a I do not believe there is a standard answer for when we should confront sin in counseling
because there are too many variables involved. Some of these variables include; is the
counselee a believer, have you already built a rapport or trust with the individual, is the sin
issue something which is putting the counselee or others at risk, etc.
a a a a a a a In a perfect world, the counselee would confess to the behavior, acknowledge it is
sinful, repent of their sin, and take an active role in working towards a solution which will
prevent it from reoccurring. Obviously, we have not lived in a perfect world since Eden, so
the above sequence does not occur very frequently.
a a a a a a a a Many counselees will come to us with problems which are a direct result of their
sinful behavior, but they do not always want to admit the behavior is sinful, especially if it is
not ‘hurting others’. We see this more often in non-believers who are not operating off the
same moral standard Jesus set for Christians. For non-believers, this is an outreach
opportunity to show them their greatest need is revealed in their struggle; their problem is
just a symptom of the larger problem of needing God in their life.[1]
a a a a a a a a It is much easier to confront sin when working with a believer because I can use the
Bible as the ultimate authority on what is or is not sin. Depending on the type of client, their
problem, and level of spiritual maturity, I may follow Adams’ nouthetic counseling and take
a direct approach of calling for the counselee to repent and change their life; trusting in
God’s truth and the Holy Spirit to help them change.[2] However, I would probably only use
this approach with a mature client where there is a readily identifiable sin issue. Kollar
(1997) discusses how confronting sin early in the counseling process can create an
impasse, or even worse, a battle of wills.[3] Crabb (1977) is also critical of an authoritarian
correction model which can sometimes produce rebellion or pressured conformity, but not
the spiritual maturity we should want from all believers.[4]
a a a a a a a a In order to effectively confront sin with the counselee, I will normally work with them
to get them to understand the impact their behavior is having on others so they themselves
identify it as sinful and something they need to change. For those times when I need to
confront sin directly, I will use Jesus as an example and confront with love, grace, and truth.
a a a a a a a a I do not agree with Entwistle’s (2015) statement from Integrative Approaches, “While
it is entirely appropriate for us to attend to individual sinfulness, doing so is incomplete
unless we also focus on our participation in the social and corporate sins of our social
practices and social structures.”[5] I do not want to belabor the point is this response, but
the above statement is so nebulous as to become almost worthless. I believe it also invites
the reader to focus on ‘social justice’ versus using the Bible as the ultimate authority on sin
in our lives.
[1] Dale Johnson, “Counseling Unbelievers, Truth in Love, Counseling Ministry Can be
Missional”, https:// biblicalcounseling.com /resource-library/podcast-episodes/til-224-
counseling-unbelievers/, 2019
[2] David Powlison, The Biblical Counseling Movement: History and Context, (Greensboro, NC:
New Growth Press, 2010, 127
[3] Charles Allen Kollar, Solution-Focused Pastoral Counseling, an Effective Short-Term
Approach for Getting People Back on Track, (Grand Rapids, MI: 1997), 39-40
[4] Larry Crabb, Effective Biblical Counseling: A Model for Helping Caring Christians Become
Capable Counselors, (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1977), 55
[5] Entwistle, David N. Integrative Approaches to Psychology and Christianity: An
Introduction to Worldview Issues, Philosophical Foundations, and Models of Integration, 3rd
ed., Eugene, OR: Wipf and Stock Publishers, 2015, 153
