c In Appendix 2, Powlison (2010) lists six crucial issues in contemporary biblical
counseling. c The one which I believe to be the most urgent is the relationship between
human responsibility and human suffering needs a great deal of clarification. c Powlison
(2010) says it challenges counselors to rethink the vision of the counselee and the
counselee’s situation. c How do we see and understand the people whom we counsel? c
What kind of attention do we pay to the kind of world the counselee inhabits? c How
important are the counselee’s past and present circumstances? c As counselors, we have
a role to play in communicating God’s truth, and we must take this role seriously. c The
truth is Jesus commands us to make disciples of all the nations, teaching them to
observe all things (Matthew 28:19, NKJV). c As counselors, our responsibility is to pursue
God and his wisdom with all our hearts. c How we react to human suffering is a result of
our relationship with God. Our human responsibility is to admit our failures, confess our
sins, and our need for God. c The bible says, “Keep a close watch on how you live and
on your teaching. c Stay true to what is right for the sake of your salvation and the
salvation of those who hear you” (1 Timothy 4:16, NLT). When we began to understand
the truth of who God is and gain a better understanding of ourselves as well as others,
we become equipped to be effective in counseling those we are called to help. c We can
better help counselees in understanding their role of being accountable for the choices
they make and responsible for their relationship with God (Baker, 2010).
c c c c c c c c c Not devaluing the other five crucial issues because they are of some
importance to the views of biblical counseling. c But I do believe they all relate to our
responsibility to God and ourselves in understanding and learning the truth. c A true
personal relationship with Christ dictates how we react to circumstances in our lives.
c c c c c c c c c About appendix 4 Care of Souls, Powlison (2010) secular psychologists can’t
help the godlessness of their view of the psyche and relationships (p. 278). c A secular
person cannot understand the relationship between God and man, they are therefore
blind to the truth of God’s love and his saving grace. c These assumptions are misguided
and only address the behavior of man from a secular view. c True change comes from a
personal relationship with Christ. If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old
thing has passed away; behold, all things have become new (2 Corinthians 5:17). c We
are not reformed, rehabilitated, or reeducated; we are re-created living in vital union with
Christ.
References
Baker, J. (2013). PACO 507:
Issue in contemporary Christian counseling
. Week four,
lecture seven: Theology and spirituality in counseling. Liberty University.
https://learn.liberty.edu Links to an external site..
New King James Bible. (1997). Thomas Nelson, Inc. (Original work published 1979)
Powlison, D. (2010).
The biblical counseling movement: History and context.
New Growth
