Monday, August 18, 2025

Biblical Counseling Is Biblical After All

 



As some of you may know already, last year I was adamantly opposed to Biblical Counseling. My contention with Biblical Counseling was that Biblical Counselors all seemed to be anti-psychology. As someone who greatly values the insights of psychology, I thought that anything that opposed psychology must be rejected. However, this year I have had the amazing opportunity to learn more about Biblical Counseling, and now I actually would like to earn my certificate in Biblical Counseling. You may be wondering what exactly Biblical Counseling is, right? You also may be wondering how someone like me could make such a complete 180 on something that I was so adamantly opposed to. Well, to answer the second question, I have learned that Biblical Counseling is very helpful for people. As a matter of fact, it is indeed more helpful to people than psychology because the help that it provides comes straight from the Scriptures. This does not mean I am against psychology. No, I will always support psychology, but now I see the immense value in Biblical Counseling. To answer the first question, the Biblical Counseling movement was founded by a Reformed theologian named Jay Adams, and it was originally called "nouthetic counseling". The term "nouthetic" comes from the Greek word, which means "to admonish". Jay Adams believed that mental illnesses were actually sin issues that needed to be confronted from a biblical perspective. He authored the book "Competent To Counsel," where he discusses in depth what exactly he means by this. As a result, he was very much opposed to psychology and psychiatry as it was presented in his time by people like Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung. It is for this reason that I was so opposed to Biblical Counseling because I thought that Biblical Counselors were still adamantly opposed to psychology, and as someone who is currently receiving help from psychology, I felt like he was saying I was not a very good Christian. I have recently learned that the Biblical Counseling movement has since progressed away from its founder. There are two Biblical Counseling organizations called the CCEF (Christian Counseling Education Forum) and the ACBC (Association of Certified Biblical Counselors). They are basically similar to one another with very slight differences. For example, the ACBC believes that a counselor needs to operate under the auspices of a local church, whereas the CCEF believes that individual counselors can operate separately from the local church. The organization that I have been studying under is the CCEF, and I am very excited about the prospect of earning my certificate from their organization. My goal in this blog is to show how Biblical Counseling is indeed biblical. I will do this by explaining four points in this blog. These points will be: Sin Issues, High View of Scripture, God Cares, and Helping People. These are not the only points that prove that Biblical Counseling is indeed biblical, but these are the most important points. If you can think of any other important points, please share them in the comments below. I will now elaborate on each of these points. 

Sin Issue 

If we turn to Psalm 51:5, we read the following, 

"Behold, I brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me" 

As you can clearly see from this text, we are all born into sin. There is not a single human being on this earth who was born without a sin nature, besides the God-Man Jesus Christ. We clearly see evidence of this in Romans 7:15-17, which reads, 

"For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me." 

As you may already know, these very words were penned by the Apostle Paul himself. I know that there is some debate concerning whether or not Paul was speaking pre-conversion or post-conversion, but I think it is very clear that he was speaking about himself post-conversion. Theologians say that this text is describing the indwelling sin that affects all believers. Some theologians even say that this is evidence of Total Depravity, according to the TULIP acronym. Regardless of how you view this text, it is obvious that all humankind deals with sin. Biblical Counselors see texts like this and how these sin issues can manifest themselves in people who would be diagnosed with mental illnesses. This does not mean that they see all mental illnesses as sin issues. As a matter of fact, they distinguish between organic illnesses and inorganic illnesses. Organic illnesses are illnesses that stem from chemical imbalances in the mind. An example of this would be Schizophrenia or Bipolar disorders. Inorganic illnesses would be illnesses that are not chemical imbalances in the mind. An example of this would be alcoholism or gender dysphoria. These are very important concepts to keep in mind when listening to Biblical Counselors because if you do not keep these in mind, their rhetoric can get confusing. 

High View Of Scripture 

If we turn to 1 Timothy 3:16, we read the following, 

"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 complete, equipped for every good work" 

Biblical Counselors use this text to justify their methodology when it comes to counseling their clients. They believe that everything they need when dealing with someone is found directly in the Scriptures. This text does indeed say that too. When dealing with clients who have a certain organic or inorganic illness, it is always helpful to point them back to the Holy Scriptures. If we fail to do this, then all we will accomplish is putting a band-aid on an open wound. It is only through the Scriptures that one can receive the real hope that they need to cope with life's daily struggles. This does not mean that psychology cannot be of any hope whatsoever. Psychology can help tremendously, but it should always take a backseat to Biblical Counseling. I believe that in cases of Schizophrenia and Bipolar disorder, one must address the matters of the heart alongside mental health treatment. In the case of alcoholism, the only thing that will help is direct confrontation of one's sin. As counselors, we must always keep this in mind if we are to be of any kind of help. The Scriptures indeed have everything we need to know for life and godliness. 

