The first time I heard about Biblical counseling was in a class I took in college. It was then that I realized that the biblical counseling ministry was a must for every Christian. I realized it was important because it helped me see and do several things: (1) apply the other theology classes I was taking to real life, (2) realize the many false advice systems out there, and ( 3) become a better Christian.
All this can be summed up in four basic reasons why we need the :
1. Biblical counseling is a spiritual necessity.
One of the main reasons we need biblical counseling is because our families, churches, friends, and personal lives are affected by sin and suffering in this world. When we stop to consider the reality of our sinful depravity and the depth of suffering that exists, we quickly see how we need the constant nourishment of God’s Word ministered to us by other people.
True biblical counsel connects the power of Scripture with the reality of our life on earth; comfort those who suffer with the promises of God and the future inheritance (1 Pet. 1:3-9). Biblical counseling is a very personal ministry that helps people in the depths of their sin and suffering to see the beauty of the cross.
But biblical counseling is not just a ministry that helps others, it also makes you evaluate your own life. I can’t count the number of times I’ve been advising another person and wondering, “Am I following what I’m advising?” In other words, we need biblical counseling to advise others, but also to advise ourselves.
True biblical counsel connects the power of Scripture with the reality of our life on earth; comfort those who suffer with the promises of God and the future inheritance
2. Biblical counseling is a biblical necessity.
Biblical counseling is the model of ministry that we see in the Word. David Powlison, one of the foremost biblical counselors, highlighted the emphasis on Christ’s interpersonal ministry that we see in the book of Mark. Powlison explained that, through Mark 7-11, Jesus speaks in 26 scenes. In 18 of those scenes, Jesus is conversing with other people and doing interpersonal ministry.
We also have the example of Paul. In Acts 20:20 we see him teaching publicly, but also ministering “from house to house”. Can you imagine the kind of personal advice Paul gave as he visited different believers in their homes? Finally, throughout his letters, we also see Paul encouraging other believers to do interpersonal ministry. Paul calls Christians to “restore one another” (Gal. 6:1), to “tell one another the truth” (Eph. 4:25), and to “admonish one another” (Col. 3:16). ). We need biblical counseling because it is the model of ministry that we see in Scripture.
3. Biblical counseling is a cultural necessity.
Since the beginning of time, Satan has tried to weaken and distort the power of the Word. Adam and Eve believed in a distortion of God’s truth, and this impacted their lives and the rest of the world in unimaginable ways (Gen. 3:1-7). Satan continues to use distortions of God’s truth to deceive Christians.
The Word of God is enough to deal with our deepest problems
The Apostle Paul warned believers to be aware of false philosophies that seek to distort God’s truth (Col. 2:8). In the world of secular counseling, there are over 200 different models of psychotherapy. Many of them take humanistic and egocentric approaches to change. They have a wrong view of who man is and offer approaches to change that are different from biblical sanctification. They rarely use the language of sin and instead emphasize victimology. Many of them believe that our past, cognition, circumstances, society, or biology are primarily responsible for our behavior, unlike our hearts.
In other words, we need biblical counseling because it offers true answers to many of the unbiblical views we encounter in the world of psychotherapy. Although many faithful Christians have tried to integrate secular therapy with the Scriptures, Biblical counseling believes that God’s Word is sufficient to address our deepest problems.
4. Biblical counseling is a missional need.
The last reason we need biblical counseling is because it is an aspect of obeying the . While many have placed legitimate emphasis on the “go” aspect of the Great Commission, we must also remember the importance of the “make disciples” aspect (Mt. 28:19-20).
The heart of biblical counseling is deep discipleship; teach others how to keep all that Jesus Christ commanded (Mt. 28:20). Paul Tautges writes that “authentic biblical counseling is nothing more, and surely nothing less, than the fulfillment of the Great Commandment to make disciples of Jesus Christ by the delegated authority of God and the empowerment of the Holy Spirit.”
For example, a lot of the counseling I’m involved in is marriage counseling. I often work with the husband to help him see how she can best obey God in her marriage. In other words, by helping husbands love their wives, I am helping them obey the Great Commission.
Biblical counseling is not a nebulous ministry, but rather a very practical ministry in which a person is helping others to obey the Scriptures in their personal, family, and social life. Unlike most secular therapies that often offer self-centered solutions to problems, Biblical counseling teaches others the importance of doing and obeying the Word (James 1:22-23). All Christians have been given the authority and mandate to be part of the disciple-making process. And this inevitably means that every Christian should practice biblical counseling.
we need the real solution
I am a missionary in Argentina. My main job is to train pastors and church leaders in very remote places. About a year ago I traveled to a small church where I was helping some leaders in their desire to pastor a group of believers. When I asked these precious leaders what they needed help with, they immediately responded, “Biblical counseling!”
Why? Because they want help on how to help others. They want to learn how to connect sound theology to broken marriages, drug addicts, and depressed people. They do not want worldly solutions, but biblical ones. They also want to learn how to do ministry as Christ modeled and Paul commanded. And finally, they want to learn how to help others become better disciples. They need biblical counseling! We all need it.
David Powlison, Speaking the Truth in Love105.
Paul Tautges, Counseling One Another23.