Competent to Counsel - Ch 5

Summary
A pastor is a shepherd of his people, someone who literally is looking after worn and weary sheep and giving them encouragement and rest. (1, p.67, Psalm 23)

The work of counseling is redemptive and Christian counseling is evangelistic when done on an unbeliever. The counselor identifies sin, presents man's need for a savior, proclaims the gospel, and states that "God commands every man to repent of their sin and believe in Jesus Christ."(1, p.70) Typically the presentation of the gospel is not done at the outset to a non-believer, but is done after talking about sin and consequences, and how ignoring God and indulging in sinful life patters brings misery, the solution to which can only be Jesus Christ.

At its best, Christ-centered counseling towards a non-believer is so much less powerful than it could be if the counselee were a believer. If both people are not drawing from God and being led by the Spirit, a big part of the puzzle is missing. Man needs to be redeemed to be able to claim God's promises for his life.(John 3:1-8) At his best moral condition and behavior, an unsaved man cannot please the Lord with his ways(Hebrews 11:4), man needs to be reconciled to God through the atoning sacrifice of the blood of Christ. And yet, an unsaved man of immoral behavior is even more displeasing to the Lord(Genesis 6:5-6), so there is something to be said of correcting sinful behavior even on the outside, but ultimately, without a heart change, this issue may ever be lurking inside and can resurface.(Matthew 15:18-20)

Personal reflection
This to me is just a further illustration of how blessed we are as believers to have our Creator on our side, wanting us to do right, wanting us to succeed in doing His will. He is for us. He is quick to forgive and so patient with us. He just wants to help us see beyond the day to day anxieties and worldly concerns, to be about the Father's business, as Jesus was during his life here on earth. Time and time again in scripture he tells us "Do not fear", or "do not let your heart be troubled", "trust in me." He's just saying "I have so much more for you, trust me and love me and I will see you through the hardest storms this world has to offer. I will never forsake you, I want to love you forever. Trust in me." Those who do not believe in Jesus naturally cannot claim these promises for themselves, they are not his sheep. He is the good shepherd of His sheep, and His sheep know His voice and listen to Him(John 10:26-28), He laid down His life for His sheep.(John 10:14-15) We can give people that hope, that their needs will be met by Jesus, but first they need to realize their need for a Savior, and what is hindering them from hearing his voice: sin.

Scripture
Genesis 6:5-6 5 The LORD saw how great man's wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time. 6 The LORD was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain.

I Samuel 16:7 But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."

Psalm 15 1 LORD, who may dwell in your sanctuary? Who may live on your holy hill?
2 He whose walk is blameless and who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from his heart
3 and has no slander on his tongue, who does his neighbor no wrong and casts no slur on his fellowman,
4 who despises a vile man but honors those who fear the LORD, who keeps his oath even when it hurts,
5 who lends his money without usury and does not accept a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things will never be shaken.

Psalm 23

Matthew 13:14-16 14In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: " 'You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. 15For this people's heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.'[a] 16But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear.

Matthew 15:18-20 14In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: " 'You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. 15For this people's heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.'[a] 16But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear.

Luke 6:44-46 44Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers. 45The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.

John 3:1-8 1Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling council. 2He came to Jesus at night and said, "Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him."
3In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.[a]"
4"How can a man be born when he is old?" Nicodemus asked. "Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb to be born!"
5Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. 6Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit[b] gives birth to spirit. 7You should not be surprised at my saying, 'You[c] must be born again.' 8The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit."

John 10:14-15 14"I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— 15just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep.

John 10:26-28 26but you do not believe because you are not my sheep. 27My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. 28I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.

Hebrews 11:6 And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

1 Peter 1:22-25 22Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart.[b] 23For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. 24For, "All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, 25but the word of the Lord stands forever."[c] And this is the word that was preached to you.

Songs
Feels Like Redemption-Michael English

(1) Adams, J.E. (1970). Competent to Counsel. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan.