Applying Biblical Truths to Our Everyday Lives: The Syrup Method

Welcome!

If you need pancake kit instructions they are as follows: Otherwise, skip ahead to learn how to apply the Syrup Method to your daily Bible reading!

1.  Add 2 cups of milk or water to your mason jar. You may need to give the flour a moment to soak up the liquid before being able to add the full amount. Optional: Add the white or chocolate chips to your batter.

2. Stir or shake the mixture well making sure there are no pockets of dry ingredients. (Watch the bottom of the jar!)

3. Pour the batter out onto a greased, hot cooking surface. When bubbles are abundant, flip the pancake over to cook the opposite side. This kit makes 12-15 pancakes.

4. Enjoy with maple syrup or other favorite pancake toppings!

Applying Biblical Truths to Our Everyday Lives: The Syrup Method

A heaping pile of pancakes just wouldn’t be the same without the sweet taste of maple syrup to help it go down. It takes approximately 40 gallons of sap to make one gallon of syrup from a sugar maple tree and upwards of 60 gallons from other varieties. The making of real maple syrup is a somewhat arduous process that can take days to complete. Why would one go through so much trouble?! Well,….because syrup is yummy and pancakes just aren’t the same without it.

Let’s look at the steps we need to properly apply biblical truth to our lives:

Step One: Collect the sap, gather all the truth you can in one place.

2 Corinthians 4:7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.

When we go to study the Bible we begin much the same way as one who is gathering sap for syrup. We need to gather all the facts we can, as much as we can, while systematically and carefully pulling out anything of importance. Look at the structure of the words, the cultural context, specific geographical references, and the relationships that are present. It may be necessary to study the cultural norms of the day or specific historical accounts that are referenced.

It is important to realize, we all have cultural mores and perspectives that influence our understanding. As far as we are able, we should consider the specific implications and circumstances that an individual’s sex, race, and nationality could imply. We miss important information if we do not understand the significance behind specific family ties, social status, common expectations, traditions, education, and any other specifics as far as the facts are stated in the text.

It may be helpful to identify any comparisons that are being made. Things that are alike or different, relationships that are either cause or effect, question and answer, or information ordered general to specific can give you important clues as to what the text is saying. Note any change in direction or pace, emphasis or repetition, and always check for tense and grammar cues.

Make every effort to read verses in context. This is the sap.  We need more information at first because we are going to be boiling it down slowly over time.  If a transition points to what was mentioned previously, read what was written before. Always read a little more than you intend to study and check what comes directly afterwards.

Another important element to look for within the text is action. It could be something that is being done but it may also be other movement of some kind. Action could be seen as a problem the text presents (which may or may not have a given resolution), events that happened or are happening, ideas tied to a specific action or principle, or even a call to do something that is yet to be done.  All text has its own tone or atmosphere, that leaves you with a sense of what is being conveyed. When reading scripture especially, all of these elements should be considered. Doing so  consistently, will help you to discern what is written and keep you in line with the author’s intent.

Another such help is to ask questions of the text. What does the author want the audience to know? How should this change the way I live? What am I being told is important? Is this a local teaching to a specific group of people at a specific time in history or does it hold a universal teaching that should apply to everyone? Ask who, what, when, where, why and how. How might the people of this time felt? It’s not wrong to read with a little imagination, just be careful not to accept assumptions an fact and always hold your imaginative correlations with an open hand. Make a distinction to yourself and others, particularly when presenting information, between what the text specifically states and your own speculation.

In general, we should read scriptural literally. It means precisely what it means,  unless there are clues or grammar to suggest otherwise. There are figures of speech, idioms, and even sarcasm in scripture.

We must look for the various literary forms, or we will struggle to interpret the word rightly. When you encounter the use of simile, metaphor, irony, sarcasm, hyperbole, personification, allegory, or any other literary device ask yourself why the author might have used these in the particular text.

At this stage it is important to read both large and small amounts of text. Large sections of scriptures can help when seeking to identify the main idea of a book or chapter, while focusing on smaller sections can give greater focus and distinction to the specifics of what is being said. Both are needed if we wish to understand and apply God’s Word rightly.

