2020: A Year of Application
For those of us who have the privilege of living in a wealthy, modern nation like America, we can safely say that we live in one of the most advanced societies in history. Along with this privilege comes the perk of greater education, as we are some of the most educated, literate people this world has ever known.
This truth applies to the church as well. Never before in the history of the church have there been so many Christians with so many resources available to them. Not only do we have dozens of different translations of the Bible at our disposal, but we also have hundreds and thousands of other resources right at our literal fingertips. With a touch of a screen, we can call up a multitude of excellent sermons, articles, commentaries, and concordances in a fraction of a second. We can download Christian books onto our phones and begin reading them faster than it takes to read this sentence.
We know more than any other generation of Christians that came before us. But what result has all that knowledge had on our lives? Even though our knowledge outweighs that of our predecessors by a thousand-fold, can we say the same about our character, or our good works?
“Even though our knowledge outweighs that of our predecessors by a thousand-fold, can we say the same about our character, or our good works?”
If knowledge does not translate into transformation, then what good is all that knowledge? Such knowledge would only serve to prove Paul's words in 1 Corinthians 8:1, "We all possess knowledge. This knowledge puffs up, but love builds up."
Not Puffed Up, but Built Up
Being puffed up means looking large on the outside but being empty, full of hot air, on the inside. Contrary to this is being built up, which means being strong and sturdy, filled with solid substance.
For this reason, Paul encourages his people not to be puffed up but built up in the Lord. In Colossians 2:6-7, he writes,
"Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving."
English Standard Version (emphasis mine)
In this case, being built up is described in terms of being rooted in Christ, established in faith, and abounding in thanksgiving. But another way to be spiritually solid and full rather than spiritually puffed up and empty is to be rich in good works. Just as we are some of the most educated Christians in the history of the church, we are also some of the wealthiest.
For this reason, 1 Timothy 6:17-19 applies in a direct and relevant way to us.
As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.
English Standard Version (emphasis mine)
Time to Act
The average Christian in North America knows more than many pastors in other parts of the world. In rural Chinese villages, if someone knows just a few verses and the basics of the gospel, that person is by default the local pastor because he or she knows more about the Bible than everyone else in the area. How much more do most Christians in the West know than that!
If someone has been attending church for five years, that means he or she has heard over 250 sermons. In addition to this, many believers also listen to hours of podcasts, read a few Christian books a year, and regularly spend time in small groups and Bible studies.
And yet, many believers who have been attending church for five years or more still struggle to put all that knowledge into practice. We still struggle to pray (Matt. 6:5-7), to read the Word (Ps. 119:11), to forgive others (Col. 3:13), to tithe (2 Cor. 9:7), to love our neighbors as ourselves (Matt. 22:39), to serve and care for the poor and downtrodden, the orphans and widows, the sick and imprisoned (James 1:27), and especially to share the gospel boldly as we should (Eph. 6:19-20) and make disciples everywhere we go (Matt. 28:19). We know these things but we often don't do these things.
After five years of church attendance—which is longer than most bachelor's and master's degrees—we ought to be teachers, and yet so many of us are still living like baby Christians (Heb. 5:12). We are hearers of the word and not doers, like people who look intently at our faces in the mirror and then immediately forget what we look like (James 1:23-24).
The Purpose of Knowledge
My conviction for 2020 is not to learn more, but to put into practice the things I've already learned. It doesn't make sense to move on to Lesson #428 when we haven't mastered Lesson #427 yet, let alone Lessons #1, #2, and #3. As this new year begins, I encourage and urge you to do the same.
This is not to say that we should stop learning. By all means, we should continue to read the Word and learn all we can about God by every means. But we need a radical shift in our perspective and attitude about learning. Why do we learn? Only to expand our knowledge? Is the goal of learning simply to know more, or is it to have our lives transformed from one degree of glory to another (2 Cor. 3:18), and our character conformed more into the likeness of Christ (Rom. 12:2), so that we can do the good works that God prepared for us to do (Eph. 2:10)?
If we haven't applied the truths of Scripture into our lives, then I daresay we haven't learned the truth at all. Only applied truth is learned truth. Un-applied truth is theoretical truth at best and Pharisaical hypocrisy at worst.
“If we haven't applied the truths of Scripture into our lives, then I daresay we haven't learned the truth at all. Only applied truth is learned truth.”
As the new year and the new decade begin, I pray that we will all live by the words in Colossians 3:16, "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God." May your life over the next 365 days be filled with a purposeful application of the Word and the truth of God: joyful worship, songs of thanksgiving, acts of love and devotion, and a wealth of good works that bring life to others and glory to God.