HOW YO APPLY THE SCRIPTURES

"We must never move immediately from ancient text to modern hearer. We must always go from the text to Christ to whom the text testifies, and only then to the hearer. This order is as true experientially as it is theologically and hermeneutically. Relating to God outside of Jesus Christ is to relate to him as Judge, not as Savior. Why would we want to apply any text of God’s Word without first moving through the text’s fulfillment in Jesus’ saving person and work? "Who may ascend the hill of the Lord?" asks the Psalmist. "He who has clean hands and a pure heart" is the answer (Ps. 24:3-4). That’s not me. My heart isn’t pure. But Christ’s is, and because I am united to him by faith I can boldly ascend to the Lord’s throne (Heb. 4:16)!" Paul Alexander in a review of a Graeme Goldswothy book.