate I fall on; God’s purpose in my life remains the same.  What must change in order for me to be more like Jesus, so he can have pre-eminence as the first-born?

Insight can get in the way of application in other ways too.  Have you ever felt disappointed after reading the Bible because nothing new and fantastic had occurred to you?

In contrast, have you ever felt the warmth splash over your heart when you see something you’ve never seen before in God’s Word?  Maybe you found an allusion to another Bible passage that wasn’t immediately obvious.  Perhaps a repeated word or idea became clear.  Maybe you felt like you could relate to a Bible character due to some recent experience of your own.  Perhaps you just started to get the hang of this OIA stuff, and you’re amazed at the beauty and joy that results when you can find an author’s main point.

Such insight into the Bible can be invigorating, but don’t let it distract you.  The task isn’t complete until you change.  Keep moving forward into Application.

Jesus warned us of the danger of insight when he used the image of architecture (Matt 7:24-27).  The one who hears the Word, and stops there (possibly rejoicing in his keen insight), is like a foolish builder constructing a beach hut in a hurricane zone.  The wise builder is the one who hears the Word and does it.

What other hindrances to Application can you think of?

The Transition from Interpretation to Application

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To study the Bible, we ought to observe, interpret, and apply. We must first see what the passage says before we can figure out what it means. Once we know what it means, we’re ready to conform our lives to God’s will.

Sometimes we stop with interpretation and never go ahead to application. Jesus said we’re in danger of flash flooding (Matt 7:24-27).

At other times, we’re quick to change, but we apply the wrong things (we haven’t interpreted carefully). Jesus said we’re in danger of missing the point (Matt 23:23-24).

How can we succeed at transitioning from Interpretation to Application? Here are 2 tips to help you build a good bridge.

"Bridge" by Umair Mohsin (2007), shared under a Creative Commons Attribution license

“Bridge” by Umair Mohsin (2007), shared under a Creative Commons Attribution license

Tip #1: Work from the main point

It’s important to understand the main point of a passage before beginning to apply it.  Working from the main point gives your application some teeth, since it focuses you on what God considers most important.  Such application is both effective and satisfying.

Note: If you’re in the Old Testament, there’s an extra step. Once you’ve determined the author’s main point, remember to connect the passage to Jesus before launching into application.

Tip #2: Ask good “So What?” questions

During the Interpretation stage, we asked lots of questions. The main types are What? Why? and So What? That third type of question can be the most difficult, but it provides the bridge between Interpretation and Application.

Let’s demonstrate this transition as we continue our study of Luke 2:1-21.

We determined the main point to be: “God sent Jesus to be born so he might save the lowly and rule them graciously. This brings him highest glory.” Now we ask, “So what?”

So what difference does Jesus’ birth make? The lowly can be saved. Their new King is a gracious King.

So what kind of people will be saved? Lowly people.

So what brings God highest glory? Saving and ruling the lowly. Humbling the great and mighty of the earth.

So what kind of person am I if Jesus has saved me? I have not done anything to earn my salvation. I am simply one more example of God using the weak to shame the strong. I am a lowly servant with a great and gracious King.

So what should I expect the Christian life to be like? Since God is in the business of glorifying himself by saving the lowly, he will constantly deepen my understanding of my lowliness and his greatness. This process might be painful, but it will generate a lifestyle of praise and thankfulness. It’s nothing less than what Jesus experienced in his birth and life.

We’ve built our bridge, and we’re now ready to apply the passage more specifically. Over the next few weeks I’ll unpack how to do this Application effectively.

How’d You Do That? (9/16/12)

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From time to time we like to “show our work” and explain what principles drive our Bible study.

In Sunday’s post, we examined Proverbs 1:10, ESV (“My son, if sinners entice you, do not consent”) and saw how the Bible commands us to reject easy money.  Here’s how we got there.

Observation

By observing the grammar of the verse, we noticed that the main sentence is a command: “Do not consent.”  Also, we observed the words: the thing we ought not consent to is enticement from sinners.

Interpretation

In my study, I started with a question: what is the enticement from sinners that we ought not consent to?  Is it just anything, or does Solomon have something specific in mind?

Answering that question led me to observe the whole section (Prov 1:10-19) in its context.  This examination led me to observe the final verse (Prov 1:19), which makes clear that the chief enticement Solomon has in mind is toward “unjust gain.”

What is “unjust gain”?  Acquiring money or possessions through any unlawful means.  Since most of the section describes a gang recruiting someone to violence against another person, it would appear that Solomon considers “unjust” any means of gaining money that will hurt other people.

Thus, my conclusion of the main idea: “the pursuit of a quick buck, at the cost of serving others, will always keep us from being wise.”

Application

From here, we merely had to consider what it looks like in our generation to gain more money at the cost of serving others.

The chief heart application is that we allow ourselves to be sucked into money-making schemes (like going into more credit card debt, getting a new car like the neighbor’s, or spending too much time at the office).

By way of head application, we must know which things will tempt us, and we must choose in advance to watch out for them.

For hands application, we should make different choices when the temptation comes.  We should reject easy money.

See here for an explanation of these three types of application.

 

My hope in walking through this process is that you will be able to duplicate it in your own study of the Bible!

