Perseverance | ACBC Exam Question #15

 Do Christians persevere? What relationship does this have to counseling?

             To persevere means; “to persist in anything undertaken; maintain a purpose in spite of difficulty, obstacles, or discouragement; continue steadfastly.”¹   Yes, all true Christians persevere.  “We are able to persevere only because God works within us, within our free wills. And because God is at work in us, we are certain to persevere. The decrees of God concerning election are immutable. They do not change, because He does not change. All whom He justifies He glorifies. None of the elect has ever been lost.”²

             The concept of “perseverance of the saints” also known as “eternal security” is an extremely important foundation of the Christian faith.  “Eternal security is the work of God which guarantees that the gift of salvation, once received, is forever and cannot be lost.  The concept of eternal security emphasizes God’s activity in guaranteeing the eternal possession of the gift of eternal life.”³             

            Throughout Scripture the definitive position of a believer is clear (underlining added for emphasis).  “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.” (John 5:24) “For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38, 39) “…and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand.  My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.” (John 10:28, 29)

            We would all agree that salvation is a free gift (Romans 6:23).  It cannot be earned by works (Ephesians 2:8, 9) and since we are saved 100% by grace, we are also kept by that grace.  God cannot renege this gift, and refuse His own character.  “If we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself” (2 Timothy 2:13) 

            Many references in Scripture challenge believers to continue on in their faith.  “Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; persevere in these things, for as you do this you will ensure salvation both for yourself and for those who hear you.” (1 Timothy 4:16)  “…we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope” Romans 5:3,4 “Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.” (James 1:12)

         This doctrine of perseverance of believers has a huge effect in Biblical counseling.  It is so important that every believer understands that if they are a true believer that standing before God will never come into question.  It is final.  It is forever.  They ought to demonstrate their gratitude to God for this salvation by a life dedicated to Him, persevering in their faith, no matter what comes.  Throughout Scripture believers are commanded to continue in the faith, not to give up a lifestyle of obedience.  It is evidence that our faith is genuine.  Yes, believers will falter, and struggle, face doubts, and even disobey at times.  But, a genuine believer possessing the Holy Spirit can be assured that God “… will also confirm you to the end, blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.” (1 Corinthians 1:8,9)         

¹ www.dictionary.com           ² “Chosen by God”, R.C Sproul, page 177

³ “Basic Theology”, Charles Ryrie, page 328 

Sanctification | ACBC Exam Question #14

 Sanctification is said to be past, present, and future.  Discuss, including the idea of “union with Christ”.

             Sanctification is the process of a believer becoming more and more set apart from sin, becoming increasingly pure in life and morals, growing in holiness, and consecration to God and righteousness. 

“The focus of sanctification is the healing of the dysfunctionality of sin. Since all spiritual blessings, justification and sanctification included, are the Christian's the moment he or she is "in Christ" (Eph 1:3), sanctification is total and final in one sense (Acts 20:32 ; 26:18 ; 1 Cor 6:11). Yet, unlike justification, sanctification also continues until it will be consummated when Jesus Christ returns. For then we will be like him (1 John 3:2) perfect and complete. Sanctification, therefore, has an initial, progressive, and final phase. A believer's present preoccupation is with progressive sanctification (2 Cor 3:18, note the present continuous tense, "are being transformed"), by which the child of God lives out the implications of initial sanctification with an eye to the goal of final sanctification. The sanctified life is victorious (Rom 8:37), though it is lived out in the context of temptation and suffering.”¹

            Before a relationship with Christ we can’t help but grow in sinfulness.  Once we make a personal decision to place our faith in Christ we are forgiven for all sin-past, present and future, are united with Christ, given new life, and are put on a path of righteous living; “For just as you presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness, resulting in further lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness, resulting in sanctification.” (Romans 6:19b) 

             The process of sanctification is not humanly accomplished apart from Christ.  There is no possibility of sanctification in the life of an unbeliever, and a professing Christian cannot manufacture sanctified living on their own; it is a work of God in the lives of believers.  “Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass.” (1 Thessalonians 5:23, 24)  It’s God’s work, but that does not mean that we don’t have any responsibility in the process.  We see this paralleled in Philippians 2:12-14; “…work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.”  We need to actively pursue righteous living by studying the Bible to know His standards, obey what it says, pray for enablement, relying on Him as we put His truth in motion in our lives. And we can say with the Apostle Paul; “For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus. “(Philippians 1:6)

¹ http://www.biblestudytools.com/dictionaries/bakers-evangelical-dictionary/sanctification.html            

Justification | ACBC Exam Question #13

 “Justification by faith alone.” Discuss the meaning of this phrase.

