Random thoughts Biblical Counseling

 

1.     Would you counsel someone of the opposite sex? Why or why not? What is the biblical rationale for your answer?

a.     This is a three parts question; therefore, I will address them in three parts:

                                      i.     Would you counsel someone of the opposite sex? The short answer is subjective to the core problem that is presented by the counselee. If the complaint is sexual in nature, I would refer the counselee to a female counselor. If the core issue is non-sexual in nature, a trusted third party must be in attended during every counselling session.

                                     ii.     Why or why not? Most certainly, we can be confident in our faith and convinced ourselves that we will not be lured into the temptation of falling into inappropriate relationship through fleshly temptation. However, the reality of our human nature, spending extended time transparently learning about sexual subject from a female can jeopardize one’s value. Maintaining clear boundaries of moral clarity is key to avoid situation that could lead to emotional turmoil and ultimately sin; hence, it is only wise that we must guard ourselves from these type temptations.

                                   iii.     What is the biblical rationale for your answer? Mark 7:21-23, “For it is from within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come—sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and defile a person.” Our fallen nature combined with our natural attraction to the female can compromise our moral judgment. Serious consideration must be given and not put ourselves in a position to be deceived.  Attraction to the opposite sex is our natural inclination; Romans 1:26-27, “Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed shameful acts with other men and received in themselves the due penalty for their error.” Attraction to the opposite sex is natural, but committing adulty is sin. Although these verses talked about homosexuality but wanted to point out that the natural attraction between the opposite sex within a counselling context can lead to sin.

 

2.     What is the role of church discipline in counseling? What biblical rationale would you give for your answer? What does Scripture teach about the process of church discipline? How do your answers to these questions inform your view of confidentiality in the counseling process?

a.     What is the role of church discipline in counseling? The foundation of church discipline is rooted in accountability; however, it’s benefit to the Biblical counselling process goes beyond just being accountable. The ultimate goal is not to punish but to restore. Hence, the assumption here is that someone has committed a sin and he or she is unrepented and has steer away from God and the church has a process that seek restoration with the unrepented sinner. Biblical Counselling process thrive when the counselor-counselee relation hinges on the ultimate trust that, perhaps, moved the counselee to a degree vulnerability that could left them open to be victimized. Moreover, the counselor must be transparent with the counselee and has an obligation to escalate the sin of the counselee through the process of church discipline. The church must step in to heal and restore. This leads into another variable within the counselor-counselee relationship, confidentiality. For the most part, trust is gained because both parties agreed on a certain degree of confidentiality. Secular counselling relationships hold confidentiality as the ultimate sacred order of counseling and is protected by State or Federal laws. In Biblical counselling, confidentiality is important, but the bible is the ultimate authority.   

b.     What biblical rationale would you give for your answer? One of the most details description of the escalation process is in, Matthew 18:15-17,

                                      i.     If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over.

                                     ii.     But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.

                                    iii.     If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; 

                                   iv.     and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector.

Clearly, a process of escalation laid out by our Lord when we have factual knowledge about a committed sin by a brother. Paul also addresses this in Galatians 6:1, “Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted.” Paul encourages and warns us that not only we take this person through the process of restoration but also to watch ourself as we may fall into to the same trap of this sin.  

c.     What does Scripture teach about the process of church discipline? As mentioned above, Matthew 18:15-17, Jesus laid out a process for the church to follow when dealing with sins church’s members with the ultimate goal is repentance and reconciliation. It also worth mentioning that the church is to be light of this world, we are the example of the Gospel; hence, Paul wrote to the church in 1 Corinthians 5:12-13, What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? God will judge those outside. “Expel the wicked person from among you.” Although seems harsh but Paul is arguing that we must keep the church holy as our Father in heaven is holy. The penetrating question here is how can maintain the holiness and purity of the body of Christ, the church? In I Corinthians 5:6-7, “Your boasting is not good. Don’t you know that a little yeast leavens the whole batch of dough? Get rid of the old yeast, so that you may be a new unleavened batch—as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.” Paul addresses the church about letting sin seep into the church. He compares sin in the church to yeast, which spreads and affects the whole batch of dough. Just as yeast can ruin a batch of dough, unaddressed sin can corrupt the entire church.

d.     How do your answers to these questions inform your view of confidentiality in the counseling process? As mentioned, the higher authority is God and His word. Confidentiality is to be kept but if the counselor and the counselee agreed that their relationship is to be directed by the scripture, then, confidentiality will answer to the scripture. Without accountability through church discipline, our counselling process is hollow. Hence, church discipline and biblical counselling goes hand in hand.

