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 Is Change Possible ? Many times people ask how to manage a problem like anger, drunkenness, lust, etc. Their real problem is not the behavior--it is their understanding of that behavior. First Corinthians 6:9-11 tells us that the evil characteristics of the people described are changed when we come to Christ. Notice the tense of the verbs used in verse 11: "And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God." (NKJV emphasis added). Although this is not an exhaustive list of unrighteous people, it is a representative sampling of those things which we understand to be terrible sins. The beauty of this passage is that it teaches WE CAN CHANGE! If a person is a drunkard, he can change. If he is a homosexual, he can change. The only limitation is whether or not the person is in Christ. If anyone is in Christ, he or she is a new creation (2Corinthians 5:17). Once we come to Christ in faith, we are given the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13-14) and He begins to change us as we yield to Him (Galatians 5:16). God has already given us EVERYTHING we need for change (2Peter 1:3-4). There is no behavior that a Christian cannot change. The process is simple, but takes a lot of work. In order to change, the believer must live a disciplined life through: 1. Regular Bible Study 2. Developing a biblical prayer life 3. Memorizing and meditating on Scripture 4. Regular fellowship with other believers 5. Active ministry in a local church 6. Sharing his faith with others When these Spiritual disciplines are in place, the change is brought about from the inside out by the Holy Spirit living within the believer. It is not a matter of a 12-step, man-made program. It is not a matter of human effort. Change comes about through the ministry of the Holy Spirit, applying principles from the Word of God to the regenerated human heart (Matthew 15:19; Romans 12:2; Psalm 119:9-11; Philippians 4:8). - Jim Braden (7:23 AM) What's the Difference? I have often been asked if there is a difference between biblical counseling and Christian counseling. The answer is "yes" and the difference is simple: Christian counseling is a term which refers to counseling done by professing Christians, but there is a wide variety of the type of information given by them. This variation comes from the fact that Christian counselors tend to integrate secular psychological theories with biblical principles. Some use a lot of psychological theory and others use a little. This integration sounds like a good idea, but it is counterproductive and has many problems. Biblical counseling is advice given from one believer to another that comes from and agrees with the Bible on a given topic. It does not originate in nor does it depend on any human psychological theories, although psychology occasionally agrees with the biblical principles presented. For counseling to be biblical, it must be Bible-based, Christ-centered, and local church-oriented. At Blue River Bible Church, we support biblical counseling, without the psychological theories that mankind has invented. We believe the Bible is God's inspired Word, and that it is sufficient for all of life and godliness (2Timothy 3:16-17; 2Peter 1:3-4). Labels: Biblical Counseling - Jim Braden (6:42 AM)This page is powered by Blogger. |
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