Maybe you've heard the expression, "Don't be so Heavenly minded that you are no earthly good." That is also false and is very bad advice, probably from an unsaved person who thinks he is saved.
The two thoughts are related. "Application" is determined by your "Heavenly mindedness."
Rest assured, my friend; if you are not Heavenly minded you will be no earthly good whatever. And if you are not Heavenly minded when you apply Scripture you will fall into the subtle trap of legalism, even while you are denying that you are a legalist.
Scripture is not about what you should or should not do to please God. Sure, if you keep the Ten Commandments you will please God. But you can't keep them. Paul, in Romans, tells us that the purpose of the Law (the Ten Commandments and the Law of Moses) is to reveal our sinfulness and to convict us of our individual sin. Sin's only remedy is Christ.
Our inability to keep the Law is not an excuse for sin. Paul also wrote in Romans that we must not sin more so that we can experience a higher level of God's grace. "I'm only human," does not excuse sin or any act of sin. You are human, but any iota of sin not covered by the blood of Christ will condemn you to eternal Hell.
Fortunately, or more precisely, gracefully, Christ's atoning death covers all of our sin with His blood.
The proper application of Scripture MUST point one to Christ. Any other application is a false application. It is born of, and supports the cause of Satan. It leads people astray, causes despondency, discourages people (when it is supposed to encourage them) and causes them to trust in their behavior rather than in the Christ of Calvary.
Let's lose this "there is only one interpretation of Scripture but many applications" mentality. Let's let Scripture point not to our behavior as Christians but to the One who is the point of Scripture, the Lord, Jesus, Christ. Let's focus on Him. (After all, we cannot focus on Him and sin at the same time. That is impossible.)
That kind of Heavenly mindedness guarantees that you will be of earthly good for Christ.