God Cares 

In 1 Peter 5:6-7, we read the following, 

"Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties upon him because he cares for you

In this text, we are commanded to cast all of our anxieties upon God. It is important to keep in mind that this is not a suggestion. No, this is a direct command from the apostle Peter. He follows this up by reminding us that God cares for us. This is remarkable to think about. The infinitely holy and just God of the universe takes the time to care for us. Biblical Counselors are really good at reminding us of this very fact. As a matter of fact, I think that Biblical Counselors are better at reminding us of this than even Integrationists are. The reason for this is that Biblical Counselors are always drawing their clients back to what the Scriptures say. Integrationists tend to first use psychology to comfort their clients, and then they take them to the Scriptures. This is a sad indictment against the Integrationist movement. The bottom line is that God does indeed care for all of the little details in our lives, and it is for this very reason that we can always turn to Him. 

Helping People 

When we turn to Romans 12:15, we read the following, 

"Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep" 

As you can see from this text, we are commanded to be in such close communion with one another that we can know when to rejoice with one another and when to weep with one another. This means that we need to understand one another, and that is no simple task. In today's culture, everyone is so individualistic that we usually are not close enough to other people to be able to fulfill this command. I am not just talking about people outside of the church, but inside the church as well. Biblical Counselors do a supreme job at reminding people that we are created to be in communion with one another. Integrationists are good at reminding people of this, too, but Biblical Counselors really stress this fact to their clients. Another Scripture that really highlights this concept is found in 2 Corinthians 1:3-4. This says the following, 

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all of our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God" 

As you can see from this text, we are comforted by God in ALL of our affliction. This does not mean that God only comforts us in some of what troubles us. No, God promises to comfort us in everything that troubles us. Think about this for a moment. The infinite Creator of all of the cosmos loves us so much that He is willing to take time to comfort us in all of our affliction. Why does He do this? It is because once we are comforted, then we will be able to comfort those who are being afflicted with the comfort we receive from God. Biblical Counselors are very helpful in this regard because we need to be reminded of God's comfort and how we can comfort others. This falls in alignment with the idea of being in communion with other people. If we fail to be in communion with others, then we will not be able to know when the right time is to comfort others. 

I hope that this blog has given you some insight in knowing how Biblical Counseling is indeed a Biblical methodology in counseling other people. Does this mean it is the only methodology that should be used? Of course not! I still believe that there is a place for psychology, which is why I consider myself to be a Biblical Integrationist. I know that I still have a lot to learn concerning Biblical Counseling, and so I look forward to my future lessons in the courses to follow, and I am excited to one day say that I am a certified Biblical Counselor, but this does not mean that I'll ever let go of my convictions for psychology. I see immense value in both Biblical Counseling and psychology. I thank you for taking the time to read my blog, and may the grace of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ richly bless you all! 

-David Lee Chu Sarchet
Christian Mental Health Advocate 

Check Out The CCMH Ministry Website






Wednesday, August 6, 2025

What Does It Mean To Have The Joy Of The Lord?

 




It has been a while since I wrote a blog, so I decided to write one today because the Lord laid an important topic on my heart. I would like to write about what exactly it means to experience the joy of the Lord. The reason for this topic is that there are many Christians who either do not or have difficulty experiencing the joy of God in their lives. As Christians, we have ample reason to experience this joy. I remember years ago, as a baby Christian, I too had this same difficulty. As a matter of fact, I used to look at my brothers and sisters in the Lord with envy because they seemed to be at more peace than I was. It is for this reason why I feel the message in this blog is so vitally important in this day and age. Some of you may already be familiar with Question 1 in the Westminster Shorter Catechism, but for those who are not familiar with what it says, I will quote here:

Q. What is the chief end of man? 
A. Man's chief end is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever 

It is an unfortunate thing that a lot of Christians seem to agree with the first part of this Q&A (glorify God), but they have no understanding of the second part (enjoy Him forever). So many professing Christians seem to think that glorifying God and enjoying Him are completely antithetical to one another. I am here to tell you that that cannot be further from the truth. God does not want us to be mere robots who blindly follow Him. God desires for us to glorify Him while at the same time finding our ultimate fulfillment in Him. We may think material things will fill us, but as St. Augustine wisely put it, "our hearts are restless until we rest in Him." No material thing can ultimately satisfy us because we were made for a more eternal purpose. But, I digress. As I read the Scriptures, I have found three reasons why we can find joy in the Lord. I will list these three reasons under the categories of Never Abandon, All Spiritual Blessings, and Our Belonging. I know that we have many more reasons to find joy in the Lord, but these are the most pertinent ones. If you can think of any other reasons, please comment on them below. I will not elaborate more on these reasons. 

