Application Produces Transformation

2 Peter 1 : 2 – 4, Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. NKJV

Do you need the grace and peace of God in your life? When you place confidence in the promises and principles contained within the Word of God, you will begin to experience His grace and peace. The Lord never intended for us just to read the Bible like a book. He gave us the measure of faith so that we might become partakers of His Son through His Word.

Jesus told us in John 6, “The words that I speak, they are spirit, and they are life.” Therefore, when we choose to live according to the Holy Spirit, the Word will be able to give us life. Allow me to give you an example of what it means to experience the Word of God so that it changes us (instead of just reading it).    

People can be religious all day long. However, that doesn’t mean that the Word of God is hidden in their hearts. If you really want to know if a believer is applying the Word of God to their life and walking in Christ, then look at their fruit. Is their life exemplifying the fruit of the Spirit that Paul listed in Galatians 5? People, who say they have placed faith in Christ, but refuse to place faith in or honor the Word of God through obedience will not be able to demonstrate the life of God in their walk. Here’s an example:

In Matthew 13, Jesus was in Nazareth teaching the people through parables. When He separated Himself from the people and was alone with His disciples, He revealed to them the mystery of the parables. However, the multitude of people didn’t have the understanding of them. At the end of the chapter, we see the reason why they didn't understand what Jesus had said; it was because they never honored Jesus as the Son of God. So now we see what happens when believers hear, but don’t apply or honor God’s Word. The Word doesn’t pierce through the walls of their spiritual hearts and empower them to be transformed. If we dishonor God’s Word by not applying it to our life, then we, too, will remain powerless and unaffected by its potential to change us.  

God requires us to hide the Word of God in our hearts and to apply its principles to our everyday lives so that we might become partakers of His divine nature. The Word is alive and will transform us from living beings into spirit-filled creations in Christ, but we must honor the Word.  You need the grace and peace of God in your heart and life.  Therefore, are you honoring the Word of God by applying it to your decisions? If not, you can begin experiencing the life of God today through the liberty of the Holy Spirit, who gives power to the Word that is hidden in our hearts.

The Father wants us to be more than “saved." His desire is that we live the new life in Christ, which honors Him and brings glory to His name. God desires that you experience His love… not just know “about” Him.

Alive in Christ,
Pastor Asa Dockery