Counseling As Help

[Ivy]

You say a lot of people tell others to seek out counseling and then go on to say we need to get the sin out of our lives.

Hi, Ginger. I've witnessed people seeking counseling INSTEAD of getting sin out of their lives.

Basically I braced myself to be snubbed or booted off this forum for starting this thread, and you've all surprised me.

I've always loved Keith Green's "No Compromise" message - and I maintain that the Cross of Jesus - not church, pastoral leadership, Bible reading, prayer, or any otherwise helpful thing - is the ONLY thing that frees us. We are slaves to Sin apart from the Cross. Period. But the converse is true: after we come to the Cross, we are no longer slaves, but free to choose righteousness.

Yes, Christianity is a journey, and we're all on different parts of it, but if we are in Christ, we are free indeed. Repentance and humility in exercise will keep us growing up, and out of despair. I believe that most of the despair in this generation is from the consequences of Sin, and I believe the answer is the Gospel, no matter how much it may offend. And I think if we keep diagnosing the masses with depression, we'll never get to the core of people's individual hurts and struggles.

I don't think I said anywhere here that counseling, in essence, is wrong. And many of you said it well; the wisdom of the Lord is the only wisdom there is, and there is no formula the world has that works to heal.

 

[Vic C.]

Basically I braced myself to be snubbed or booted off this forum for starting this thread, and you've all surprised me.

Great! You are addressing a root problem with we humans; the heart! I'd question any member of this staff if they had issues with a thread like this.

:amen

 

[Ginger]

You say a lot of people tell others to seek out counseling and then go on to say we need to get the sin out of our lives.

Hi, Ginger. I've witnessed people seeking counseling INSTEAD of getting sin out of their lives.

Basically I braced myself to be snubbed or booted off this forum for starting this thread, and you've all surprised me.

I've always loved Keith Green's "No Compromise" message - and I maintain that the Cross of Jesus - not church, pastoral leadership, Bible reading, prayer, or any otherwise helpful thing - is the ONLY thing that frees us. We are slaves to Sin apart from the Cross. Period. But the converse is true: after we come to the Cross, we are no longer slaves, but free to choose righteousness.

Yes, Christianity is a journey, and we're all on different parts of it, but if we are in Christ, we are free indeed. Repentance and humility in exercise will keep us growing up, and out of despair. I believe that most of the despair in this generation is from the consequences of Sin, and I believe the answer is the Gospel, no matter how much it may offend. And I think if we keep diagnosing the masses with depression, we'll never get to the core of people's individual hurts and struggles.

I don't think I said anywhere here that counseling, in essence, is wrong. And many of you said it well; the wisdom of the Lord is the only wisdom there is, and there is no formula the world has that works to heal.

Sorry I didn't mean to imply you did, (I didn't know what you thought ) but I have heard that, but was speaking generally on the subject. I guess you were coming from it differently - people not wanting to admit they are sinning so go to someone else to excuse them.

As you said only coming to the cross and repentance and asking Jesus into our life to change us is the only way to be saved and changed, no amount of doing anything else be it bible study etc without doing that first will change you.

Like that link I gave (which I thought was nicely laid out) God has to be in the center of everything and it has to be repentance of sin and belief that the Holy Spirit can change a person. If that's not in any counseling then it's not right/helpful/true.
But once you are saved and you need help in showing you the right way and extra help in practical help and bible verses that maybe you didn't know existed, as well as someone telling you that you need to repent if you do, I think can be helpful to some.

No one will blast you here for this thread- poor you thinking that :adore
Sometimes it's good to remind ourselves of a different aspect we haven't thought of, and this thread did that.
It's like provers 27:17 "[As] iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens the wits of another." Which this forum does
And you had an excellent point - if people are seeking out counseling instead of praying and admitting to God their sin then that is not right.

 

[Ivy]

No one will blast you here for this thread- poor you thinking that

Thank you, Ginger! :D

And by the way, that Scripture you quote from Proverbs is one of my all-time favorites!

 

[Caroline H]

Thank you Lovely, Destiny, and Ivy for clearing that up a bit. I think I understand the various viewpoits better

 

[Ivy]

Vic, I somehow missed your post altogether last time - but thank you!

And caromurp, I'm glad things were made clearer. You know, the problem is for me, being inside my own head, the things I think are a given to my understanding - so I never feel totally confident I can clear it up when I learn others find something I share confusing. It's a relief, though, when it's possible. ;)