Christian Life Archives - Institute for Nouthetic Studies | Biblical Counseling https://nouthetic.org/category/christian-life/ Welcome to the Mid-America Institute for Nouthetic Studies, founded by Jay Adams. INS provides training and resources for biblical counseling. Mon, 27 Apr 2026 20:26:15 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 https://nouthetic.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/cropped-Favicon-32x32.png Christian Life Archives - Institute for Nouthetic Studies | Biblical Counseling https://nouthetic.org/category/christian-life/ 32 32 Balance! https://nouthetic.org/balance/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=balance https://nouthetic.org/balance/#respond Wed, 29 Apr 2026 05:00:41 +0000 https://www.nouthetic.org/blog/?p=2857 A preacher can go wrong either way. As so often is the case, it’s easy to stress one side of a truth or obligation only to minimize the other. We are lopsided thinkers and livers. “You can say that again!” O.K., I will: “We are . .” No, I don’t want to go there. Let ...

The post Balance! appeared first on Institute for Nouthetic Studies | Biblical Counseling.

]]> A preacher can go wrong either way. As so often is the case, it’s easy to stress one side of a truth or obligation only to minimize the other. We are lopsided thinkers and livers.

“You can say that again!”

O.K., I will: “We are . .” No, I don’t want to go there. Let me make my point: In Acts 20: 28, Paul told the Ephesian elders,

Pay attention to yourselves and to all of the flock . . .

It’s possible to do the one while neglecting the other. There are elders who care little for the flock; there are elders who care little about their own spiritual condition. Either way, there are flocks that feel the brunt of it!

“I can see that. Either way, the flock gets cheated, fails to grow, and may even wander astray.”

Exactly. But balance is difficult.

“Why is that?”

Because we still sin, even though we may have been saved. You see, patterns from the old life hang on. There are those whose lifestyle before salvation was self-centered. It will take the right focus upon Christ as more important, and the outworking of this fact in one’s life, to change that sinful perspective.

“And those who have this problem are more concerned about themselves than the flock?”

Right. Then, on the other hand, there are those who are so wrapped up in “the work” that they have no time for self-evaluation of their own spiritual growth.

“And that hurts the flock also.”

Yes, not only do they model the Christian life poorly for their flocks, they also may become overbearing. They can so hover over a flock that they virtually smother its spiritual growth.

“So, one of the tasks that is important is for an elder to become biblically balanced. Didn’t you write a book about balanced living?”

Yep.

“What was the name of it?”

The title is Maintaining the Delicate Balance. It is a book for the average Christian; unlike what we’ve been discussing, it isn’t for the elder alone.

“I think I’ll get a copy.”

It might be helpful; the thoughts from Scripture in it helped me. That’s why I wrote the book.

 

————

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. The Use of Scripture in Counseling by Jay Adams
  5. Sanctification and Counseling by Jay Adams
  6. Critical Stages in Biblical Counseling by Jay Adams
  7. Check out our Bookstore for all the best counseling books!

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

Visit our online bookstore for all your biblical counseling resource needs.
For more biblical counseling training, check out our list of INS Online Courses.

Follow INS on Social Media:
– Facebook: noutheticstudies
– Twitter: @noutheticstud
– Instagram: @noutheticstudies

The post Balance! appeared first on Institute for Nouthetic Studies | Biblical Counseling.

]]> https://nouthetic.org/balance/feed/ 0 Two Ways of Seeing https://nouthetic.org/two-ways-of-seeing/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=two-ways-of-seeing https://nouthetic.org/two-ways-of-seeing/#respond Wed, 22 Apr 2026 10:00:18 +0000 https://www.nouthetic.org/blog/?p=2617 There are two ways of looking at it. “At what?” At anything—or, if you prefer, at everything. “How’s that?” Pretty simple as a matter of fact. “Really?” Really. “Please explain.” Thought you’d never ask. There’s God’s way and there’s man’s way. Every issue in life can be viewed from either perspective. Indeed, we always do ...

The post Two Ways of Seeing appeared first on Institute for Nouthetic Studies | Biblical Counseling.

]]> There are two ways of looking at it.

“At what?”

At anything—or, if you prefer, at everything.

“How’s that?”

Pretty simple as a matter of fact.

“Really?”

Really.

“Please explain.”

Thought you’d never ask. There’s God’s way and there’s man’s way. Every issue in life can be viewed from either perspective. Indeed, we always do view things in one way or the other. The problem is, too often—even Christians—view matters from man’s, rather than God’s perspective.

“Don’t the two ever coalesce?”

Only when man accepts and adopts God’s view of life and how to live it. In Isaiah 55:8, God says “My ways are not your ways and My thoughts are not your thoughts.” That pretty well sums up the problem. We can’t expect God to adopt our ways and our thinking; the only way we can come to agreement is if we make the changes necessary to conform to His thoughts and ways.

