Salvation - The Biblical Model for Christian Counseling

SALVATION: The Biblical Model for Christian Counseling

Preface

The basic assumption of this book is that Christianity is distinctly unique--unique in its content and unique in its approach. Christianity is not a way of life. It is life itself.

Thus, the terms "Christian" and "human" are synonymous terms. What it means to be Christian is also what it means to be human.

From the world-view of Christianity, life can be interpreted and understood only from the Judeo-Christian perspective. In the world of the twentieth century, this assumption is somewhat radical, but is, nevertheless, the very foundation of a biblical model for Christian counseling.

This basic presupposition of the uniqueness of Christianity has far-reaching ramifications. It implies, and rightly so, that not only the content but the approach to that content as well will be at odds with the various cultures of the world. Paul, perhaps the leading spokesman for Christianity other than Jesus Christ, seems to indicate this reality when he wrote to the Roman Saints, "And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind" (Romans 12:2).

After the believer has experienced the initial event of salvation (Romans 12:1), there is a "process" of Christianity that involves what Paul calls the "renewing of your mind." The implication is that the believer must have, or be in the process of experiencing, an entirely new way of thinking. True Christians simple do not think (both in the what and in the how) as the people of the world.

Building upon the premise that Christianity is uniquely different from the cultures of the world, a biblical model for Christian counseling has been developed springing from the distinctiveness of Christianity. The model itself is derived from probably the greatest single statement of Christianity ever written, Paul's letter to the Romans saints.

The model also will serve as the general format for the structure of this treatise. After dealing with the two general chapters of "Sin, The Problem of Mankind" and "Salvation: The Divine Intervention Process," the flow of the material will move systematically through each aspect of the model.

The overriding purpose of the the book is to build both a theology and strategy for Christian counseling. Out of the premise that successful strategies must evolve from basic Christian theology, an overview of the book has been developed that may cause some readers to have to work through in the early chapters what may seem to be a little too heavy reading for a practical presentation of counseling.

Although this summation may be, in fact, an idiosyncrasy, or maybe even worse, a dream fantasy of the author, the book, nevertheless, will move from theology to strategy. The actual strategy of counseling will begin to emerge primarily in the chapters on "The Grace of God: Supernatural Enablement to Be Christian" and "Frustrated Grace: the Reality of Religion." The final chapters will then attempt to format some general counseling strategy.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION. Christianity: A World-View

A World-View
The Humanistic Philosophy of the West
The Religious Philosophy of the East
The Judeo-Christian World-View

Chapter One. Sin: The Problem of Mankind

The Essence of Personhood
The Creation of Mankind
The Relational Image of God
The Fall of Man
The Curse of the Fall

Chapter Two. Salvation: The Divine Intervention Process

Salvation -- The Event and the Process
Biblical Counseling -- The Counseling
Biblical Counseling -- The Counselor
Biblical Counseling -- The Presuppositions

Chapter Three. The Holiness of God: The Foundation of Biblical Counseling

The Existence and Revelation of God
The Holiness of God
A Definition of Holiness
Righteousness -- The Faithfulness of God
The Faithfulness of God

Chapter Four. The Principle of Death and Dying

The Principle of Death and Dying
The Road to Damnation

Chapter Five. The Principle of Life and Living

The Act of Justification
The Act of Sanctification
The Baptism of the Holy Spirit
The Level of Christian Maturity

Chapter Six. The Grace of God: Supernatural Enablement to Be Christian

A Description of What It Means to Be Christian
A Description of a Diluted Gospel
The Grace of God
Humility -- The Source of Grace

Chapter Seven: Frustrated Grace: The Reality of Religion

The Struggle of Being Christian
The Frustrating of Grace
Pride
The Curse of Religion

Chapter Eight. The Body of Christ: The Sphere of Counseling

The Process of Discipleship
The Sphere of Discipleship
The Language of Discipleship
The Sphere of Counseling

Chapter Nine. The Holy Spirit: Distinctively Christian Counseling

The Pedagogy of Christian Learning
The Holy Spirit -- Agent of Learning
The Holy Spirit -- Miraculous, Instantaneous Intervention
The Holy Spirit -- Miraculous Process of Living

Chapter Ten. Creative Love: Strategies for Biblical Counseling

Characteristics of the Counselor
Characteristics of the Counseling Encounter
Characteristics of the Counseling Process
Strategies of Christian Counseling