Use scripture to interpret scripture. While it is not wrong to use a mixture of resources in studying your Bible, try to study the Word more than another’s thoughts or commentary. Use a mixture of resources to help you grow in your understanding of the biblical texts.

Cross references, study Bibles, Bible handbooks, concordances, lexicons, dictionaries, commentaries, atlases, maps, charts, timelines, interlinear Bibles or other books on theology can all be helpful.

Here is list of a few resources that will help you in your study:

www.melbellemusings.com/blog/resources-for-bible-study

Step 2: Place the sap over a heat source, boiling away the water until the thick syrup emerges.

With 40- 60 gallons of sap slated to produce 1 gallon of syrup, it is estimated that one full hour of cooking will be needed per gallon of the original solution. This means that 50 gallons of sap will need to cook around 50 hours to hopefully produce a gallon of syrup.

Truth comes from God and God’s truth is the only thing that can hold up under fire. Here we do the work of distilling the information we have preciously worked to gather.  We want a rich and “viscous” faith. Look again at all the information you have collected and ask the Lord how you should apply it to your life today.

We start with a good understanding and interpretation of the text, and look for what we might learn from it.  What things need to be applied to my own life and how?  This means asking the appropriate questions and being open to the conviction of the Holy Spirit.  The Word changes us.  God’s Holy Spirit in us is constantly remaking us into the image of Jesus. We would remiss to not look for the Word’s application to our own life.

Questions we might ask are:

Is there a temptation or sin I should avoid? 

Is there a promise I can claim; is it conditional or unconditional? 

Does this give me something to pray about or help me in prayer?

Does the text contain a challenge?

Does the test spell out a specific way to live?

Is there something specifically noteworthy that I should make an effort to remember? 

It may be helpful to identify whether the text is giving a specific law or guideline by which we are to live by, encouraging a specific pattern we are to emulate, or stating an overarching Biblical principle.

The most well-known laws of the Bible are the 10 commandments given to Moses on Mt. Sinai but there are others in the Bible as well.  Some have to do with ceremony or justice, some are specific to the Jews and their covenant relationship to God during a specific period of time. Laws throughout the Bible may be called by many different names; statues, commandments, or even judgements. Laws show God’s goodness to us, His care of us, His wisdom, and priorities.  God gives us His laws for our benefit.  He has created the world to work is a specific way, there are natural consequences to sin, and a specific way we are to relate to God, Himself.  Laws are given to us as rules to live by and help us to live happy and holy lives.

Patterns are also put forth for us to learn to imitate. They help us to combat our sinful natures as we establish helpful habits and ways of thinking. Patterns can help establish some guide rails by which we are to function. They enhance our life in many ways and can draw us into holy moments as we persistently meet and seek our Savior. Principles, on the other hand, are rarely spelled out in great detail but are rather pointing to overarching, enduring truths that can be used to guide the believer in their decisions. Principles also help to inform the way we live and act by giving us a foundation to build patterns or behavior on.

A well known example of a biblical principle is the golden rule, “Do unto others as you would have them do to you.” There is no direct mandate to give kind words or to show fairness, but truly, if we are to treat others how we would like to be treated one can guess those are great places to start.

When dealing with principles in scripture a person may have great resolve and personal zeal about their positions. It is not uncommon to see those who are dogged in establishing all manner of biblically based patterns. Patterns and principles are good things unless our rigid view of them hinders the gospel or causes us to miss the very person(God) they are intended to highlight. For any positive change to occur all of our efforts must be filtered through and powered by our personal relationship with Jesus. It is by the Spirit’s power, through the Word of God, and by Grace alone that we are being refined. It is only due to God great love and mercy that we are able to be changed. If we forget this, our actions will become legalistic and unprofitable.

Biblical principles highlight biblical hermeneutics or exegesis— the drawing of a bridge or correlation from what was happening then, in the Bible, to how it applies to us, today. This is interpreting the Biblical texts, and every christian should learn to listen and discern the Word of God for themselves.

