Page 11 - Biblical Counseling I Textbook

When it comes to living a healthy mental, emotional, spiritual life, the Bible provides all that is
needed. We do not embrace a Gospel plus philosophy that embraces the belief that there are
solutions for human condition problems apart from what God has provided.

4. Christ in us is the only hope for true change (John 15:4-5; Rom. 8:10; Col. 2:24-29).
The Biblical Counseling Movement is not a moralistic, therapeutic approach to change. The goal of
biblical counseling is not simply moral improvement or social betterment. It is the glory of God, and
this can only be accomplished by the power of Christ in us. The change the Bible holds out as
necessary for life is impossible in the flesh. The change needed is a supernatural change empowered
by the indwelling Holy Spirit bearing His fruit in us.

5. All believers are called to provide biblical counsel and should be striving toward biblical maturity
together (Matt. 28:19-20; Gal. 6:1-2; Titus 2).
All Christians are to be disciples and are to be disciple makers. This means that all Christians are to
be bound together in a passionate pursuit of Christ that shapes our responses to daily life. Love for
one another means a commitment to provide to one another the kind of soul care necessary for
growth in Christlikeness.

6. Humans are a psycho-somatic whole, that is, we are comprised of body and soul.
Any counsel that is given must seek to give proper weight to the Bible’s teaching about the nature of
humans. We have bodies and we have souls, and they are bound together in an inseparable union.
What happens to and in the body affects the soul, and the condition of the soul affects the body.

7. There are real biological illnesses that need to be treated by medical professionals.
Biblical counseling does not displace the medical doctor. The Bible does not teach us how to set
broken bones or treat snake bites. In His grace, God has provided humanity an ability to research
these things and to increasingly provide solutions to injuries and illnesses. However, we understand
that injuries and illnesses do affect the person’s soul. We respond to these things, and this is where
the Bible provides help.

The Key Concepts of those who seek to counsel Biblically are:
1. Biblical counsel should be God-centered, not man-centered.
• The Holy Spirit through the Scriptures sets the agenda (John 14:17; 16:13; 17:17).
• Individuals coming to a pastor for help in dealing with the difficulties of life will most commonly
have a pre-conceived idea of what the outcome should be. The married couple is hoping for
better communication skills or better methods for child discipline. The anxious person is
wanting peace. But the biblical counselor understands that very often what God wants to
accomplish is much deeper than the surface concerns, and the goal of counseling is not merely
external order or even obedience. It is the glory of God, and this has substantive effect on the
agenda for counseling.

• The objective is not the achievement of personal goals but the fulfillment of God’s purposes for
life (Luke 22:42; John 3:30; Rom. 8:28-29; Eph. 2:10; 1 Peter 2:21).

2. Biblical counsel must be founded upon solid theology (1 Tim. 4:6; 2 Tim. 2:15).
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