Never Abandon 

Most of you may be familiar with Hebrews 13:5, but I will quote it here for your remembrance. It says, 

"Keep your life free from the love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, 'I will never leave nor forsake you'." 

This is such an amazing verse! The Writer to the Hebrews is essentially reminding us that since God will never leave nor forsake us, we have no reason to worry about how to take care of our needs. Do you understand the gravity of what this Writer is saying? If not, please take a moment to meditate on this truth. The omnipotent, omniscient, omnibenevolent God of the universe is always on our side, and He refuses to let us go. Elsewhere in Scripture, Jesus reminds us that nothing can separate us from His Father's care. If this were the only reason we have, this would be sufficient for us to have joy. However, there are more reasons, but this is probably the most important reason, in my opinion. The reason I say this is because in my life, I have experienced homelessness, jail, and much more. It was because of the fact that God never left me that I got myself through the most horrific events in my life. 

All Spiritual Blessings 

As we turn to Ephesians 1:3-6, we read the following, 

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love, he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved." 

As you can see that God has blessed us in Christ with "every spiritual blessing the the heavenly places". What exactly does this mean, though? Obviously, it does not mean that God will bless you by winning the lottery any time soon. While that could happen, it is not a promise from God. As I read this text, I see a few applications as to what it means to be blessed with every spiritual blessing. First, God has predestined us to salvation since before the foundation of the world. This means that before God created anything, He had you and me and all of His individual elect members of the Body of Christ in mind. Secondly, when God predestined us, He made sure that we stood holy and blameless in His sight. This means that no matter what we do or say, we are always and forever covered by His grace found in Jesus Christ. This is no excuse to live in sin, but it does mean that even when we do sin, we are still seen as blameless in God's eyes. Finally, the last piece of evidence is the fact that God elected us because He loves us. Think about that for a second. The most infinite and holy, and majestic God truly loves His children. This means we can trust that He will be there for us no matter what because of His forever abounding and steadfast love. As the Apostle Peter tells us to cast all our anxieties upon God because He cares for us. 

Our Belonging 

Ok, this truth has honestly been the most impactful in my life, and I trust it will be for you as well. You may or may not be familiar with the Heidelberg Catechism, but I will quote it here for your remembrance: 

"Q. What is your only comfort in life and death? 
  A. That I am not my own but belong with body and soul, both in life and death, to my faithful Savior Jesus Christ. He has fully paid for all my sins with His precious blood and has set me free from all the power of the devil. He also preserves me in such a way that without the will of my Heavenly Father, not a hair can fall from my head; indeed, all things must work together for my salvation. Therefore, by His Holy Spirit, He also assures me of eternal life and makes me heartily willing and ready from now to live for Him." 

As you can see from this text, we do not belong to ourselves, but instead, we belong to our Lord Jesus Christ. He purchased us with His precious blood. Elsewhere, the Apostle Paul tells us that we were purchased for a reason. When someone goes to the store to buy a new television, that television no longer belongs to that store. The TV now belongs to its new owner. I know that this is a silly comparison because we are worth more than a new TV. However, the analogy does suffice because just like that, television now belongs to its new owner, in the same way we belong to God. Since He paid the ultimate price by shedding His blood upon the cross, we now are His people. We are no longer slaves to sin and the devil. We are now slaves to righteousness who are called His sons and daughters. Since God is a most holy King, this by default makes us royal heirs to God's rich inheritance forever and always. It is for this reason that we must not go on living in sin. How can we go on living in sin when He has set us free from sin? I am not saying that we will never struggle with sin, so please do not misconstrue my words. There is a difference between intentionally living in sin and struggling with sin. We will always struggle with sin on this side of eternity, but when we do sin, we can boldly come to God and ask for His forgiveness. God is always ready to forgive us because of what His Son has accomplished on our behalf. However, when one lives in sin, this means that they do not care if their sins offend the holy God, and they show no remorse when they do sin. Actually, these people revel in their sin. This type of attitude should never be found in a professing Christian's life, and if it is, that is pretty good evidence that they were never saved to begin with. God loves His elect people with such an undying love that He promises to take care of our needs, and He promises to work out everything for our good. He is fully able to do this because of His omnipotence. 

I hope that this blog helps you better understand how we can enjoy God forever. Like I said above, I know how hard this is because the world, the flesh, and the devil are always looking for ways to bring us down. I hope that when this happens, you will remind yourself of the truths found in this blog because they come straight from Scripture. I thank you very much for taking the time to read this, and may the grace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ richly bless you all!! 

-David Lee Chu Sarchet
Christian Mental Health Advocate 

Check out the CCMH Ministry Website







Biblical Counseling Is Biblical After All

  As some of you may know already, last year I was adamantly opposed to Biblical Counseling. My contention with Biblical Counseling was that...