Dangers of Being in a Church that Loves God's Word: #2 Failing to Apply the Word

Last week I began a short series on "Dangers of Being in a Church that Loves God's Word". Let me assure you that being in a church that loves God's Word is not a danger. In fact, it is one of the greatest gifts of God to us, because a church that loves God's Word is one which will hear often from God in his Word.  When I mention "dangers," what I mean is that there are potential pitfalls for how we interact with the blessing we have. Our flesh often twists blessings in ways which can be dangerous. So, we must "take heed, lest we fall."

Danger #2 Failing to Apply the Word We Hear
The second danger I want to point out is closely associated with the first one, but it is distinct. Not only can we forget the the importance of remembering, we can also fail to obey what we hear from the Word.

The danger is that we get so focused on knowing more, but we forget to take the time to apply what we know. We hear so much teaching, but sometimes we fail to sit down and ask God to help us apply what we have heard. Our pastor or teacher does the hard work of studying and communicating the Word to us and we do the hard work of listening, but then we stop there. The problem is that the Word has not completed its intended work, and we miss out on blessing. Read James' classic text on the issue and pay attention to the last verse

²² But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. ²³ For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. ²⁴ For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. ²⁵ But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.  (James 1:22-25)

How Can We Apply the Word?
When we go to apply the Word, we are not simply saying "stop doing this and start doing that." The Bible does give us that sort of application. But it also gives us things to believe and new ways of thinking. God gives us promises that we must battle to believe and hope in. He gives us new ways to think about our joys, struggles, and identity. Think about our struggle against sin as described in Romans six. Even before telling us to put off sin and put on righteousness (which he does in 6:12), God tells says to "consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus" (Rom 6:11). This is a truth about our identity which must be rightly understood and believed.

So, let's take some time to prayerfully reflect on what we heard on Sunday or at Bible study and ask is there a promise to believe, a truth to apply, a behavior to stop or start, or a new way of thinking to embrace? Let's really believe that God has sovereignly placed us under the teaching we are hearing so that we will be blessed in obeying it.