“’Tis pretty simple, isn’t it?”

Yep. Except man can’t make the changes on his own. The idea that he can, in fact, is an example of one of those human thoughts that is incompatible with God’s.

“How, then, can he change so as to conform to God’s thoughts and ways?”

Only one way. Junk his own and accept God’s. And that begins by realizing he’s a sinner, condemned by his sin to eternal judgment, and apart from salvation will never change. The change comes when a person believes that Jesus shed His blood on the cross for guilty sinners, and that he is one of those sinners for whom He died and rose from the dead to save him from hell.

“That’s it?”

It’s the beginning. The first thing essential is to recognize that God is right and he is wrong. That happens when God enlightens someone to the truth of his sin and need of a Savior. Then, having been justified by faith (counted righteous in God’s sight because of what Christ did), he is able to continue to refine his thinking and living by studying and following what God says in His Word. As he does, more and more he comes to think the way God does and begins to live according to His will. You see, God gives His Spirit to those who are saved to enable them to understand the Bible and thereby think and live as they ought.

“Sounds like the answer to my question all right.”

Yep. And the answer to the questions of many others who don’t know how to live a life that will lead them to eternal joy and happiness after death.

“But why should men think otherwise?”

Because they’re thinking man’s way rather than God’s.

“Makes sense.’

It does—if your thoughts are like God’s thoughts!

 

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. The Use of Scripture in Counseling by Jay Adams
  5. Sanctification and Counseling by Jay Adams
  6. Critical Stages in Biblical Counseling by Jay Adams
  7. Check out our Bookstore for all the best counseling books!

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

Visit our online bookstore for all your biblical counseling resource needs.
For more biblical counseling training, check out our list of INS Online Courses.

Follow INS on Social Media:
– Facebook: noutheticstudies
– Twitter: @noutheticstud
– Instagram: @noutheticstudies

 

The post Two Ways of Seeing appeared first on Institute for Nouthetic Studies | Biblical Counseling.

]]> https://nouthetic.org/two-ways-of-seeing/feed/ 0 There’s Always a Way https://nouthetic.org/theres-always-a-way/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=theres-always-a-way https://nouthetic.org/theres-always-a-way/#respond Wed, 18 Mar 2026 05:00:40 +0000 https://www.nouthetic.org/blog/?p=7134 That’s what people say when they don’t know what it is! Then, they unsuccessfully try this and that to no avail, and finally say, “It’s too much. I can’t handle it.” The strange thing is --- they were right about it at first: there always is a way—God’s way! That way may not be one ...

The post There’s Always a Way appeared first on Institute for Nouthetic Studies | Biblical Counseling.

]]> That’s what people say when they don’t know what it is! Then, they unsuccessfully try this and that to no avail, and finally say, “It’s too much. I can’t handle it.”

The strange thing is — they were right about it at first: there always is a way—God’s way!

That way may not be one to our liking, it may not be one that we find easy, but He has an answer to every problem that a Christian ever faces. That’s what He told us in 1 Corinthians 10:13:

Look it up. You will find three things that He says about tests that come a Christian’s way:

  1. No problem overtakes a believer but what is common to other believers. That is to say, no one’s trial is unique. People are always complaining “Nobody has ever had to face what I’m facing”—or words to that effect. They are wrong. Many have before—and have (by God’s grace) been able to overcome it.
  2. God will not allow a Christian to be tested beyond what he is able to handle (if he handles it God’s way, of course). God promises: though the problem isn’t unique, it is uniquely suited to each individual believer.
  3. God will, with the test, also send the way out in order that one may be able to handle it.

What wonderful promises!

 

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. The Use of Scripture in Counseling by Jay Adams
  5. Sanctification and Counseling by Jay Adams
  6. Critical Stages in Biblical Counseling by Jay Adams
  7. Check out our Bookstore for all the best counseling books!

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

Visit our online bookstore for all your biblical counseling resource needs.
For more biblical counseling training, check out our list of INS Online Courses.

Follow INS on Social Media:
– Facebook: noutheticstudies
– Twitter: @noutheticstud
– Instagram: @noutheticstudies

The post There’s Always a Way appeared first on Institute for Nouthetic Studies | Biblical Counseling.

]]> https://nouthetic.org/theres-always-a-way/feed/ 0 Change https://nouthetic.org/change/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=change https://nouthetic.org/change/#comments Wed, 21 Jan 2026 05:00:41 +0000 https://www.nouthetic.org/blog/?p=2494 So you want to change. "Yes, I'd like to, but I'm not sure that it's possible. I keep trying, but then find myself going back to my old ways again and again." You are a Christian? "Yes. I believe that Christ died for my sins and rose again from the dead." Well, then, there's every ...

