The clash between secular and biblical counseling models is often the source of controversy, especially within the last century. These views differ greatly in their approach to man, sin, God, and their methods of enacting individual change. Though many secular psychologists will try to disprove the authority of biblical thought, it is only through Bible-based counseling that genuine life transformation occurs, enabling people to live victorious, God-honoring lives.
Why do people need counseling? Secularists would argue that counseling is an avenue to finding personal pleasure and freedom from guilt and pain. Every person has issues, both self-imposed and afflicted upon him from outside sources. Secularists seek to deal with these by eliminating the source of pain through medication, therapy, or removal of guilt. The Biblical view teaches that God has called believers to live in victory over sin and its effects. Though they live in a sin-cursed world, God has equipped believers to be able to live in freedom. 2 Peter 1:3 teaches that “His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of [Jesus]” (ESV). Christian’s lives are to be guided by the Holy Spirit and the Word of God, with the ultimate purpose of bringing honor and glory to God.
The modern day secular approach to counseling stems out of their view of both God and man. According to their psychology, a result of the influences of such men as Sigmund Freud, Carl Rogers, and B. F. Skinner, man is only an instinctual animal, prone to follow the influences of his environment and circumstances. He is basically good, influenced negatively only by his peers and the institutions surrounding him. The responsibility for sin is not man’s, but rather is attributed to the negative influence of his environment. In contrast, the Bible teaches that man was created good, but was corrupted by his own sinful rebellion as recorded in Genesis 3. The pain he endures now is a result of his own choice to defy the commandments of God, choosing to exercise autocracy instead of submitting to the laws established by a loving God. Therefore, man is responsible for his own depravity, and is justly condemned to suffer for his own choices.
In regard to their theories of God, most secular psychologists profess no belief in God, or declare Him to be impersonal, unjust, and unloving. Most develop this view through difficult circumstances they have experienced; they see no evidence for God and therefore blame Him for their pain and turn away in rebellion. They deliberately overlook God’s undeniable existence in Creation and His hand today, and choose instead to follow their own sinful desires (ESV, 2 Pet. 3:3-5, Rom. 1:18-23). The Bible is unmistakably clear; not only is God real and active, but He is personally interested and involved in each human life. He is loving, full of mercy and grace, and quick to forgive; He is also just, righteous, and vengeful against injustice, sin, and rebellion. As the ultimate culmination of His unwavering justice and His deep love and mercy, He sent His only son, Jesus Christ, to pay the ransom for man’s sinfulness, completely justifying him to Him through faith in His complete work.
Humanity is clearly in need of change, but where will the power to change originate? Secular thought teaches that it comes from within the man himself. Some say he must simply try harder, using his own abilities to overcome difficulties. Others teach that he must shift the blame away from himself to find freedom. His guilt is only a feeling imposed by strict, thoughtless religion, and should be ignored. Forget that he should feel anything at all, and pursue his own pleasure unwaveringly to find true freedom and happiness. If he will believe in himself and his own potential, he will be able to overcome any obstacle.
Biblical counseling staunchly opposes this mindset. Man, in and of himself, is powerless to change. The only true change that will occur is through the life-transforming power of Jesus in his life. “For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh” (Rom. 7:18, ESV). God will supply the power to live in victory, but surrender to His rightful sovereignty and a commitment to honor and glorify Him are required before this power can be manifested. “[I]t is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure (Phil. 2:13, ESV).
The counselor plays a vital role in guiding the individual to renewed life. Modern psychotherapists often see themselves as impersonal, serving only to point the counselee in the right direction. They will often approach issues as a scientifically informed expert, delivering advice purely objectively, or allowing the individual to find his own solutions to issues. This rarely produces lasting results, serving only to make the counselee dependent without real change. Biblical counselors should be willing to involve themselves personally in lives, seeking to provide real hope with lasting change. Wisely using Scripture to identify sin issues, as well as to give hope for the power of God in his life will profoundly increase the counselor’s effectiveness as he opens the door for God to work on and in the counselee. The end goal is to produce a stable, growing Christian who can be continually building on his faith, adding to it virtue, then knowledge, self-control, steadfastness, godliness, brotherly affection, and love. Continually increasing these, through God’s work in individual lives, will “keep [us] from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ” (ESV, 2 Pet. 1:4-8).
Effective counseling is key for a thriving community. Grounding it upon the Bible will transform its power to work in individual’s lives. While man’s ideas to renew fallen men have succeeded to a certain extent, real change only occurs through the power of Christ. “Wise counselors seek to lead struggling, hurting, sinning, and confused people to the hope, resources, strength, and life that are available only in Christ” (“Confessional Statement”). Biblical counseling, applied correctly, is the only way to transform and equip people to live victorious, God-honoring lives.
- Bigney, Brad. Counterfeit Counseling. Petersburg: Answers in Genesis, 2012. DVD.
- “Confessional Statement.” Biblical Counseling Coalition. Web. 8 October 2015. <http://biblicalcounselingcoalition.org/about/confessional-statement>
- The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. Wheaton: Crossway, 2001.
- Kellemen, Bob and Jeff Forrey. Scripture and Counseling. Kellemen, Robert W. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2014.
- Lane, Timothy S. And Paul David Tripp. how people change. 2nd edition. Greensboro: New Growth Press, 2008.
- Tripp, Paul David. Instruments in the Redeemer’s Hands. Phillipsburg: P&R Publishing Company, 2002.
- “What is Biblical Counseling?” Faith Lafayette. Web. 8 October 2015. <https://www.faithlafayette.org/counseling/about/what_is_biblical_counseling>