From tying your shoes to riding a bike, many activities that are second nature to you now required practice to master. Once upon a time, you might have used a rhyme to remember how to get your shoelaces just so or needed to take a deep breath of courage before mounting a bike.
Now imagine—if you’d only ever received instruction about how to successfully tie your shoes or ride a bike, without trying either for yourself, your training would never have been complete. Sure, you might have been able to explain the ins and outs of riding a bike, for example, but you’d never truly know what it feels like to glide down the street on a summer day on one.
When it comes to Bible study, a similar principle is true. If we stop at simply knowing about God’s Word, without ever putting it into practice, we miss out on indispensable benefits. Bible study without living out Scripture is like reading about riding a bike without ever experiencing a bike ride on a sunny afternoon.
But when we go a step further and put God’s Word into practice, we get to experience the beauty and peace God intends for us, becoming more like Him and knowing Him more deeply in the process.
Here are 3 reasons why living out Scripture is vital to your faith.
1. It will nurture your relationship with God.
God, in His grace, loves you apart from anything you could have done or could do (Ephesians 2:8-9), yet Scripture teaches that part of truly knowing God involves obeying Him. That’s because those who receive God’s grace can’t help but return His love, wanting to please and honor Him by living the way He instructs.
Jesus encourages His disciples in John 15:9-10, “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love.”
To abide in Jesus’ love looks like putting God’s Word into practice, even when His ways and will are contrary to our desires—just as Jesus did. In the Garden of Gethsemane, before being arrested, tried, and crucified, Jesus prayed, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done” (Luke 22:42). And then He proceeded to be obedient to the Father, to the point of death on a cross.
Ultimately, living out God’s Word is about more than following a set of rules—it’s about relationship. As we walk in the ways God has set for us, we get to know Him and His heart better, and He draws closer to us, too.
In Matthew 7:22-24, Jesus warns His followers that those who know Him and are known by Him, that is, those who have put their faith in Him, put His words into practice:
“On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’ Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.”
And amazingly, living as God instructs with a heart of love for Him has powerful, transformative effects.
2. It will supercharge your personal growth.
When you were little, it’s likely you had a role model—someone you looked up to and thought, “I want to be just like them when I grow up!”
As a believer in Christ, your destiny is breathtaking—you’ve been called, saved, and brought into relationship with God through Jesus to “obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Thessalonians 2:14).
Glory—that’s your destiny! Every day on this side of heaven, you’ve been given the opportunity to “walk in” the good works to which God has called you (Ephesians 2:10). And as you do, you become more and more like Jesus, our role model in the faith.
In Ephesians 5:1-2, Paul describes it this way: “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”
Want to curb your anger, boost your self-esteem, regulate your emotions, stop an addiction, or speak words of life? Jesus invites us, “Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:28). As we live out God’s Word, we become more like Jesus, growing in Christ into the person we’re called to be.
And this benefit doesn’t stop with us.
3. It will bless others and bring God glory.
In John 15, Jesus encourages us to abide in Him—to be at home with Him, in close relationship—and promises we will bear fruit when we do (John 15:4-5). The Father serves as a gardener, pruning us and helping us grow and thrive (verse 2).
But fruit isn’t merely for us—it’s a testament and nourishment for the people around us! That means that as we live out God’s Word and practice His ways, growing more like Christ, we bless others—and show them what God can do in and through a sinner saved by grace. Your actions, rooted in Scripture, can encourage, uplift, and inspire those in your sphere of influence, showing them what a life transformed by Christ looks like.
In Matthew 5:16, Jesus describes the impact that living out God’s Word in your life will have on the world: “In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”
Letting God’s Word transform your life may start with you—but ultimately it will help you serve as a testimony of God’s goodness and as a vessel of blessing to those around you!
Just like learning to tie your shoes or ride a bike, living out God’s Word requires practice and commitment, but the rewards are immeasurable. By putting Scripture into action, you not only experience God’s love more profoundly, but you also become more like Christ, fulfilling your purpose and blessing others along the way.
So, don’t just learn about the Bible—live it out, and watch how it transforms every area of your life…and the world.