Professor Howard Hendricks said, “If you observe and interpret and correlate the Scriptures, but fail to apply the Scriptures, you have committed an abortion.” What a tragedy it is to do the hard work of studying the sacred Scriptures, coming to an understanding of what the Scriptures are saying and what they mean, and then failing to apply it personally. Without application, you have not given life to the text. It is in the application of the truth that we find conviction, direction, correction, and encouragement.

We have previously spent time learning about observation, interpretation, and correlation in the process of learning how to get into the Word for ourselves. Now, we come to the crowning part of the learning process—the application of God’s truth to our lives.