How Does The Bible Apply To Me?

How does the Bible apply to us today? Is it still relevant for our lives in this day and age?

Prescriptive verses Descriptive

Most students of the Bible understanding that there are some Bible verses are prescriptive while others are descriptive. For example, the Mosaic Laws were given only to Israel as a way of identifying them as God’s people and marking them as separate from the pagan nations around them. They were not to practice those things that the pagan nations did, such as having sexual orgies and having child sacrifices, as many of the other nations practiced in that day as part of their “religion.” The animal sacrifices were unique to Israel, and were only observed until the cross, but of course after Calvary, these statutes and ordinances of the sacrificial system were prescriptive for Israel alone. For example, the Apostle Paul wrote, “And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross” (Col 2:13-14)  (Eph 2:15). So some Bible verses do not apply “by abolishing in His flesh the law of commandments and decrees. He did this to create in Himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace”to Christians today because we live in an age of grace, and those churches that teach otherwise don’t understand that Jesus fulfilled the Law. The sacrificial system was prescriptive to ancient Israel (before the cross) and is certainly not for believers today, however there are other Bible verses from the Old Testament that is still relevant today and apply to all of us, as we shall see. Think of prescriptive Bible verses as something the doctor prescribes just for you and not for others. When the doctor describes your illness or disease, he is being descriptive in telling you the symptoms. The doctor wouldn’t prescribe something for everyone anymore that God would give every verse for everyone for all time.

No Expiration Date

The Ten Commandments were given before the Mosaic Law, and these laws are not only for the nation of Israel, they are for all people. For example, the fifth commandment, “You shall not murder” (Ex 20:13) are applicable for everyone because God is the Author of Life (Acts 3:15), so no one could take the life of another in ancient Israel, and neither can we do so today. It’s impossible to see how this law will not be applicable for us today. This law has no expiration day because murder has always been, and will always be wrong. The same principle applies to not lying, not stealing, not committing adultery, and other such Commandments. The fact that the Ten Commandments were written on stone by God Himself shows their permanence. These cannot be said to apply only to a specific people in a designated time. These are universal laws that will always be true, therefore these laws are prescriptive for all mankind, and not just for Israel. Others are descriptive, describing certain events (i.e. Gen 31:54), so we’d all do well to know the difference between prescriptive Bible verses and those that are descriptive (like David and Goliath).

Still Relevant

Many of the Psalms are still relevant today too, like Psalm 119:11 where the psalmist says, “I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.” What he is saying is “I have memorized Scripture in order to keep from sinning.” When a person is tempted, they can recall verses from memory that will help them resist temptation and keep them from sinning. When Satan tempted Jesus in the Wilderness, Jesus used Scriptures to rebut Satan, who was taking text of context and creating a false pretext. The Apostle Paul wrote to the church at Philippi; “Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you” (Phil 4:9) and believers are still commanded to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2nd Pet 3:18a), so there will never be a time when these verses will not be relevant for us. These verses are prescriptive for all of us. Nearly all of the verses in the Book of Proverbs are also prescriptive and are relevant, no matter what age we live in. These godly principles are prescriptive for every one of us, like “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction” (Prov 1:7).

His Abiding, Eternal Word

God’s Word never expires, just as Isaiah the Prophet wrote, “The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever” (40:8), so “the word of the Lord remains forever” (1st Pet 1:25). Jesus, in speaking of the Word of God, which He clearly refers to as the Bible, said “truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished” (Matt 5:18), so “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will never pass away” (Matt 24:35). In fact, “it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one dot of the Law to become void” (Luke 16:17). The Bible has been banished, burned, and banned, and yet it remains…and will so forever. There will never be a time when the Word of God does not apply to our lives. The author of Hebrews wrote, “the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account” (Heb 4:12-13).

Conclusion

Tragically, some believe that the Bible is an ancient book which no longer has application today, however, how can these critics of the Bible say that the command to not murder is not relevant today? What about this law and many of the other teachings in the Bible not be applicable anymore? When would John 3:16 ever cease to have relevance? Why would Jesus never change what He said about those who receive eternal life, saying that “All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out” (John 6:37). No, God says “I the Lord do not change” (Mal 3:6a), and neither does the Word of God…it shall abide forever, even if heaven and earth should pass away, His words never will.

Article by Jack Wellman

Jack Wellman is Pastor of the Mulvane Brethren Church in Mulvane Kansas. Jack is also the Senior Writer at What Christians Want To Know whose mission is to equip, encourage, and energize Christians and to address questions about the believer’s daily walk with God and the Bible. You can follow Jack on Google Plus or check out his book Teaching Children the Gospel available on Amazon.