First, when considering confronting sin is imperative to see the sinful state of the
counselor. a The counselor must remember that “the righteousness of God [is] through faith
in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: a for all have sinned and fall
short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption
that is in Christ Jesus” (English Standard Version, 2001/2016, Romans 3:22-24). a Sin is
personal, social, and universal (Entwistle, 2015). a Further, Matthew 7:1-5 instructs the
counselor to evaluate himself, recognize and deal with sin in his own life first. a Not doing
so is called hypocrisy (English Standard Version, 2001/2016).
a a a a a a a a a The second thing to consider when working with individuals in counseling is it is
essential to remember that the counselor is working with just that, individuals. a Thus, it is
imperative that counselors remember that no two people are the same. a Each must be
treated according to his strengths and weaknesses. a There is no one right way to confront
wrong actions and wrong thoughts. a The counselor must discern what will be most
effective with the individual before him and confront accordingly. a Whether is it is by
silence, pondering, questioning, or direct censure should be decided by which approach will
work best with this client and which approach will bring the greatest benefit to his life
(McMinn, 2011).
a a a a a a a a a a Finally, the purpose for the confrontation must be to bring the client closer to God. a
The confrontation should help the client see his need for redemption. a This redemption
comes through the sacrifice of Jesus. a And “this was to show God's righteousness,
because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. a It was to show his
righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who
has faith in Jesus” (English Standard Version, 2001/2016, Romans 3:25-26). a If the
confrontation does not bring the client closer to God, then the counselor should check
again for more logs.
a a a a a a a a a a Personally, I am most comfortable with pondering and questioning. a I am working
hard on developing silence [without any sounds or gestures that may be taken as
condoning (McMinn, 2011)]. a My idiosyncrasies lead me away from direct censure; I am not
comfortable with what my subconscious categorizes as confrontation.
References
English Standard Version. (2016) BibleGateway. https://www.biblegateway.com/ (Original
work published 2001)
Entwistle, D. N. (2015). Integrative approaches to psychology and Christianity: An introduction
to worldview issues, philosophical foundations, and models of integration. Cascade Books.
McMinn, M. R. (2011). Psychology, theology, and spirituality in Christian counseling. Tyndale
House Publishers.
