God’s Way Bible Study
THREE LEVELS OF UNDERSTANDING THE SCRIPTURES, Part 3
Tuesday, October 27, 2026
Level 3: Life Application
John 13:17 NKJV If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.
Let nobody claim to have true spiritual understanding of the scriptures, if that understanding does not translate into real world applications. Our understanding must develop legs, otherwise, we simply talk the talk, and do not walk the walk.
John 13:17 NLT Now that you know these things, God will bless you if you do them.
Blessings follow doing not merely knowing or talking.
Many of us can talk by faith, whereas, our calling is to walk by faith.
When we truly get the third level of meaning, we will live it.
Spiritual Understanding = Life Application
Real life application will flow naturally out of an accurate spiritual understanding.
Again the Ethiopian Royal Official demonstrates this truth for us.
Acts 8:36 Now as they went down the road, they came to some water. And the eunuch said, “See, [here is] water. What hinders me from being baptized?” 37 Then Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” And he answered and said, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.” 38 So he commanded the chariot to stand still. And both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him.
When we attain this level of understanding, we will put it into practice, we will not merely talk about it, debate it or wax eloquently about it. Talk is often a display of giftedness. A person may have the gift of oratory and thereby deceive both himself and his listeners that he has a true understanding of God. However, if my words do not produce fruit, I am self-deluded.
James 1:22-25 NLT But don't just listen to God's word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. [23] For if you listen to the word and don't obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. [24] You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. [25] But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don't forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it.
Quick Action Must Follow Understanding
Hebrews 3:15 NKJV while it is said: "Today, if you will hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion."
There's danger in delay.
Manipulators and con men know this and they use that knowledge against people.
In the church, only the voice of the Holy Spirit must be followed closely.
As a minister is speaking God's truth, the Holy Spirit will confirm the word, by bringing conviction.
On the day of Pentecost, the people interrupted Peter one the Holy Spirit convicted them.
The Ethiopian Eunuch interrupted Philip.
We, as ministers, must trust the Holy Spirit to do what He alone can, and never resort to the tactics of pushy salesmen.
If the Holy Spirit is not speaking to them, that's a sign for us.
If He's speaking but they are not listening to Him, they will not listen to us, no matter how hard we push.
Listening to the Holy Spirit is the difference between being informed and being transformed.
Luke 17:11-19 NLT As Jesus continued on toward Jerusalem, he reached the border between Galilee and Samaria. [12] As he entered a village there, ten men with leprosy stood at a distance, [13] crying out, "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!" [14] He looked at them and said, "Go show yourselves to the priests." And as they went, they were cleansed of their leprosy. [15] One of them, when he saw that he was healed, came back to Jesus, shouting, "Praise God!" [16] He fell to the ground at Jesus' feet, thanking him for what he had done. This man was a Samaritan. [17] Jesus asked, "Didn't I heal ten men? Where are the other nine? [18] Has no one returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?" [19] And Jesus said to the man, "Stand up and go. Your faith has healed you.”
Knowledge without obedience is sinful.
James 4:17 ESV So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.
Persistent disobedience in spite of knowledge could even be demonic.
James 2:19 NLT You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God. Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror.
God’s ultimate goal is not information but transformation.
God is not training us to become informed professors of the faith. We are called to be faith-practitioners, not faith-professors.
God's goal is to transform us into Christlikeness.
Romans 8:29 KJ21 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.
When we truly have spiritual understanding, we will not need to prove anything to anybody. If we truly have spiritual understanding, we will just live, and our lives will produce fruits that are consistent with our understanding.
Trying to show spiritual maturity is not only unnecessary, it is actually suspicious. There is nothing worse than trying to act Christian when one is not a Christian. It is hypocritical and hurtful to the cause of Christ. We are not called to transform ourselves.
We are only called upon to present ourselves to God and let Him transform us.
Romans 12:1-2 NLT And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice-the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. [2] Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.
Matthew 11:28-29 KJ21 "Come unto Me all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. [29] Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
We are only required to do two things…
First , we are required to present ourselves before Him, and secondly, we are to learn from Him.
Risks at Every Level
We identified the dangers we face at the two previous levels.
At the first level, at which we gain a literal understanding, our risk is falling into intellectual pride. When we get to the next level where we have spiritual insight, we run the risk of adopting a sanctimonious, holier-than-thou attitude. This is spiritual pride and it is more reprehensible than intellectual pride. Pride goes before a fall. When the intellectually proud fall, they face serious embarrassment, may be loss of social standing and income.
When a person falls into spiritual pride, he alienates himself from the people he is supposed to help; he becomes hyper-self-interested. He will resist God's gentle, fatherly corrections.
