Deuteronomy 29:29 states that “The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.” In his epistle to the persecuted church, James instructs Believer’s to “Be doers of the word and not hearers only” (1:22). The apostle Paul paints the portrait of a sacrificial doer in Romans 12:1, 2, as one who “…present(s) your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” The letter to the Hebrews explains, in part, why this is important to the Believer: “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart (4:12). You may be asking, “What is this word?” Paul provides us the answer in 2 Timothy 3:16,17, when he says that “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.” When Paul speaks of “All Scripture”, he means the revealed word of God from Genesis through Revelation. So the primary goal of biblical counseling in progressive sanctification is; first, to reveal the God of Scripture as to His expectations, that is His law, both negatively and positively, to His people in order that He may be known, and through that knowledge that He may be worshipped and glorified as He alone is worthy; second, that His people may obey the revealed Law of God in order to experience His peace, love, protection, provision, and His discipline, when necessary, in all our thoughts, behavior and relationships; and third, to pursue Christ in righteousness in order to become Christ-like in all our thoughts, behavior, and relationships. Biblical counseling is a ministry of reconciling man to God and man to man. Another way to say it is to master the Word of God to obey the Law of God to the chief end of glorifying God through a personal relationship with His Son, Jesus Christ, in the power of the Holy Spirit. Now many illustrations may be drawn from the riches of Scripture to support such a biblical view. One such illustration can be found in contrasting Cain and Joseph in Genesis. After God had rejected Cain’s offering, He said to Cain, “Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. It’s desire is for you, but you must rule over it” (Gen. 4:6,7). Cain never mastered his sin, and was destroyed by it. However, Joseph’s obedience (Genesis chapters 37-50), even in the face of much temptation to sin, was perfected by his faith. Another illustration is John the Baptist, who, in pointing others away from him and towards Jesus said, “He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30). And as Jesus was praying in the garden of Gethsemane the morning of His crucifixion, He prayed to His heavenly Father and said, “…not as I will, but as You will.” These examples from Scripture speak of the responsibility each Believer has in fulfilling the word of God and their own calling by God, both corporately and personally. All believers have a common call of sacrificial obedience. Personally, each believer is given gifts and talents by the Holy Spirit which are expected to be employed within the church (1 Cor. Ch 12). And Scripture testifies that the Believer is responsible to master his or her own sin. Paul writes in 2 Cor. 7:1, “…let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God.” What is the result of such purification? As the counselee progresses in their sanctification, they should expect to be taught the wisdom of God (His revealed Scripture) in order to be presented mature in Christ (Col. 1:28). It must be stated though, that none of the above can be manifested without being redeemed “In Christ” through faith, thereby possessing the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. It is He who empowers the believer in righteousness. This transformation permeates our minds in the way we think, and our hearts in our behavior. Know that the Word of God is the power of God, and it can change you to an honorable vessel whereby Jesus calls you friend, and you have the peace of God.
Posted on: Sun, 17 Aug 2014 11:53:02 +0000
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