Biblical Application

The one area lacking among Christians

2023 was a year where my theology grew exponentially. I credit this to both my local church and many pastors who I discovered online. I was introduced to post millennial eschatology, Calvinism, and the 5 Solas. However, it was understanding the necessity of Biblical application that made the most impact on my daily life. I credit Joel Webbon and Jon Harris among others for opening my eyes to this important piece that was missing in my own life.

There is this idea among many Christians that the only way we can worship God is directly. Meaning, we must read our Bible, listen to worship music, pray, or talk about Jesus in order to be worshipping God. While the things listed, should be done daily, they are only a small part of the Christian life. For instance, most people have spouses, jobs, and kids. They have to work, fix things, cook dinner, clean messes, and the many other tasks that one does to maintain order on a day to day basis. While we often associate holiness with direct worship, we are called to be Christ-like in everything we do. Which begs the question, how should a Christian live in today’s society?

During a recent podcast, Joel Webbon and AD Robles we’re talking about the one component that is lacking amongst Christians. I’ll do my best to provide a brief summary, bear with me. Most preaching has two components to it. The first one is to look at God’s law. By examining God’s law, we come to understand what God requires of man. In this exercise, we will all come to the conclusion that we fall short of the standard set by Jesus Christ. This first component is crucial and is necessary for the Christian to become aware of their desperate need for a savior. This naturally leads to the second component, which is the presentation of the Gospel. Once we grasp that we need saving, only then can we accept our salvation through Christ alone. We then get to celebrate this good news that his death and resurrection alone are sufficient for our salvation. However, the Christian often stops there. We do a good job of becoming aware of our sin and presenting the gospel, but we often miss out on a critical third component. That being, going back to the law to be sanctified and becoming more like Christ.

In other words, we are not taught how to actually apply the Biblical teachings into our every day life. We are mostly left with feeling helpless in our own sin. However, the Bible doesn’t teach us to merely dwell in our own sin. Rather, we are called to repent. However, it is far too common for Christians to identify their sin and respond merely by confessing and praying. For example, say someone is struggling with anger, it is common for that person to confess how they struggle with anger. In response, their Christian friend or friends will offer prayer. Then, it stops there. It is rare to hear a Christian give practical advice on how to control their anger. Another example is, how often do you hear a sermon teaching men what leadership actually looks like? Sure, men get called out for not being good leaders and there is no shortage of Christians calling out the sins of men. But, where are those putting forth a positive vision that actually shows young men how to lead? This is what I believe is lacking not just from the pulpit, but also among Christians in general. On that note, the pastors who are giving practical application are thriving. Voices like Joel Webbon, Eric Conn, and Michael Foster actually give examples of what it looks like to apply God’s commands to our everyday life. In doing so, they are often attacked as legalists or called other names, which is telling. People don’t like being told that they actually have the power through Christ to change. I believe most Christians want to stay comfortable by merely identifying their sin and praying half heartedly rather than developing a game plan on how to overcome their sin.

The following is an example of what applying your theology to your every day life looks like. As a man, I am called by God to lead my family. This is something I desire and would like to improve on. While I pray that God would give me the tools and resources to lead, I’m also doing practical things as well. For instance, an area I saw as a weakness in my leadership domain was not being proactive. Therefore, I’ve made that a point of emphasis in my every day life. If we need a new air filter, I replace it immediately. If something breaks, I tend to it immediately. I schedule appointments for our kids, update our car registration, and get our car maintenance taken care of. I am working on taking action opposed to putting it on a to do list or even worse, waiting for my wife to tell me to get it done. While every man will have their own weaknesses, it is important to not just identify them. Rather, in order to be the man God calls us to be, we must act. This doesn’t mean that we neglect prayer. In fact, quite the opposite. We should pray as we are taught to pray by expecting God to answer.

I am thankful for the voices who are showing me how to live out those Biblical principles. My challenge to all Christians is to identify your sins or weaknesses that are preventing you from being the man or woman God created you to be. Then, find an accountability partner, put together a game plan and execute it. Confess. Pray. Act. The Holy Spirit is within you.