A lot of people assume there are many morally “grey areas” in scripture based on the fact that “Jesus never talked on a specific issue.” But this is simply not the case.  While I am sure you will need to ask the Bible questions it may not have specific dialogue to address, questions over the ethicality of  A.I., birth control, in vitro fertilization, cloning, or immunizations (to name a few), I am also convinced that by looking at the principles and laws of Scripture and relying on the conviction and wisdom of the Holy Spirit each one of us have the ability to know and live in accordance to (and under the authority of) scripture on all issues.

And this is how we pour the syrup, so to speak, to cover the issues of our day.

Step 3: Pour the Syrup; The Art of Exegesis.

Ask God to give you the wisdom you lack. Always remain humble in your seeking. When you receive God’s answers for the issues of your life do not let the knowledge puff you up or make you proud. Know there will be some questions you WILL NOT get an answer to. Let the scripture speak where it speaks and remain silent where it is silent. God is knowable. He has made himself known in the riches of His glory and love. It is SO GOOD to know Him and to be able to say we know Him.  This does not mean that we can or will know everything.  There is a lot we simple will never know but our relationship to God is one of faith.  While we wont know everything, we can accept that God is who He says He is, that He is good, and that we can trust Him.  This is Faith.  This is part of being a Follower of God and it is how we become fearless.  We are not in control and we do not have to be.  We know the ONE who holds it all in His hand and we trust Him explicitly. There is great comfort in the sovereignty of God for the Christian.

You might be tempted to think that because you share the same core, Biblically-based beliefs as others they will come to the same actionable conclusions on how to live as you do. This would be a mistake and a fundamental misunderstanding of what it means to sin and “fall short”.

Christianity is not primarily about a list of dos and don’ts, it is about relationship.  Each of us have different circumstances and convictions. We are all at various stages in our walk with Christ.  There are certain actions and attitudes of the heart that the Bible speaks specifically against but there are also things that remain a matter of individual conscience. Even judging by what we see in others is not always as straight forward as we would like to be.  We often sin from our hearts before our actions have yet to betray us.

Mark 7:18-23 And he said to them, “Then are you also without understanding? Do you not see that whatever goes into a person from outside cannot defile him, since it enters not his heart but his stomach, and is expelled?” And he said, “What comes out of a person is what defiles him. For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.”

We are bound by our conscience. If, by my unique set of life experiences and circumstances I feel a specific conviction to obtain from alcohol, then(I believe) I would be in error to casually drink while holding that conviction. If, however, my brother, with a different set of life experiences and circumstances comes to a different conclusion on the matter after faithfully working it out before God, who am I to think badly of him because of his specific convictions on the matter? It would be fine for him in this case to partake because there is no specific mandate against it in scripture.

There is however, warnings against drunkenness, and a caution that those who engage in such things will not inherit the kingdom of heaven. So while one cannot scripturally be accustomed to drunkenness and be in a right standing with the Lord, one cannot also say that everyone must completely abstain from the consumption of alcohol altogether.  Each Christian, then is left to decide the matter themselves in their own heart and conscience.

It is important that we are careful about the separation of things scripture speaks directly about and those issues that are addressed by principle.

Primary issues that are non-negotiable deal with the inerrancy of the scripture, our understanding of truth, what it takes for salvation, and God’s attributes and character.

It is not that tertiary issues of conscience are unimportant- they are-but they are not tied directly to the salvation of the individual. And we must give others the space to decide for themselves there their convictions lie. An issue may be completely clear and understood well within your own heart and  mind- but if it is NOT a mandate from scripture, it can be lived out in a variety of ways. In this, I do not think it wrong to try to inform and grow others’ opinions. It is important to be able to clearly state your views and how they are based on scriptural principles.  You may even find that others will change their point of view and see the good wisdom your opinion brings. Especially if you have shown the proper love and respect for that person and their views despite the differences of opinion you hold. Let us then, as Romans 12:10 states, “Outdo one another in showing honor” for by doing so we might greatly persuade a dying World for Christ.