 

3.     Explain what is meant by self-confrontation on the counselor's part. Why is this so important? What Scripture(s) speak to this issue?

a.     Explain what is meant by self-confrontation on the counselor's part. Perhaps I will start with the counselee’s part: The fact is that we cannot change for the counselee; hence, as a counselor, one of our main tasks is to guide counselees into understanding biblical principles from the scripture and apply these to their lives so they can turn from their sinful ways and renew their lives in Christ. Nevertheless, on the counselor part, we ourselves has our own biases, prejudices, and assumptions. These assumptions and prejudices can induce distractions into the counselling process, this can negatively impact the counselling process. Therefore, speaking the Truth in Love is our approach. Collecting information by listening through truth in love. Giving counselling feedback through truth in love. Through truth in love, we foster trust, transparency, integrity, and honesty; hence, we invite a culture of biblical collaboration that build a relationship which adhered to biblical principles.    

b.     Why is this so important? Biblical change can only happen if we are in Christ. Thus, if we are not in Christ, there’s no possibility for a holistic biblical life renewal. As we walk through the counseling process with the counselee, listening with truth in love, gathering information with truth in love, and learn about the counselee life with truth in love. It is very critical that not only we understand them but understand the context of their issues—everyone back stories are different. Therefore, we must seek out understanding and stay biblically connected to emerging culture, understands our own emotional condition, and seek out to continuously biblically equip ourselves to counsel. Apart and separated from God, renewal is unlikely. The truth that sets biblical counseling and Christian faith apart is its unique confrontation of our inherent sinful nature, Romans 3:23, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” Paul is articulating the fact that we as human are sinful and in need of a Savior for the redemption, not just the symptoms of our sins, but the entirety of our lives.

c.     What Scripture(s) speak to this issue? Self-Confrontation leads us toward reconciliation, 2 Corinthians 5:17-21: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: “The old has gone, the new is here! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.” Paul reminds us that Christ came to reconcile us back to him but not penal judgement. Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Confronting sins through self-confrontation is not about being judged because Justice and Reconciliation was done at the cross. We are to speak the truth in love seeking reconciliation and restoration. Ephesians 4:15: "But speaking the truth in love, let us grow in every way into him who is the head—Christ."

 

 

4.     Describe the basic process of biblical change. Make certain you include a discussion of biblical passages that are the basis for your answer.

 

The basics process of biblical change has been given theological title: Sanctification. This is a life changing process by which the believer is continuously transformed into a new person in Christ. This begins with the recognition and conviction of sin and the need for transformation in the renewing to a new person in Christ. John 16:8, “When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment.” God pointing out that we are sinners which leads us to recognition that we all fall short of His glory. Roman 3:23-24, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” Convicted of our sins and accepting God’s grace through his substitutional atonement at the cross. Sanctification repositioned us as believers that has accepted Christ as our Lord and Savior. This is the initial dedication of one’s life to be a follower of Christ. Positional sanctification is when the believer decided to lay the foundation of the new life in Christ. It is the point of conversion. We are set apart, as in Ephesians 1:4, “For He chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love He predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will.” God had known of our chosen and adoption to be His children. Through the Holy Spirit, the foundation was laid for our becoming sonship through Christ. Paul addressed the church in 1 Corinthians 6:11, “And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” Paul reminded the Corinthians (in past tense) that they have been sanctified which means that they must live out their lives as new creatures in Christ.

Our Sanctification is not a onetime event; it is a continuous process of maturing in Christ. It is a process whereas we grow from being an infant in our faith toward maturity in Christ. While positional sanctification marked our foundation in Christ and set us apart to God, we must now progressively live according to God’s will. In 1 Thessalonians 4:3-4, “It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control your own body in a way that is holy and honorable,” Paul is telling us here that we have been sanctified and now we must live a life that is holy and honorable. Progressive Sanctification is the process in which we live a life that is holy and honorable. Hence, live a life that is confirmed to the image of Jesus Christ: Romans 8:29, “For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.” Paul also reminds us in Roman 12:2 “Do not conform to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” Progressing in our maturity in Christ is not optional; if we are standing on the foundation of positional sanctification, progressive sanctification must demonstrate our growth in Christ. Not demonstrating progressive sanctification means that positional sanctification was never attained. Colossians 3:5-10, “Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.”