For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.                                    Romans 3:23

And that, my friend, includes you!

But what are the consequences of that fact? What does it mean to come short of the glory of God? Listen to some further words from Romans:

The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life.                             Romans 6:23

That means there will be a payday someday, as one preacher put it, when you will receive the wages you earned: death. Not physical death alone, but spiritual death as well. That means eternal separation from God, and eternal punishment in hell, unless . . .

Unless you receive the gift of God, which is eternal life in heaven.

Notice, you deserve hell; you don’t deserve heaven. So heaven is a gift. You can do nothing to earn it. The gift of eternal life can be “received” only by faith—faith in what Jesus did to save sinners like you from hell. He died on the cross in the place of all who would confess their sin and believe in Him as the One Who took the punishment for their sin. You cannot earn heaven; you have already earned hell. Isn’t it time to consider these matters seriously? Think. The gift God offers is heaven—

WHAT A GIFT THAT IS! WHY NOT RECEIVE IT WITH GRATITUDE THIS CHRISTMAS?

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:
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The post Wage and Gift appeared first on Institute for Nouthetic Studies | Biblical Counseling.

What do you want for Christmas? True, unlike Simeon, you cannot rock the baby in your arms. But even though he grew up, in a far better way, He can be yours. He offers Himself as the greatest gift of all—the gift Who can give you eternal life. Have you ever before received this gift? Have you ever thought about it? If not this is the Christmas to become serious about the question.

The baby grew up. He lived a perfect life, was crucified for sinners, and rose from the dead. He ascended to the throne of God in heaven, and all who, like Simeon, desire His consolation, may find it through faith in Him as Savior. Are you looking for the comfort that assures you of treasures in heaven? Do you want a gift that will last for all time and eternity? Then, you may receive it by trusting in Him. His comfort brings peace of heart and mind. It brings certainty and rest.

What do you want for Christmas? Why not place His Name at the top of your wish list, forget the rest, and have the most wonderful Christmas ever?

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 Do You Want For Christmas? appeared first on Institute for Nouthetic Studies | Biblical Counseling.

The level that comes to my mind at the moment, however, is something like this—I’d like to have a deeper appreciation of Jesus Christ than I have so far. The commemoration of His birth brings this thought more frequently to mind than perhaps at any other time—except Easter.

How about thinking about this during this season along with me (not to neglect the rest of the year, of course)? The gift is on the spiritual level. That means it is lasting—if I come to love and appreciate Jesus more than ever before, I can carry that with me into and after death, whereas all other temporal gifts will be lost.

Is there any believer out there who doesn’t want this gift above others this Christmas, when he thinks seriously about it?

There is no greater gift than the one God gave us on that first Christmas day—His Son! This Gift was not laid under the tree, but hung on it. Thank God did not remain on that cross.  It is no crucifix!  It is an empty cross. He is a living Christ who three days after His death, rose from the dead.

If, of course, you aren’t a believer, what you should want most of all is salvation through Him. That comes by believing that He died and was raised for you.  That He took your punishment for you so that you might not have to suffer in hell for eternity.

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

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 Do You Want for Christmas? appeared first on Institute for Nouthetic Studies | Biblical Counseling.

Crazy stuff!

But how did it ever get hold of the incarnation?

It’s been one of the most successful ploys that the evil one has ever attempted. The goal? Obviously to distract us from the real thing. After all, who doesn’t want to be jolly?

But forget the diversion and distraction issue…let’s consider “jolliness” for a moment (If there is such a word). I’m not sure how a Brit responds to such sayings as those above in which the word jolly appears. He uses the word in other contexts, on non-Christmas occasions—for us Americans, the term seems to be reserved almost exclusively for Christmas. For the Brits, the word plays an intensive role: like when they say, “Have a jolly good time.”

When this intensive use occurs, there seems to be little problem understanding it—it simply means, “Have a very good time.” But a jolly old man saying “Ho ho ho,” is another matter. To be jolly seems to be happy, with a kind of roly-poly happiness. There is an element of giddiness-under-control as Santa leans back, slaps his belly, and utters his triple “Hos.” Beyond that, is there much more to it?