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

]]> So you want to change.

“Yes, I’d like to, but I’m not sure that it’s possible. I keep trying, but then find myself going back to my old ways again and again.”

You are a Christian?

“Yes. I believe that Christ died for my sins and rose again from the dead.”

Well, then, there’s every reason for you to expect to be able to change. Jesus is deeply concerned about helping believers change. Listen to this:

. . . as the One Who called you is holy, you yourselves must become holy in all of your behavior
1 Peter 1:15

He is holy—set apart from sin and to righteousness—and wants you to be like Himself. He asks a believer to do nothing that He doesn’t supply the wisdom and the ability to do. He will help you. Listen to Philippians 2:13

. . . Since it is God Who is producing in you both the willingness and the ability to do the things that please Him.

If you truly desire to change in order to please Him, He’s already beginning to fulfill the first promise in that verse.

“It would be great, but I don’t see how. I try not to sin, but fall into sin anyway.”

Let’s consider some things that may make a difference.

“OK. Go ahead. I can’t seem to break my old habits.”

You recognize that you have old habits? Good. We’ll get into what they are in time. For right now, let’s examine how you are trying to deal with them. Did I hear you say that you are trying to “break” them?

“Right.”

Well, change is a two-factored process. You can’t bring it about by merely breaking habits. In Ephesians and Colossians, Paul says that you must not only “put off” the old manner of life (“old man” or habits), but that you must at the same time “put on” a new set of godly patterns.

“Oh! I didn’t realize that.”

Well, we’ll begin there, then. You can’t break habits; you must replace them-with their biblical alternatives. If you truly, from the heart, desire to live in ways that honor Christ you can do it, because the Spirit will help you more and more to put off and put on those things that He tells you in His Word that you must change. Are you certain that you want to change in order to please Jesus?

“Yes.”

Good. Then, let’s begin . . .

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

  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. The Use of Scripture in Counseling by Jay Adams
  5. Sanctification and Counseling by Jay Adams
  6. Critical Stages in Biblical Counseling by Jay Adams
  7. Check out our Bookstore for all the best counseling books!

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

Visit our online bookstore for all your biblical counseling resource needs.
For more biblical counseling training, check out our list of INS Online Courses.

Follow INS on Social Media:
– Facebook: noutheticstudies
– Twitter: @noutheticstud
– Instagram: @noutheticstudies

 

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

]]> https://nouthetic.org/change/feed/ 1 What Size Is Your Bible? https://nouthetic.org/what-size-is-your-bible/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=what-size-is-your-bible Wed, 19 Nov 2025 05:00:51 +0000 https://www.nouthetic.org/blog/?p=1513 No, I'm not talking about those oversized Bibles that used to be found on every pulpit in America. No, I guess, those went out of style when pulpits began to disappear and preachers started walking all over the place while preaching. Nor am I speaking about granddma's Large Print Bible. What I have in mind ...

The post What Size Is Your Bible? appeared first on Institute for Nouthetic Studies | Biblical Counseling.

]]> No, I’m not talking about those oversized Bibles that used to be found on every pulpit in America. No, I guess, those went out of style when pulpits began to disappear and preachers started walking all over the place while preaching.

Nor am I speaking about granddma’s Large Print Bible.

What I have in mind is what parts of your Bible are used and what parts are not.

“How can I tell?”

Easy to do—but not so easy to describe.

“Why not?”

Because we all know what the “spine” of a book is; but whad’ja call the opposite part? You know, the part that you flip with your fingers? For the sake of a better term, let’s call it the “anti-spine.” OK?

We’ll, here’s how you can tell—If you’ve had your Bible for any length of time (and, of course, have used it), you’ll notice that there are places on the anti-spine that are dirtier than others. If . . . What? What did you say?

No. I’m not insinuating anything about whether or not you wash you hands before eating—or reading.
But, as I was saying, here’s the rule: the dirtier a part of the anti-spine, the likelihood that’s where you concentrate your reading.

What? . . . . You don’t believe me? OK, then, go ahead and look at the anti-spine on your Bible.

Aha! So, I was right. Well, now what are you going to do about it?

Right—start dirtying up the rest!

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. The Use of Scripture in Counseling by Jay Adams
  5. Sanctification and Counseling by Jay Adams
  6. Critical Stages in Biblical Counseling by Jay Adams
  7. Check out our Bookstore for all the best counseling books!

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

Visit our online bookstore for all your biblical counseling resource needs.
For more biblical counseling training, check out our list of INS Online Courses.

Follow INS on Social Media:
– Facebook: noutheticstudies
– Twitter: @noutheticstud
– Instagram: @noutheticstudies

The post What Size Is Your Bible? appeared first on Institute for Nouthetic Studies | Biblical Counseling.

