Merely studying and knowing the truth is not enough; we need to apply the truth in our daily Christian life and in the church life. The truth is not only in the Bible; it has been interpreted and published for our benefit. We need to study the interpreted truth to receive it into us. Then we need to experience the truth so that it becomes our reality. God “desires all men to be saved and come to the full knowledge of the truth” (1 Tim. 2:3-4). Getting saved is not enough; we need the full knowledge of the truth, the complete realization of the divine realities embodied in the Word. This full knowledge comes from knowing and experiencing the truth.
First, we need to apply the truth in our daily Christian life. We must believe that everything spoken of by the Lord is for our experience. If we have this view, we will experience the Lord according to His word in all our daily situations. For example, when we read in Matthew 5:48, “You, therefore, shall be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect,” we believe it and we can experience it. We are the Father’s children having the Father’s divine life and divine nature (1 John 5:12a; 2 Pet. 1:4). As the Father is perfect, we also can be perfect. When we notice that we are not perfect like the Father, we can repent and be forgiven. Then we can call on the Lord and pray-read His word to be strengthened by His divine life in the Spirit. Such strengthening enables us to express Him in His perfect living. Thus, we can fulfill the word in Matthew 5:48.
Many times our experience does not match the Word. We should never say, “It is all right.” Nor should we say, “It is not possible.” We should simply repent and confess our shortcomings, then call on the Lord and pray-read His word. The Lord will save us and allow us to experience Him according to the truth of the Word.
Second, we need to apply the truth in the church life. Many Christians have gathered themselves in denominations and do not practice according to the truth. They do not believe that the things spoken of in the Bible are for our practice today. They may excuse themselves and say that it is not possible to practice what is in the Bible or that what is in the Bible is for the future. Some others may say, “We have been practicing this way for hundreds of years; why should we change now?”
We must not be loose with the Word of God. Whatever the Lord says, we must do. We must practice according to the truth that is revealed in the Bible. For example, 1 Corinthians 14:26 says that we all should have something to say when we come to the meetings so that we may build up the church. Some may say that it is hard to speak, preferring to hire a pastor to speak for them. We cannot hold on to this attitude. We must hold on to the truth and practice accordingly. Therefore, we need to call on the Lord, pray, and pray-read every morning so that we may be revived and enlightened by the Lord. As we practice overcoming in all our situations during the day by continuing to pray over the word which we enjoyed in the morning, our enjoyment and experience of the Lord in His word will increase. At the end of each week, we should consider what we have seen and experienced in the Word and prepare something to share in the Lord’s Day meeting. This will provide the Lord a way to build up His church according to His prophecy in Matthew 16:18.
We have the interpreted truth in the Lord’s recovery. We must use our time and energy wisely to study the truth for ourselves, for preaching to the unbelievers, and for the church. The more our experience is according to the truth, the more we will have the full assurance to speak to others, to beget children for God, and to build up the church.