At any rate, reader let me wish you a jolly Incarnation Day! We should rejoice over it with near giddiness when we recognize what happened back there in Bethlehem so many years ago. Why are we so silent about it? Does Phillips Brooks’ hymn with the words “How silently, how silently the wondrous gift is given,” wrongly influence us? Or Silent Night? Was it silent with all of those angels singing? With that troop of wise men from “afar” (probably, Persia) with their camels, and all the hoopla about their arrival going on? Come on. It was a noisy, joyous, dramatic, day! One that ought to make us nearly jump for joy whenever we recognize what it’s all about—Emmanuel! God with us, in the Person of His Son to save us. Let’s be jolly about this for all of the right reasons this year!

The post ‘Tis the Season to be Jolly? appeared first on Institute for Nouthetic Studies | Biblical Counseling.

What do you mean?

“Jesus isn’t an X!”

Of course He isn’t, and neither is the greeting what you seem to think it is either.

“Tell me more. I thought X stands for “unknown” or something like that. Why apply it to Jesus?”

Let me straighten you out. . .

“Go ahead.”

If you let me.

“I said, ‘Go ahead.’ And it had better be good!”

OK. Here’s the scoop. The supposed X isn’t an X at all. . .

“Sure looks like one!”

Right. . . in English.

“That’s what I speak.”

OK. OK. Do you want to learn or not?

“Go ahead.”

As I was saying, It’s not an X but a Greek letter.

“Why use it then when speaking English?”

Because it’s the first letter in the word Christ (Christos in Greek). It’s an abbreviation.

“Great! Now Jesus is an abbreviation!”

Sorry I was just trying to greet you when I said Merry Xmas. But, forget it.

“OK. But Merry Christmas to you!”

Thanks and ditto.

“Now, a ditto? I can’t believe . . . “

“See you later.

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

Either way, I have some important advice for you. Here is an item for your list that you shouldn’t miss—indeed, it should be at the top!

Buy the truth and sell it not.   (Proverbs 23:23)

Have you been looking for truth? Haven’t found it? Let me suggest that you look in the right place. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. If you don’t know Him as Savior, you don’t have a grasp on truth. Indeed, you never will until you trust in Him as the One Who shed His blood in the place of guilty sinners like you. God raised Him from the dead and seated Him on His throne. He is co-regent with the Father. He is the source of truth; as a matter of fact, its very embodiment!

Having found Him, don’t let anyone ever persuade you to sell Him out. He’s the One Who will stick closer than a brother. He is the One Who will persevere to the end—the only question is, will you? Think seriously about truth—what could be more important this Christmas than to buy it—without money and without cost (Is 55:1)!

What an important Christmas message this verse from God is. While you’re shopping around, think about this—you’d be wise to take it to heart.

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.

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

“Huh?”

I said, “Merry W.S. Day! Are you ready for W.S. Day? Bought all your presents, hung all your finery, decorated your W.S. tree?

“Are you crazy?”

Certainly not!

“Well, then, what’s all this W.S. Day stuff?

What we would have if there had been no birth in Bethlehem of a Savior. Actually, without the name—what we do have in effect at what we call “Christmas.”

“Oh. I get it. But what’s the W.S. business all about?”

The Winter Solstice.

“Why focus on that as a substitute?”

Because it occurs December 21, and is close enough to be the replacement. Days begin to lengthen again, and we can all rejoice that the long winter is heading on its way toward spring.

“Oh I see now. That’s just about what Christmas is to many people—a jolly winter holiday on which we exchange gifts and party. “

And for some, a time for family to get together.

“Right.”

But, the true import of it all is missed by most. How many reflect much, if at all, about the fact that Jesus had come to put down the works of the devil, that He was here to offer Himself as the sacrificial Lamb of God to be slain for sinners, and so on?

“Not too many, I guess.”

Well, let’s be sure that we’re a part of the not too many this year. Let’s be merry for all the right reasons.

“Instead of making Christmas a W.S. Day?”

You’ve got it!

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

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