|
Biblical Counseling: power for overcoming problems: addictions, anger,
resentment, bitterness, guilt feelings, depression, sexual abuse, eating
disorders, anorexia, bulimia, divorce, marriage, & parenting and most problems
of life.
Biblical counseling is best understood by considering its intended results, its
sources of power, its process, and its hope.
The intended result of biblical counseling is progressive sanctification of each
believer who is counseled--each counselee making changes that are pleasing to
God--each counselee being conformed to the image of His Son (Rom. 8:29).
But progressive sanctification of believers is a work of God, not of a human
counselor. The power of progressive sanctification is of God--the Holy Spirit of
God using the Word of God to progressively bring about changes in the
counselee's life according to His plan.
How then does biblical counseling fit in? Biblical counseling is a process in
which a biblical counselor helps a counselee find and do God's will, thereby
cooperating with God's plan to progressively conform the counselee to the image
of His Son (progressive sanctification).
The biblical counselor is a part of God's plan for progressive
sanctification of the counselee in such things as coming
alongside to help, giving hope and/or leading the counselee to
conviction, determining the biblical principles that apply to
the counselee's problems, teaching the biblical principles,
assigning projects that incorporate the biblical principles so
that the counselee will be changed in mind and/or behavior
through the power of the Holy Spirit, giving encouragement,
keeping the counselee accountable, and providing
|
Biblical
Counseling
News
prayer support. The biblical counselor's role is that of pastor, ministering the Word of God on
a personal-need basis to an individual who has a problem and/or to two or more
who have a problem between/among them, as contrasted to preaching to an entire
congregation. Because selecting and teaching the biblical principles that the
Holy Spirit wants to use in each counselee's life is crucial to the counseling
process, biblical counselors should have a theological education, should have
specialized education and training in counseling, and should be perceptive to
psychological error.
The power of biblical counseling and its effectiveness are in these four
provisions of God: the plan of God to progressively sanctify believers (Rom.
8:29), the sufficiency of the Scriptures (2 Tim 3:16-17; 2 Pet. 1:3), the power
of the Holy Spirit (Phil. 1:6; 2:13), and the power of prayer (James 5:16).
 Since the power of biblical counseling is in God and His plan for progressive
sanctification of believers, the hope (confident expectation) of biblical
counseling is in God, His plan for the believer, and His power to accomplish His
plan.
One hope (confident expectation) of biblical counseling is that, in spite of bad
situations and/or the provocations of others, God has the power to give joy
(Col. 1:11, KJV or NKJV).
Make an Appointment
|
An even more important hope (confident expectation) of biblical counseling is
the promise of God that He can work all things together to conform the counselee
(in godliness) to the image of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ (Rom. 8:28-29).
How then, could any believer say that such problems as "eating disorders," being
brought up in "dysfunctional families," or sexual abuse are excluded from the
"all things" that God can use in His plan to make the believer like His Son (in
godliness)?
How could any believer say that the world has better answers for life's problems
than biblical counseling--counseling in which the power of God is used to
achieve the plan of God-- progressive sanctification of the counselee?
Or, how could any believer say that secular truth (theories of men) must be
added to (integrated with) the Word of God to help God accomplish His plan for
the counselee?
Biblical counseling--utilizing the power of God to achieve the purposes of God.
With God's power there is hope. Clearly, biblical counseling is the counseling
of choice--the only choice--for believers. Copyright 1997
 |
