A Word to the Wise:
The Bible calls us to be transformed by the renewal of our minds. This is a better framework for thinking about the Bible than "applying" its principles to our lives.
I believe there's a better word than "apply," and that's "transform." In fact, I can't think of any passage in the Bible that instructs us to apply the Bible to our lives as I have described it above. It's simply not the verb used. Sometimes, we are called to hear, obey, and keep God’s commands. At other times, there are other words like "being transformed from one level of glory to another" or "growing in knowledge," and such words name the general way in which we grow in the word.
What's a better general term than application? I believe we need to consider the words "contemplation" and "transformation." When you contemplate the Bible, you reflect on what it says so that it can transform you from the inside out. This aligns with how the Bible talks about transformation. For example, Romans 12 says, "Don't be conformed to the world but be transformed by the renewal of your mind."
What happens is that when you reflect on Scripture, you contemplate in your mind what is being said about reality, and you come to know what is true about reality—whether that's about yourself or the world around you.
So rather than asking, "How do I apply this Bible passage to my life?" we might ask, "How does contemplating this truth transform how I see reality?" When we do this, the Bible doesn't become a manual for extracting principles; it becomes a lens through which we see the world as it truly is—created, fallen, and being redeemed by God.
Through contemplation, the Bible transforms us from the inside out, renewing our minds and changing how we interact with everything from the stars above to the miracle of new life.
I am not saying “applying” the Bible is bad. I simply think there is a better way to generalize what we are doing when we read the Bible to know God. We read to be transformed from the inside out by what we have contemplated in his word and world.
Wyatt Graham, 4.2.25, Don’t Apply the Bible to Your Life. Do This Instead. (One of Trevin’s Seven, 4.11.25)
The Bible calls us to be transformed by the renewal of our minds. This is a better framework for thinking about the Bible than "applying" its principles to our lives.
I believe there's a better word than "apply," and that's "transform." In fact, I can't think of any passage in the Bible that instructs us to apply the Bible to our lives as I have described it above. It's simply not the verb used. Sometimes, we are called to hear, obey, and keep God’s commands. At other times, there are other words like "being transformed from one level of glory to another" or "growing in knowledge," and such words name the general way in which we grow in the word.
What's a better general term than application? I believe we need to consider the words "contemplation" and "transformation." When you contemplate the Bible, you reflect on what it says so that it can transform you from the inside out. This aligns with how the Bible talks about transformation. For example, Romans 12 says, "Don't be conformed to the world but be transformed by the renewal of your mind."
What happens is that when you reflect on Scripture, you contemplate in your mind what is being said about reality, and you come to know what is true about reality—whether that's about yourself or the world around you.
So rather than asking, "How do I apply this Bible passage to my life?" we might ask, "How does contemplating this truth transform how I see reality?" When we do this, the Bible doesn't become a manual for extracting principles; it becomes a lens through which we see the world as it truly is—created, fallen, and being redeemed by God.
Through contemplation, the Bible transforms us from the inside out, renewing our minds and changing how we interact with everything from the stars above to the miracle of new life.
I am not saying “applying” the Bible is bad. I simply think there is a better way to generalize what we are doing when we read the Bible to know God. We read to be transformed from the inside out by what we have contemplated in his word and world.
Wyatt Graham, 4.2.25, Don’t Apply the Bible to Your Life. Do This Instead. (One of Trevin’s Seven, 4.11.25)
Here are Four Things to Know this Week:
1. Authenticity and Writing with Artificial Intelligence (Admired Leadership Field Notes)
2. Why Sabbath is for Pastors, Too (Lifeway Research)
3. 8 Experiences All Church Leaders Need (Chuck Lawless)
4. The Most Common Reasons Pastors Give When They Leave a Church (Church Answers)
Thank you for reading this blog. I hope it is a help to you.
To the praise of His glory,
Ray
1. Authenticity and Writing with Artificial Intelligence (Admired Leadership Field Notes)
2. Why Sabbath is for Pastors, Too (Lifeway Research)
3. 8 Experiences All Church Leaders Need (Chuck Lawless)
4. The Most Common Reasons Pastors Give When They Leave a Church (Church Answers)
Thank you for reading this blog. I hope it is a help to you.
To the praise of His glory,
Ray
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