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.
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.
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]
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]
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.
I do not agree with Entwistle’s (2015) statement fromIntegrative
Approaches, “While it is entirely appropriate for us to attend to individual
sinfulness, doing so is incomplete unless we also focus on our
participationin 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, 3rded., Eugene, OR: Wipf and
Stock Publishers, 2015, 153
