Now, it was also His calling, as the Anointed One to train a group of men who would proclaim the good news throughout the Roman world in their lifetime—which they did (Colossians 1:3, 26; I Timothy 3:16; Romans 16:26, etc.). After His death and ascension to the place of co-regency with the Father (at His right hand) Jesus began to reign over the newly formed kingdom which He, when still on earth, said was “not from this world.” Indeed, He is Head over all things for the sake of that invisible kingdom (church) over which He also maintains supreme rule in this world. His anointing, therefore, was as Prophet (which office He fulfilled when proclaiming the arrival of the kingdom), Priest (which office He fulfilled when offering Himself up for the sins of His people), and King (which office He holds now as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.).

The baptism of Christ, then, was no insignificant matter. John the Baptist only partially understood as he poured water on Jesus’ head that He was baptizing Him with the Holy Spirit as well, since all his other baptisms carried no such significance. But he must, as the Savior made plain, assist Jesus in fulfilling all the righteous requirements of office-holding by anointing Him (like Old Testament prophet, priests and kings) into those three functions.

What a wonderful scene! No wonder the Father spoke from heaven declaring that Jesus was His beloved Son with Whom He was well-pleased. This singular event was the inauguration of the Son of God for the work that He had come to perform. It was the beginning of the greatest three-year ministry of all time—a ministry that would redeem from eternal wrath all who believe.

Check out our online course, Theology and Counseling taught by Jay Adams!

Books related to dealing with problems:

1. A Theology of Christian Counseling by Jay Adams
2. Sanctification and Counseling by Jay Adams
3. Christ and Your Problems by Jay Adams

The Christian Counselor’s New Testament and Proverbs, translated by Jay Adams

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Rest in God alone, my soul . . . He alone is my rock (Ps. 61: 8 HCSB).

This world is a dangerous place; full of disease, war, treachery, accidents—you name it! How can you go through life in a calm, restful manner? That’s what the Psalmist is speaking about. Behind a rock was a place to find protection in biblical days. If someone was tracking you down—as Saul tracked David—to locate a large, impregnable rock to use as a wall between yourself and the tracker would be highly desirable. That is why God is frequently called one’s Rock. That is to say, He is the Protector of His people.

In this uncertain life, have you found rest in the only true Rock? There is only one way to do so—through His Son, Jesus Christ Who died in the place of all those who would trust Him as Savior. He bore their guilt and suffered in their place. He is the One Who, alone, can lead you to the Rock of this verse—the “Rock that is higher than I.”

Need rest? Protection? You need the Rock behind which you can lie down and feel safe.

Check out our online courses, including, Introduction to Nouthetic Counseling and  The Use of Scripture in Counseling, taught by Jay Adams!

Books related to counseling others:

1. Competent to Counsel by Jay Adams
2. The Christian Counselor’s Manual by Jay Adams
3. How to Help People Change by Jay Adams
4. Check out our Bookstore for all the best counseling books!

The Christian Counselor’s New Testament and Proverbs, translated by Jay Adams

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For more biblical counseling training, check out our list of INS Online Courses.

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The post Where Protection Is Found appeared first on Institute for Nouthetic Studies | Biblical Counseling.

And the word became flesh, and tented among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as a unique One from the Father, filled with grace and reality.

Notice several things:

1. This literal, more accurate translation reveals much that the KJV does not.
2. We learn truth about Jesus’ first advent and person that we don’t learn about elsewhere
3. These truths are of importance to us in our daily, living relationship to Him.

Notice that His stay among us was temporary: He “tented” among us—He set up no permanent living quarters. He intended to spend only enough time here to accomplish what He needed to do upon His trip. From the time of His anointing as the Messiah (His baptism) to His death, He lived among us for only 3 1/2 years. His entire earthly dwelling was about 33 years in all. He intended not to remain, but to come and accomplish a purpose, and then leave—precisely what He did.

Note also that He was God’s message transformed from words alone into a living person (‘flesh”) so that we could see and hear him do and say what it was that God wanted us to know about Himself, delivered in this form. To see truth in person, in action, is more dramatic, clearer, memorable, etc.

Moreover, He was unique.  He was not only-begotten—all believers are begotten of God.  The word really means (as it does in John 3: 16, etc.) “the only one of His kind.” Only Jesus cold accomplish what He did because as a Person Who was unique in the ways in which He was, only He could do it. Only He, for instance, was God become man while yet remaining God as well.

Finally, He was full of grace (“help” of the sort sinners need)  and reality. There are two words N.T. Greek for “truth”—one for truth over against falsehood (not the one used here); the other reality as over against its shadow.   The Old Testament was full of shadowy types and truths, but no realities.  He was the reality that cast those shadows—the shadows that were but unreal, vague types, or pictures, of the reality that they represent.  He is the reality itself.

Take time to concentrate on each of these items and as you do, you will gain a much clearer understanding of Jesus and His earthly mission. Apart from a literal translation, you miss much of what God wants you to know about Jesus Christ.

The post Literal Truth appeared first on Institute for Nouthetic Studies | Biblical Counseling.

You will not leave My soul in Hades.

“There you have it” they say. “His soul went to hell (Hades) at death—why else would this be true?”

Well, let’s think about it for a moment.

When after three hours of darkness suffering on the cross Jesus said, “It is finished,” what did he mean? Certainly, that was not a cry of relief! He was saying “I have completed the suffering for sinners that the Father sent me to accomplish.” That is to say, redemption is finished. Well, that statement seems to contradict the idea that Jesus has to suffer additionally in hell, doesn’t it?

In addition, consider this: The word Hades doesn’t mean what we (today) mean when we speak of “hell.” It comes from the Greek root id which means “seen.” In Greek, if you want to negate something, you add an alpha (a) privative to the word. Do that with this term and you get “Unseen.”[1]

Hades is the “unseen world.” In it is both paradise and the place of suffering. Remember, Jesus said to the thief:

“Today, you will be with Me in paradise.” That’s where His soul was: in the third heaven (see 2 Cor. 12:2-4), which is part of the unseen world.

Be careful not to fall for the heresy that teaches the work on the cross was incomplete and needed to be supplemented by further suffering.

The post Did Jesus Suffer in Hell? appeared first on Institute for Nouthetic Studies | Biblical Counseling.

The OT offering couldn’t take away sins since it was a continual necessity.  The cross did, and did so for all who believe in every age or place. The only true symbol of that work is the empty cross. Jesus dies, rose again, and ascended. He now reigns as the God-man Who, by His one sacrifice brought about His messianic reign from the heavenly throne.

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