Practicing

A friend posted this quote on Facebook:

It is easy to attend a Bible Study, share the lesson, and discuss it; but it is much more difficult to go out into life in the workaday world and practice what we have learned. The blessing does not come in studying the Word, but in doing the word. Unless we are willing to obey, the Lord is not obligated to teach us (John 7:17).
- Warren Wiersbe

I really couldn’t fit the referenced verse into the meaning of the quote, though I think the application is the root of being a Christian:

If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself. (John 7:17 KJV)

Those words were spoken by Jesus to Jews who marveled at His teachings at the synagogue.  How could this unlearned man teach in this manner. Matthew (7:28, 22:33), Mark (1:22, 11:18) and Luke (4:32) used the term “astonished at his doctrine.” Mark says He taught as one having authority – not as a scribe.  Luke said His word was with power.

As good as He sounded, though, that alone would not validate His words. Knowing God’s will then doing it does add power and authority. It will for us, too, when we apply what we’ve learned about God to our lives.

When was the last time we did that? Seriously – what was the last service, class, fellowship attended? What was the lesson? How was it applied? Were there observable results from the application?

I think that stops a lot of us – we don’t see results when we think we’ve applied the teachings we’ve learned.

We take a soul-winning class, following the suggestions, using the verses but the person we’re speaking with just isn’t responding. No results observed.  We’ve forgotten:

I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase. (1 Corinthians 3:6-7 KJV)

We shouldn’t judge what we’ve done any more than we would judge another.  We should be discerning, ready to learn more, but leave the increase in God’s hands. We do need to know His word, to understand His doctrine, the beliefs given in His word. If we look at those who followed His commandments, we’ll see the applications.

The perfect application, of course, is His son, Jesus.  As the Messiah, the promised salvation of Israel and the world, we should look to Him first. And, the commandments He gave as the most important:

Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. (Matthew 22:37-40 KJV)

Apply these first and the rest of the lessons become much easier.