First, when considering confronting sin is imperative to see the sinful
state of the counselor. The counselor must remember that “the
righteousness of God [is] through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe.
For there is no distinction: 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). Sin is personal, social, and universal (Entwistle, 2015). Further,
Matthew 7:1-5 instructs the counselor to evaluate himself, recognize and
deal with sin in his own life first. Not doing so is called hypocrisy (English
Standard Version, 2001/2016).
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. Thus, it is imperative that counselors
remember that no two people are the same. Each must be treated
according to his strengths and weaknesses. There is no one right way to
confront wrong actions and wrong thoughts. The counselor must discern
what will be most effective with the individual before him and confront
accordingly. 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).
Finally, the purpose for the confrontation must be to bring the
client closer to God. The confrontation should help the client see his need
for redemption. This redemption comes through the sacrifice of Jesus.
And “this was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine
forbearance he had passed over former sins. 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). If the confrontation does not bring the
client closer to God, then the counselor should check again for more logs.
Personally, I am most comfortable with pondering and
questioning. I am working hard on developing silence [without any
sounds or gestures that may be taken as condoning (McMinn, 2011)]. 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.
