252: The Sufficiency of God's Word in Counseling

Biblical Counseling Podcast

Biblical counselors face criticisms for believing that Scripture contains everything that we need for counseling others. Many psychologists label this thinking as simplistic. Are biblical counselors simplistic by believing in the sufficiency of God’s Word? How do we think about the complexities of secular psychology and the simplicity of the Christian message?

In this week’s episode of the Biblical Counseling Podcast, Pastor Jeff Christianson defends the sufficiency of Scripture from the assaults of secular voices and opinions. Many Christians have been deceived by the allures of psychology’s insights and models. Pastor Jeff reminds listeners that the greatest threat to the church is the temptation to abandon Jesus Christ, the wonderful counselor (Is 9:6). Scripture speaks of the constant temptation to abandon God as the source of life for lesser substitutes which never satisfy our hearts (Jer 2:13).

Teaching from James 1:21-22, Pastor Jeff reminds listeners that the Word of God alone can save our souls. Humility defines every biblical counselor’s posture. We must come humbly to God’s Word and seek his wisdom. While secular psychology offers many observations and hypotheses, only God’s Word takes us from death to life. Also, we must put God’s Word to practice to avoid self-deception. The counselee who hears God’s Word but fails to put these words into practice is deceived and puffed up. We must devour God’s Word, absorbing its truths into our hearts. Then, we must apply God’s Word, fully convinced of Scripture’s authority. If God has called us to serve as his counselors, we must prepare ourselves with his Word to function as his instruments.

Secular psychology impresses many people with its observations and studies. In 2 Corinthians 11:3, Paul warns us to watch for Satan’s deceptive tactics, which lure us away from the simplicity of Christ. While psychology parades around its complexities and insights, we know that psychology cannot penetrate the depths of our hearts. Only the true and simple message of Christ gives life to our souls. The gospel is not simplistic or non-substantial, it is simple yet profound, that God would send his Son into the world to redeem sinners and rebels. Yet, psychological theory is one of Satan’s most crafty tactics to hurt the church since it presents a way to life and self-modification without God. Many Christians are caught up in the pursuit of psychological training and submit themselves to the world’s standards of becoming a good psychotherapist. But the riches of wisdom and insight are only found in the gospel of Jesus Christ (Eph 3:8).

Want to learn more from Pastor Jeff? Listen to this podcast to hear Pastor Jeff address:

• The greatest assault facing the church today

• The proper posture for submitting to God’s Word

• The deceptiveness of psychotherapy’s complexity

Jeff Christianson

Biblical Counseling Academy

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