LEARN TO CRAFT

In contrast to the false stereotypes of Biblical counseling,  effective Biblical counselors do not automatically diagnose a counselee's problems as flagrant and willful rebellion and  prescribe a couple of verses with the promise of instant healing.  On  the other hand, a genuine Biblical counselor does not assume  that every  problem is biologically or “psychologically” caused, requiring years of intensive psychotherapy and psychotropic drugs.

While recognizing that many problems of thinking and behavior are physically caused, Biblical counselors recognize that many physical symptoms are generated by wrong patterns of thinking and action.

Biblical counselors take Colossians 1:28 seriously, presenting Christ without shame, lovingly confronting  sin, and teaching  Biblical principles in order to produce maturity in the life of the counselee.

Psychological counseling, on the other hand, is based on "hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the  basic principles of this world rather than on Christ," (Colossians  2:8). That's why Paul warns, "See to it that no one takes you captive" through such empty concepts.”

Biblical counselors truly believe that God "has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness," (2 Peter 1:3). If we apply God's principles to our lives and grow in our character qualities, Peter promises "they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive," (vs.8), but if we fail to do so, Peter says we are "nearsighted and blind" forgetting that we have "been cleansed from [our] past sins" (vs.9).

That is  what psychological counseling produces: spiritual nearsightedness and blindness and a return to slavery to the very sins from which God has freed us. As a result, "they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning" (2 Peter 2:20).

Counseling God's Way is totally different, because it relies on the wisdom of God, not on the false precepts of humanistic philosophies and theories.

2. ✔️I agree that all mankind is in need of personal salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. If those I counsel do not possess this salvation, a primary objective of my counseling must be clear, Spirit-led communication of Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord (Romans 3:23, 6:23; Matthew 28:19-20).

3. ✔️I agree to counsel and teach the lordship of Jesus Christ in order to lead counselees away from a humanistic focus on self to a proper focus on Him (Luke 9:23; Romans 12:1-2).

4. ✔️I agree to honor the scriptural sanctity of life, marriage, and family and to do my utmost in counseling to reinforce these beliefs  (Psalm 139:13-14; Genesis  2:24; Malachi 2:16; Proverbs 23:25; Colossians 3:20).

5. ✔️I agree that, as God empowers me, I will live my life and conduct my relationships in godliness and holiness before Him, with the goal of living out the truths that I am teaching (Philippians 2:12-13).

6. ✔️I agree with the spiritual authority of the Church. I will evidence this by my involvement in a local church and by instructing those whom I counsel to involve themselves in a church also, thus working in concert with it rather than in competition against it (Hebrews 10:25).

We believe marriage is the uniting of one man and one woman in covenant commitment for a lifetime and is God's unique gift to reveal the union between Christ and His church (Ephesians  5:21-33) and to provide for the man and the woman in marriage the framework for intimate companionship, the channel of sexual expression according to biblical standards (1 Corinthians 7:2-5), and the means for procreation of the human race. Marriage also serves as the foundational unit of the family (1 Timothy 3:2) and provides the best opportunity for children to grow up in the same home with the appropriate nurturing emanating from their mother(femaleness) and their father (maleness).

We believe that God intends sexual intimacy to only occur between a man and a woman who are married to each other (1 Corinthians 6:18; 7:2-5; Hebrews 13:4). We believe that God has commanded that no intimate sexual activity be engaged in outside of a covenant marriage union.

We believe that all sexual expression outside the bonds of the covenant marriage union between husband and wife is a gross violation of God’s created order, a gross violation of God’s transcendent moral code, and is specifically and severally forbidden by God. We  believe this holds for any sexual expression  within  the  marriage relationship that demeans, degrades, defiles, or  otherwise debases either marriage partner. This is also forbidden as it defiles the image of God in each person.

We believe that:

1. ✔️Humans, being created in the image of God, are inherently relational beings (Genesis 1:26).
2. ✔️Humans were created as gendered beings. They were expressly blessed by God to be fruitful and multiply and to exercise dominion over the earth (Genesis 1:26-28).
3. ✔️The inherent relational nature of humankind is expressed in a variety of contexts including family,  marriage,  work,  and —for  Christians —the  Body of  Christ (Hebrews 10:24-25; 1 Corinthians 12:14).
4. ✔️Heterosexuality is God’s design for sexually intimate relationships. Sexual union between a man and a woman is only to take place within the marriage covenant. (Genesis 2:18, 21-24; Hebrews 13:4).
5. ✔️The sexual union between a husband and wife has been designed by God to bring them together as “one flesh,” creating a solid foundation on which to build a family (Genesis 2:18-24; Ephesians 5:31).
6. ✔️Jesus reaffirms the marital covenant to be heterosexual,  monogamous, and lifelong (Matthew 19:4-9).
7. ✔️The New Testament teaches that followers of Christ are to remain celibate outside the bond of marriage. In sexual union, both body and soul are deeply impacted. A person who engages in sexual conduct or sexualized behavior outside the bond of marriage sins against his or her own body, which is the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:13, 18-20).
8. ✔️In Scripture, several sexual behaviors are expressly forbidden, which include but are not limited to fornication, adultery, incest, unnatural sexual intercourse [including bestiality], and homosexual acts (Exodus 20:14; Leviticus 18:7-23, 20:10-21; Matthew 5:27-28; Romans 1:20-27; 1 Corinthians 6:9; Galatians 5:19; Ephesians 4:17-19; Colossians 3:5).