            Because of our sin problem (Romans 3:23) we all need to be justified, or we will face eternity in hell for our sins.  To justify means; “to declare innocent or guiltless; absolve; acquit.”¹ Religions of our world tell us to do more good than bad, and we will be able to attain heaven.  The Bible however clearly states that; “nevertheless knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the Law; since by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified.” (Galatians 2:16).  Christ took our sin on Himself at the cross, paying for our sin, and if we will accept that free gift by faith (Romans 6:23) we will be forgiven, and assured of eternal life in heaven with Him when He returns or our lives end in death. 

             There is nothing we can do humanly by effort of any kind to gain justification.  No amount of good works, financial donations, church attendance, sacrifice or any other effort on our part would ever allow us to be free from sin, and appear righteous before God.  “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.” (Ephesians 2:8, 9)  Faith requires that we believe, have full confidence in, and rely completely upon something or someone.  When it comes to our personal salvation our faith must be exclusively on what Christ did for us in order for our salvation to be genuine.  We cannot add any other requirements, being a true Christian is by faith alone in Christ alone.

            The doctrine of justification by faith is so central in counseling because it makes clear that our standing before God is not dependent upon our performance, but simply faith, believing that He loves us, has redeemed us, made us His own, and that will never, ever change.  “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ“(Romans 5:1).  What awesome hope and assurance.  From that basis we then urge believers to realize their position in Christ and live out the reality that;   “…we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:10)  Works flow out of our salvation as thanksgiving to God, proof of the faith we have, not ever the source of salvation.

¹ www.dictionary.com

Jesus understands temptation. | ACBC Exam Question #12

   He was “tempted in all things as we are” (Heb. 4:15). Discuss and relate to counseling theory and practice.

            “Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.  For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.  Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” (Hebrews 4:14-16)

             Jesus knew the glories of heaven as the Son of God, eternally present with the Father.  When He became flesh among us (John 1:14) He came to know by experience what life is like as a human being.  Jesus was born as a baby like you and I (though unlike us in holy deity (Colossians 2:9), and virgin conception (Matthew 1:25)).  As a child Jesus experienced physical growth, cold and heat, the senses of smell, touch, sight, hearing, hunger, pain, all that comes along with being human. He felt as we do desires, and would have experienced the draw to sin.  He felt the temptations to lie, lust, covet, steal, hate, and more. We read specifically of three temptations put before Jesus in the wilderness by Satan in Luke 4, and Matthew 4.  Satan tempts Jesus to use His power to get food instantly, to prove His power by throwing Himself off a high temple so angels would come to His rescue, and Satan also told Jesus if He’d worship him then he’d give Him rule over all the kingdoms of earth.  Through each temptation Jesus did not sin, and He skillfully spoke back God’s Word as truth to dispel the lies of Satan.  

             When Jesus lived he would have felt all of the emotions we do; anger, joy, disappointment, contentment….. He never once acted sinfully on His emotions, but always had self-control, patience and wisdom to respond in grace, truth and love to others, even His enemies like Judas, the Pharisees, His executioners and more. 

             Knowing the humanity of Jesus, we can come to Him confidently because we know He understands the realities and struggles we face because He lived human life, faced it’s temptations, pain, struggles, and challenges, and yet did not sin.  Having a Saviour who understands by experience is comforting.  Knowing He overcame temptation brings hope that we can do the same, and an example of how to do so as we examine His life, and reaction and response to Satan’s attempts to tempt the Son of Man.      

Why did Christ die? | ACBC Exam Question #11

            “For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.” (Romans 5:6) Jesus Christ, 100% God in the form of a man humbled Himself, leaving the perfection of heaven, and the presence of the Father to grace earth with His holy presence.  “…although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” (Philippians 2:6-8) 

            Jesus’ willingly submitted Himself to a cruel execution on the cross to provide redemption we could not earn any other way.  Because, “….without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.” (Hebrews 9:22b)  “For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit;” (1 Peter 3:18) If it were not for Christ’s death, we’d all be hopelessly damned to hell for all of eternity, a fitting and deserved end for each and every one of us.  “But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.” (Ephesians 2:13)

            Jesus died because He loves us. “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)  While living He taught His disciples that; “Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:13)  He modeled that like no other human when He sacrificially died that we may have abundant life (John 10:10).  The love of God is pure, not selfishly motivated, it is unending and unchanging, an undeserved extravagant gift toward us, enemies of God, sinful, wickedly hear-ted mankind.  It’s a love beyond our human understanding, there is no greater love.  “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)

            Jesus died to demonstrate His obedience to the Father (Luke 22:42, Philippians 2:6-8).  He did it to bring glory to God the Father and Himself.  “When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him.  And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do.  And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.” (John 17:1-5)    

            Jesus’ death serves as a picture of our death and spiritual resurrection when we place our faith in Him.  “Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.” (Romans 6:8)  “For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.” (Colossians 3:3)  “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20) 

            Jesus Christ died to; save sinners, show His love, glorify God, give us an example of how we can be regenerated to new life in Him.  But, most of all Christ died so He could rise again.  Miracle of miracles occurred three days later Jesus was placed and sealed in a dark tomb.  The tomb was found empty (John 20:1-19), Jesus had been resurrected (Acts 13:30)!  His death is important, His resurrection is triumphant victory over death forever to all who will believe (Romans 10:9). 