Proverbs 29:1 ESV
He who is often reproved, yet stiffens his neck, will suddenly be broken beyond healing.
Eventually, God will have to oppose him.
James 4:6,10 ESV But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble."
[10] Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.
1 Peter 5:6 NKJV Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time,
The risks at each of these levels seems unavoidable because of fallen human nature. God knows our frame so He gently corrects us each time. If we are humble, God gently breaks our fall, so that we do not crash and burn. He restores us time and again, but only if we are humble.
Proverbs 24:16 NLT The godly may trip seven times, but they will get up again. But one disaster is enough to overthrow the wicked.
We do not make light of falling because of the possibility of restoration. While it’s true that God will not allow us to be utterly destroyed but there is still a price to pay. Just ask King David.
We have to deal with and overcome our pride at each stage before we can proceed to the next. A failure to humble oneself is the reason why many of us are stuck at whatever level we are. We want to go to the next stage but pride is a very strong miry clay that keeps one from ascending to the rock. There's no foothold, no ladder to get to the next level. Only God takes one up there.
Psalm 40:1-2 NKJV I waited patiently for the LORD; And He inclined to me, And heard my cry. [2] He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, Out of the miry clay, And set my feet upon a rock, And established my steps.
God does not promote us because of what is in our heads. He promotes us because of what is in our hearts.
As important as studying is, it is not sufficient to get us to the next level. What we know is important, but who we are is more important to God.
1 Samuel 13:13-14 NLT "How foolish!" Samuel exclaimed. "You have not kept the command the LORD your God gave you. Had you kept it, the LORD would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. [14] But now your kingdom must end, for the LORD has sought out a man after his own heart. The LORD has already appointed him to be the leader of his people, because you have not kept the LORD's command."
Acts 13:22 NKJV And when He had removed him, He raised up for them David as king, to whom also He gave testimony and said, 'I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My own heart, who will do all My will.'
Why We Study
2 Timothy 3:7 NKJV always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.
So someone may ask, why then should we study if God is the one who takes us there? Fair question. God usually uses processes to achieve His ends. He has strict specifications, which if we follow, will approve us in His sight.
2 Timothy 2:15 NLT Work hard so you can present yourself to God and receive his approval. Be a good worker, one who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly explains the word of truth.
God does not play favoritism. He commanded that the kings of Israel should write a copy of the law for themselves. When David, a man much beloved by God, tried to transport the Ark of Testimony in a way that violated God's specific commands, there was swift judgment, because ignorance of the law was no excuse.
A Well-Read Bible
Yes, God, the One who will lift us to the next level, commands us to study His word day and night in Joshua 1:8.
3 Reasons for Studying
Study is a display of our obedience. Our obedience in studying will lead to obedience in living.
Obedience qualifies us for promotion. Studying His word will increase our knowledge of Him, making us better able to represent Him at ever increasing levels of authority.
Perhaps the best reason for studying is to show our love. If we love God, His letter to us must be so precious that we read it to tatters.
A Well-Read Love Letter
Our danger at this level is non-existent, or at least, it is not known to this teacher.
If we present ourselves as humble before the Lord, because we love Him, there is no risk, no danger, nothing that can separate us from His love. He promised to keep us, and we know in Whom we have believed, and we are persuaded that He is able to keep what we commit into His hands until that Day day of Jesus. 2 Timothy 1:12
Romans 8:1-2 NKJV There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. [2] For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.
Romans 8:35-39 NKJV Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? [36] As it is written: "For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter." [37] Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. [38] For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, [39] nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Galatians 5:22-26 NKJV But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, [23] gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. [24] And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. [25] If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. [26] Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.
Jude 1:24 NKJV Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy,
All-sufficient Grace
We must all grow through these three levels. We can’t skip any level. The God of all grace has supplied us with everything we need to help us go through the process successfully.
We have God, the Father Himself, who speaks the Word.
We have the Son, the Word, who teaches, instructs, corrects and reproves us.
We have the Holy Spirit, our Resident Teacher, and Guide, who leads us into all truth.
We have gifts the Holy Spirit gave us, the body of Christ, in the persons of apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers.
We have the fruit of the Holy Spirit which He is gently, slowly, with our cooperation cultivating in us.
Conclusion:
As we study in the word of God, it is necessary for us to gain a literary understanding. That understanding must not contradict the understanding of the original audience.
A sound literary understanding gives us a solid footing for correct spiritual discernment of the truth, which is deeper or higher understanding.
The evidence that we have correctly divided the word will be the fruits of our lives, not merely in the smoothness of our talk.
We present ourselves by making time for God to teach us.
We humble ourselves by acknowledging that we need help to understand what we have read and studied.
We will know we are learning, when we begin to see our lives being transformed, not by our own efforts, but by the power of God.
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