The wise counselor is, in a sense, a realist. He knows from Scripture that we live between the ages. And so, he helps the counselee to see how his desires and expectations point to our deeper longing for eternal pleasures that are found only in God (Ps. 16:11). Not only that, the faithful counselor points to Christ—crucified, raised, ascended, and given to and in us by the Spirit—our hope of glory. Continue Reading →
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If ultimate authority is given to our senses, then doubts about God’s goodness will abound. However, if God’s goodness depends primarily on His own special self-revelation in Scripture, then the here and now finds its context within the framework of the cross and the triumphant return of Christ. Counselors act as wise guides when they lead counselees to greater awareness of their location in the history of redemption. Continue Reading →
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Have you ever wondered how a Puritan minister would counsel someone? What if we could be a fly on the wall to observe the Puritans doing the work of physicians of the soul? That would be pretty cool, wouldn’t it? Well, we can’t go back in time. But we do have access to writings that illustrate those counseling conversations. Here is an example. Continue Reading →
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I have often referred to biblical counseling as an “incarnational ministry.” I have also seen various authors and speakers describing biblical counseling in the same way. Those who are more careful present such descriptions as analogous or metaphorical. Others mention it without qualification—probably because it became jargon, a part of our biblical counseling culture. But language matters, especially if we are to consider our discourse theo-logical. This short article will articulate why I have decided to no longer refer to biblical counseling (or other ministries of the church) as “incarnational ministry.” Continue Reading →
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What immediately comes to mind when you think about the Holy Spirit’s work in counseling? Perhaps you think about the doctrine of sanctification and how the Holy Spirit empowers actual change. Maybe what comes to mind is the Spirit’s work of illumination and how He grants us the understanding of spiritual truth. Or you may think about the comfort that His indwelling presence provides. Perhaps you think about how the Spirit enlivens and reorients our affections to love God and others. These are true, important descriptions of the Spirit’s work in counseling and the Christian life. However, in response to this question, we don’t commonly consider the doctrine of union with Christ. Continue Reading →
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