]]> Here it is . . . https://nouthetic.org/here-it-is/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=here-it-is https://nouthetic.org/here-it-is/#respond Wed, 05 Nov 2025 05:00:12 +0000 https://www.nouthetic.org/blog/?p=7107 You wanted to know how it is that a person can change his lifestyle? The answer is simple: Anyone can change if he is determined to do so. Some change for health reasons (they may stop smoking). Others change in order to please a certain girl—or fellow—as the case may be (they change their language ...

The post Here it is . . . appeared first on Institute for Nouthetic Studies | Biblical Counseling.

]]> You wanted to know how it is that a person can change his lifestyle? The answer is simple:
Anyone can change if he is determined to do so. Some change for health reasons (they may stop smoking). Others change in order to please a certain girl—or fellow—as the case may be (they change their language habits, for instance). And, it is true, that there may be certain temporal benefits to the change. Life may be easier. But if the person isn’t a believer, then his change isn’t pleasing to God (Romans 8:8[1]). And in the long run, it isn’t for the better at all. Even a believer (by ignoring the Spirit) may change in the same way—and not please God (cf. 1 Corinthians 3:1-4, where believers were acting like unbelievers). True biblical change is different.

How so? When a Christian changes in ways that do please God it is by

  1. Doing so because he wants to obey and honor Him. He seeks to make a certain change because it is God’s will for him to do so—as he finds it in the Bible; by
  2. Doing so by replacing sinful ways with righteous ones (or as the apostle Paul put it: by putting off the former and putting on the latter; Colossians: 3:9); by
  3. Doing these things through seeking the help of the Spirit a) enabling him to understand God’s will in the Word; b) empowering him to make the changes involved (cf. Philippians 2:13).

Thus, in essence, it is change that one makes in consort with God Himself. Thus both the motive and the method are of God as well as of the believer.

[1] To be in the flesh is to be without the Spirit of God.

 

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. The Use of Scripture in Counseling by Jay Adams
  5. Sanctification and Counseling by Jay Adams
  6. Critical Stages in Biblical Counseling by Jay Adams
  7. Check out our Bookstore for all the best counseling books!

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

Visit our online bookstore for all your biblical counseling resource needs.
For more biblical counseling training, check out our list of INS Online Courses.

Follow INS on Social Media:
– Facebook: noutheticstudies
– Twitter: @noutheticstud
– Instagram: @noutheticstudies

The post Here it is . . . appeared first on Institute for Nouthetic Studies | Biblical Counseling.

]]> https://nouthetic.org/here-it-is/feed/ 0 Living Right? https://nouthetic.org/living-right/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=living-right https://nouthetic.org/living-right/#comments Wed, 28 May 2025 05:00:58 +0000 https://www.nouthetic.org/blog/?p=4317 Christians often wonder about their lives—“Am I living the sort of life that pleases God?” some ask themselves (sometimes every day!). They think “I know that I still sin frequently; I haven’t by any Scriptural standard become all that God wants me to be.”  They wonder, “How does God see me when He sees my ...

The post Living Right? appeared first on Institute for Nouthetic Studies | Biblical Counseling.

]]> Christians often wonder about their lives—“Am I living the sort of life that pleases God?” some ask themselves (sometimes every day!). They think “I know that I still sin frequently; I haven’t by any Scriptural standard become all that God wants me to be.”  They wonder, “How does God see me when He sees my heart and my works?”

There are a number of indices by which you may begin to find answers to your questions (see especially 1 John), but there is one in particular that I wish to mention. Listen to Psalm 97:10:

You who love the Lord, hate evil.

How strongly do you hate? If there is no hatred in your life, there is something dead wrong.  Hatred for evil is a determining factor in whether or not you love God as you should. In some ways, the strength of your love for God is your hatred for evil—especially in yourself!

If evil doesn’t disturb you, and you have become cavalier about it, so that when you encounter evil not even the slightest bit of anger whelms up within—then something is wrong: dead wrong! You’d better begin examining your true love in terms of a true hatred—for sin and its effects.

Your love for God is determined by your hatred for evil (in part) because God hates evil. If you are not moved to anger, let alone hatred, over evil, it is time to do something about it.

“How can I change?” you ask. By beginning to think God’s thoughts after Him.  Until you think as He does about sin in His world, you will not love Him as you ought. How can you begin to think His thoughts? By studying the Bible—more and more to discover How He thinks!

 

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. A Call for Discernment by Jay Adams

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

Visit our online bookstore for all your biblical counseling resource needs.
For biblical counseling training, check out our list of INS Online Courses.

Follow INS on Social Media:
– Facebook: noutheticstudies
– Twitter: @noutheticstud
– Instagram: @noutheticstudies

The post Living Right? appeared first on Institute for Nouthetic Studies | Biblical Counseling.

]]> https://nouthetic.org/living-right/feed/ 2