Archive for Counseling Theology
Union with Christ: The Implications for Biblical Counseling
Posted by: | CommentsCounseling is about change.1 It is necessarily so because gospel ministry proclaims that in Christ there is a future hope and a present reality of renewal.2 The concept of change is central to the gospel, as J. Gresham Machen states: “It is inconceivable that a man should be given this faith in Christ, that he should accept this gift which Christ offers, and still go on contentedly in sin. For the very thing which Christ offers us is salvation from Sin—not only salvation from the guilt of sin, but also salvation from the power of sin.”3
The Scriptures and Biblical Counseling
Posted by: | CommentsTotal Sufficiency and Biblical Truth
Posted by: | CommentsHoward Eyrich, D.Min. and Ed Hindson, D.Phil.
The great themes of the Bible focus on what God does for us, rather than what we do for Him. These themes were the basis of the Reformation, and they form the central beliefs of Protestant Christianity today. Ultimately, they distinguish between a religion of works and one of evangelical faith.
The Bible teaches that we cannot work our way to God. We cannot reach heaven by human self-effort. Rather, God has worked his way to us. He has reached down to meet us at the point of our human inadequacy. That is what the biblical doctrine of grace is all about. It is about God doing for us what we cannot do for ourselves.
What is Biblical Counseling?
Posted by: | CommentsThe Chicago Statement on Biblical Errancy states that “the authority of scripture is a key issue for the Christian church in this and every age. Those who profess faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior are called to show the reality of their discipleship by humbly and faithfully obeying God’s written Word. To stray from Scripture in faith and conduct is disloyalty to our Master. Recognition of the total truth and trustworthiness of Holy Scripture is essential to a full grasp and adequate confession of its authority.”
As a Christian, I wholeheartedly agree with every aspect of this general statement on biblical inerrancy and authority. I believe in both the inerrancy and authority of Holy Scripture. For me, the inerrancy and authority of Holy Scripture are like Siamese twins – they are inseperably joined to each other. Holy Scripture, being God’s law and testimony, is true and should therefore serve as our standard for all matters of faith and practice (Isaiah 8:19–20; 2 Peter 1:3). God’s Word being both truthful (John 17:17) and authoritative calls us to humble and faithful obedience in every area on which it speaks. There is no authority higher than the one found in Scripture. Wherever and on whatever subject the Scriptures speak, they must be regarded as both inerrant and authoritative.
The Need for Theology in Counseling
Posted by: | CommentsFrom the beginning, human change depended upon counseling. Man was created as a being whose very existence is derived from and dependent upon a Creator whom he must acknowledge as such and from whom he must obtain wisdom and knowledge through revelation. The purpose and meaning of his life, as well as his very existence, is derived and dependent. He can find none of this in himself. Man is not autonomous.
A Biblical Method for Lasting Change
Posted by: | Comments“Has God really said…” the serpent whispered, introducing doubt into the Garden so long ago. Throughout the centuries, the devil has prompted man to question God’s warnings about the consequences of sin, His promises of redemption, and His healing power. The answer to all of these is found in 2 Corinthians 5:17: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” Believers since the time of Christ have found God’s promise to change man’s inner character through the work of the Holy Spirit to be true. But in our own generation, Satan has once again created doubts in God’s people that God really means what He said.
A Biblical Foundation for Counseling
Posted by: | CommentsWe are about to embark on the most exciting part of this book. It isn’t enough merely to condemn integrated counseling systems; hurting people need to know that there is a more powerful alternative—a counseling philosophy based on the eternal Word of God. For in the Bible God has in fact provided for our every need. Joy, freedom, and recovery from damaged lives are all available to us! Christians don’t have to go through years of intensive therapy to experience genuine inner peace. Breathe deeply, relax in the Lord, and take time to read this article to confirm in your heart and mind that God has provided everything—yes, everything!—we need for our physical, mental, social, and spiritual well-being.
The Myth That Psychology Can Heal the Past
Posted by: | CommentsAccording to widely accepted psychological theory, humans are captives of their past. Many Christian writers use the term “adult children” to describe people who were damaged in their youth by divorce or emotional or physical abuse. They generally believe that we must return to the past in order to experience healing in the present. One Christian psychologist says, “We are as much our past as we are our present and our hopes for the future. To cut off the past is to erase part of our story, our journey, our self. The reclamation of the past involves the courage to be all that we are so that we can be all that we will be in our relationships to others.”1 He lists three purposes for the journey into the past: “removal of the denial, reclamation of the self, and movement toward real change.”2
The Myth That Psychology Is Trustworthy
Posted by: | CommentsCan a Christian trust psychology? This is the essential question one must consider in evaluating the mixing of psychological concepts and Scripture in Christian counseling.
The Contrived Medical Model
William Kirwan presents his case for integrating psychology and theology in his book Biblical Concepts for Christian Counseling. He believes that psychology is “the science of mental processes and behavior.”1 If psychology is a science along the lines of medicine, one could expect a fair amount of agreement within the trade. Indeed, newcomers normally view psychology, psychiatry, and other forms of counseling as a rather unified discipline. Those who have studied the field, however, know that there are literally hundreds of distinct and contradictory therapeutic approaches to counseling—with thousands of conflicting techniques—all claiming to cure the human psyche.