What is Bible counseling? (part 2)

The Word of God is sufficient to exhort and instruct every man in all wisdom and holiness. The Word of God is alive and God uses it to communicate with his children and gradually restore his image in them. Christlike spiritual growth is not an individual project, it is a community project. Indeed, God uses his Word through the vehicle of brothers and sisters to build up his children. The basics of Bible counseling refers to the help one believer can give to another to grow in faith.

Biblical counseling aims to provide a biblical view of spiritual growth in the believer and the process of progressive sanctification on earth. In other words, to contextualize suffering and pain in a biblical way. Bible counseling also aims to answer two main questions:

1) In what way can one, as a child of God, remove the barriers (idols) that block spiritual growth in one's life or that of another believer?

2) How do I interpret and understand my person, my world, and the one I help in the light of the Word of God?

Bible counseling addresses many of the most common manifestations of suffering in the life of a believer, as well as how the Word is relevant to each of these situations.

It is about helping the believer to remove the barriers in his life that are blocking his spiritual growth. Once these barriers are removed, God Himself will bring about the growth (sanctification).

These barriers can be idols, disobedience, unbelief, unconfessed sins, unrepentance, etc.

Usually, believers who come for Bible counseling experience a lot of suffering / trial / pain.

Ultimately, all of our words have moral value. So in a broad sense, every biblically good word constitutes Bible counseling. If we did that, we'd probably pay more attention to our words.

Bible counseling is connecting the Word with people's situations. A good Bible counselor, therefore, must know the Word well if he is to provide effective Bible counseling.

Bible counseling can be defined using these 5 basic characteristics:

1) God is at the center of Bible counseling.

2) The fundamental problem with life on earth is sin.

3) The cross is the solution.

4) The change must be within the doctrine of progressive sanctification.

5) God is perfectly sovereign over all of human history.