Summary of the OIA Method

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"Open Bible" by Ryk Neethling (2011), shared under a Creative Commons Attribution License

Ryk Neethling (2011), Creative Commons

I’ve argued that everyone has a Bible study method, whether conscious or unconscious.  So here’s mine.

The acronym OIA summarizes the method:

  1. Observation – what does it say?
  2. Interpretation – what does it mean?
  3. Application – how do I need to change?

You can restate these three steps as what? why? and so what?  Or again, as what did the original author say?  What did that mean to the original audience?  And what does it mean in our context?

Knowable Word did not invent this method.  It’s an old, old method.  Seminaries call it the “historical-grammatical method of Bible interpretation,” but that title can be big and scary to most people.  Some more popular treatments call it the “inductive Bible study method,” but I think that’s an unfortunate misuse of the wonderful term “inductive” from the realm of logic.  So I prefer to call it simply “OIA.”

The wonder of the OIA method is that it allows the text to speak to us, rather than reading our own meaning into the text.  The beauty of the OIA method is that it can be taught at seminary and get very, very deep, or it can be taught to the youngest children, enabling them as well to know the Lord in his Word.

I’ve explained the method in more detail in other posts, but for this summary, note what happens if we miss any part of it.

If we neglect good observation of what the text says, we have no true foundation upon which to know Christ.  We have great intentions, but in all the wrong directions.  We’re the people who failed to observe which weekend was the daylight savings time switch, and we show up to church an hour off from everyone else.  An example of poor observation of Scripture is found in Luke 24:25-27.

If we neglect good interpretation of what the text means, we might not know whether what we believe or do is biblical or not.  We might be honoring the Lord, or we might not be.  We won’t be certain until we meet him face to face.  A good example of poor interpretation of Scripture is found in Mark 12:24.

If we neglect good application of how we ought to change, we are like foolish builders founding a home upon sand.  We are to be pitied.  We give lip service to Christ, but our hearts are far from him (Matthew 15:8-9).  God wants to make us more like Jesus (Rom 8:29), and he won’t rest until his Word accomplishes that purpose (Isaiah 55:10-11).

For much more detail on the OIA method see my How to Study the Bible series of posts.

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How’d You Do That? (7/31/12)

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On Monday and Tuesday, we examined Solomon’s third purpose for writing the book of Proverbs and sought to apply it.  How did I get to those specific applications?

Whenever we study a passage of the Bible, I find it helpful to think in the three categories of Head, Hands, and Heart.  Each of these categories represents a way in which I can respond to a text.

Head applications identify ways I need to believe what is true.  They help me to identify false beliefs so I can repent of them and choose to adopt God’s perspective.  Examples are “God is more powerful than my enemies,” “Jesus is God and became a man to die for my sins,” or “God wants his people to be part of a church.”

Hands applications identify ways I can act upon what is true.  They help me to identify ungodly behaviors so I can repent of them and live in obedience to God’s will.  Examples are “I shouldn’t gossip about or attack my enemies,” “I can take steps to get to know my neighbors better and reach out to them,” or “I should join a good church and get involved in the community there.”

Heart application identify ways I must become more like Jesus.  They help me to identify wicked or foolish desires so I can repent of them and develop more Christ-like character.  Examples are “I must love my enemies as Christ did for me,” “I can trust other people because Jesus knows what it’s like to be misunderstood,” or “I must stop trusting in myself and instead find ways to serve others.”

The first three purposes of Proverbs correspond to these three areas.  Solomon wants us to know wisdom (head), do it (hands), and always improve at both knowing and doing (heart).

When you read and study the Bible, are you growing in all three areas?

Don’t fall into the trap of overly theological (head), ethical (hands), or pietistic (heart) reading of Scripture.  Keep a good balance of all three, and see how much God will do in your life through his Knowable Word!

And don’t feel like you have rely on yourself alone to grow as a Christian.  Join a Bible study, or get more involved at your church!  Others can help you in all three areas in ways you never expected.

How’d You Do That? (5/16/12)

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In Wednesday’s post, I continued listing some counterfeits to wisdom present in our day.  All I tried to do here was apply the introductory material by dealing with some issues that may hopefully hit closer to home for some of us.

How many times have you heard (or said) the following?

  • “You’ll understand when you’re older.”
  • “Once you get a few gray hairs (or some more experience under your belt), then you’ll earn more respect or influence.”
  • “Why should I do what you’re saying?”  “Because I’m your father!”

One way to apply Bible passages is to consider what we ought to believe.  I’ve heard this called the “Head” realm of application (as distinct from the “Hands” or “Heart” realms, which refer more to skills or character).  In this case, we ought to believe the right thing (and not the wrong thing) about how to become wise.  Let’s not fall for the subtle but unbiblical assumptions that exist all around us.

One more thought: in this post, I considered some common misconceptions about how one becomes wise.  I tried to reflect what was good before identifying what I thought was bad.

Even if we disagree with someone or some idea, we should always first aim to find what is good, true, and beautiful about it.  After we build agreement there, we can move toward addressing areas of disagreement.  I think Paul had this approach in mind when he wrote Philippians 4:8, which is in the context of helping two women deal with a conflict in Philippians 4:2.  I encourage you to study Philippians 4:2-9 and follow the steps listed there the next time you are in a conflict with another person and want either the peace of God or the God of peace to be with you.