Anthropology's Effect on Counseling | ACBC Exam #10

1.       What role does anthropology play in counseling theory and practice?

1.

            The foundational anthropological view point is vital in counseling theory and practice.  If you begin with the wrong foundation of who man is you cannot possibly build biblical truth accurately into the counselee’s life.  Secular psychology is based on the evolutionary theory that we developed as humans over millions of years of organic improvement, resulting in human life as we know it today.  With this basis, conclusions are made that people must be improving more and more, are generally good, and most of their problems are caused by outside circumstances, other people, and more.   This leads to conclusions such as; morality is relative, you are not to blame for wrong, and you need to live for your own self-improvement, trusting your own instincts, etc.  The biggest problem is that God is taken out of the equation, each person is made out to their god, and authority; making their own needs as they see it become priority.  

            If we are all trace back to great-great-great grandfather ape then we have no absolute authority, and surely no need to recognize or submit to a Creator God.  So, then each person makes their own relative morality, and method of which to help someone else reach normal/balanced/happy.  So now we have all these theories and experts like Skinner, Freud, Rogers and more dehumanizing man, rationalizing, providing behavioural modification, a neutral listening ear, and justifying words that “If it feels good, do it!”  There are as many views in psychology are there are psychologists, each believing they are right, they don’t agree.  All of which have refused to humbly accept that there is One who rightfully has complete authority and has defined correctly standards of morality.  They reject God.  Our biggest issue of sin is denied. 

             “From the beginning, human change depended upon counseling.  Man was created as a being whose very existence is derived from and dependent upon a Creator whom he must acknowledge as such and from whom he must obtain wisdom and knowledge through revelation.”¹ If counselling is taken from a Biblical perspective of man it changes everything.  “God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth… since He gives all life, breath, and all things.  And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and boundaries of their dwellings, so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him….” (Acts 17:24-27 NKJV)   Biblical counselling offers real solutions at the heart level because it is rooted in the truth of God and His Word; revealing sin (Proverbs 20:9), requiring repentance (1 John 1:9), giving hope (Romans 15:13), and soul rest (Matthew 11:28-30), providing instruction to put off the old man, living new in Christ (Ephesians 4:22-29), and wisdom to live in the midst of the temptations of sin but not give in (1 Corinthians 10:13).    

¹  “A Theology of Christian Counseling”, Jay Adams, page 1

Man | ACBC Exam Question #9

 Who and what is man?

             Man is a living being created by God.  The first man, Adam, was fashioned from dust on the sixth day of creation; “Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.” (Genesis 2:7)  Later, Eve, the first woman was made from one of Adam’s ribs as a help-meet to Adam, “….Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man.” (Genesis 2:22)  All people are descendants of this first couple, each a creation of God (Psalm 139:13-16) with a physical body, and an eternal soul.  All of our bodies will die physically, but our souls will always live, either in heaven or hell forever depending on what we choose to do with God’s offer of salvation while we live on earth.(1 Corinthians 15:51-54, Psalm 6:5, 16:10, John 14:1-3)

             Unlike animals, man was created with freedom to choose right or wrong (Genesis 2:15-17), and made in the image of God having dominion over the animals (Genesis 1:26).  Because Adam and Eve sinned by disobeying God’s command not to eat from the tree of knowledge which was forbidden by God (Genesis 3:1-7) there would be eternal consequences for them (Genesis 3:16-19), and  spiritual death for all humanity from then on (Romans 5:12).  Because of our ancestry, and our own personal sin by nature and choice, we are all guilty of wrong.  “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23)  We are not innately good as some would suggest, we are evil, selfish and sin bent; “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” (Jeremiah 17:9).  Left to ourselves we are hopeless, and life has no purpose beyond pleasing ourselves.  We are separated from God, deserving of His judgement, unable to cleanse our own sin. 

             “But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus…” (Ephesians 2:4-6)  God made a way for us to be rescued from the penalties of sin, to have a restored relationship with Him, be forgiven, having eternal life and the hope of living in righteousness through His power in us a believers.  This transformation takes place when an individual agrees with God about their sin, believes that Christ is the Son of God who died for their sin, and accepts His free gift of salvation by faith (Romans 6:23, 5:8, 10:9-10). In Christ we can have hope, and a life with purpose, and meaning.