How to Apply God’s Principles

Psalm 119:17-24

The process for applying scriptural principles is often misunderstood. It’s not simply three steps: hear, believe, apply. We must also explore and discover before we take action.

To explore a biblical principle means studying Scripture to understand what the surrounding context is, what its lesson means for your life, and what it reveals about God. Furthermore, we must consider how all this relates to the rest of the Bible. Digging into the Word softens our hearts and minds so that the new doctrine gets planted deeply.

As we journey further into Scripture to explore, the new concept rises off the page and becomes real to us. We discover how the principle works and how to apply it to our life. As we do, God’s rich truth becomes our own. The more we take into our heart and mind, the better they can impact us from the inside out.

A believer who has little to say about God’s work in his life is probably not applying Scripture. Simply hearing and believing doesn’t make a concept yours (James 1:22-25). A principle is yours when you explore the truth, discover its place in your life, and apply the concept so that God can make it work.

Bible in One Year: Acts 18-20