We believe that any form of sexual immorality, such as adultery, fornication, homosexuality, bisexual conduct, bestiality, incest, pornography, any attempt to change one’s sex, or disagreement with one’s biological gender, is sinful and offensive to God (Matthew 15:18-20; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10).

We believe that in order to preserve the function and integrity of the church as the living Body of Christ and to provide a biblical role model to the church members and the community, it is imperative that all persons officially associated with this organization in any capacity, or who serve as volunteers, will abide by and agree to this “Statement on Marriage, Human Sexuality, and Gender,” and conduct themselves accordingly (Matthew 5:16; Philippians 2:14-16; 1 Thessalonians 5:22).

We believe that God offers redemption and restoration to all who confess and forsake their sin, seeking His mercy and forgiveness through Jesus Christ (Acts 3:19-21; Romans 10:9-10; 1 Corinthians 6:9-11).

We believe divorce is to be rare, and biblically supported (1 Corinthians 7:10-17, 39) and that God's ideal is that marriage is for a lifetime, freeing the living partner upon the death of a spouse to remarry. We also affirm that God provides for the possibility, but not a requirement, of divorce, duly processed and approved in a church court (official board of the local church with the authority to enforce the decision) following the structures of Matthew 18:15-20.

We believe that every person is created in the image of God and therefore must be afforded compassion, love, kindness, respect, and dignity(Mark 12:28-31). Hateful and harassing behavior or attitudes directed toward any individual are to be repudiated and are not in accord with Scripture nor the doctrines of this organization(Ephesians 4:29-32; Colossians 4:5-6).

1. Affirmation

   We affirm that God reveals Himself through both Special and General Revelation.

   Denial
   We deny that General Revelation is God's only means of revealing Himself.

2. Affirmation

   We affirm that Special Revelation is God's means of revealing truths pertinent to human belief and practice.

   Denial
   We deny counseling theories and practices that are not based on the Special Revelation of the Bible.

3. Affirmation

   We affirm that God has revealed certain limited things about himself in General Revelation (i.e. His eternal power and godhood) and that General Revelation is sufficient to render man without excuse on the day of judgment. We affirm that whatever is revealed in General Revelation is further explained and amplified in Special Revelation.

   Denial
   We deny that General Revelation alone was intended to provide the data necessary for life and godliness. We also deny that everything man “discovers (especially in the realm of secular psychology) is what God has revealed.

4. Affirmation

   We affirm Special Revelation (the  Bible) to be the immutable, supreme, and absolute expression of God's truth to man.

   Denial
   We deny that either man's wisdom or General Revelation can be given equal authority with Scripture.

1. Affirmation

   We affirm that biblical truths are sufficient when presented in the power of the Holy Spirit, to enable the Christian to love and obey God and to seek to please Him in every way.

   Denial
   We deny that man's wisdom (secular theories and practices) can enable the Christian to love and obey God and to seek to please Him in every way.

2. Affirmation

   We affirm the Bible to be the indispensable textbook on human and divine relationships and behavior.

   Denial
   We deny a lesser role for the Bible in addressing all aspects of human behavior and relationship to God.

3. Affirmation

   We affirm God's Word as the voice of God to us today.

   Denial
   We deny that there are other voices of God ("truths") other than God's Word (Jer. 23:25-31).

4. Affirmation

   We affirm that the Bible establishes the norms for right and effective living.

   Denial
   We deny that secular sources are sufficient to establish norms for right and effective living.

1. Affirmation

   We affirm the fundamentals of Biblical Christian faith as the foundation for Biblical Counseling.

   Denial
   We deny the validity of any counseling model that ignores or minimizes the fundamentals of Biblical Christian faith.

2. Affirmation

   We affirm that the Biblical Counselor builds his system of counseling, including its presuppositions, principles, and theories from Special Revelation.

   Denial
   We deny that the counselor can build a "biblical" system of counseling that syncretizes secular sources and the Holy Scriptures.

3. Affirmation

   We affirm that evangelism and discipleship are indispensable parts of the Biblical Counseling process.

   Denial
   We deny that it is unethical or unnecessary for a Christian who counsels to share his/her faith in the counseling process.

4. Affirmation

   We affirm the necessity of a close, vital relationship with Jesus Christ for spiritual, emotional, and physical well-being, and that this is the objective of Biblical Counseling in the life of the counselee.

   Denial
   We deny the value of anything that hinders or supersedes the necessity of a close, vital walk with Jesus Christ.

5. Affirmation

   We affirm that principles of behavior are to be drawn from Scripture and observation guided by biblical information.

   Denial
   We deny that principles of behavior can be determined on the basis of observation alone.

1. Affirmation

   We affirm that the equipping of the saints, the work of service, and the building up of believers, all are to be done by those within the Body of Christ. (Ephesians 4:11-12)

   Denial
   We deny that mental health professionals, by virtue of their training in secular theories and practices, are qualified to equip the saints or build up the Body of Christ through psychological theories and practices.

2. Affirmation

   We affirm that the equipping of the saints, the work of service, and the building up of believers, all are to be done by those within the Body of Christ. (Ephesians 4:11-12)

   Denial
   We deny that Christians, who depend on their training in secular theories and practices rather than the Bible, are qualified to equip the saints, build up the Body of Christ, or to aid in the process of sanctification.

3. Affirmation

   We affirm that Biblical Counseling falls under the authority and oversight of the Body of Christ, the Church.

   Denial
   We deny that Biblical Counseling falls under the authority of psychology.

4. Affirmation

   We affirm that Biblical Counseling must be Christ-centered.

   Denial
   We deny that Biblical Counseling can be man-centered.