Biblical counseling is an approach to counseling that uses the Bible to address the issues in the lives of individuals, couples, and families. The Bible teaches that our thoughts, motives, attitudes, words, and actions flow from the sinful selfishness of our hearts. Biblical counseling addresses the heart. using the wisdom and approaches revealed in the Bible.
Biblical counseling is practical and effective. It does not view people as simply spiritual beings with spiritual problems. Instead the biblical counselor sees the individual as a physical, emotional, cognitive, and relational being. One focus of biblical counseling is to help others develop a biblical worldview of their life and recognize the core truth that guides right thinking and actions. The goal of biblical counseling is spiritual maturity.
Biblical counseling also values the rule of the local church in the process of one’s change of heart. Heart change brings about life change, but this occurs most effectively in an authentic Christian community, the local church.
True change is the result of the Holy Spirit working in one’s heart. This work often includes intervention by other people such as a pastor, a mentor, or a counselor. The biblical counselor helps people identify their problems in biblical terms that may involve a renaming of the problem, such as, alcoholism versus drunkenness. This helps change the individual’s view of the problem. This process is filled with grace and is ultimately redemptive. The gospel of Jesus Christ is the foundation for the work of biblical counseling.
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