I have spoken openly to the world. I always taught in synagogues, or in the temple court, where all the Jews assemble, and I didn’t teach anything secretly.
John 18:19

Christianity isn’t Masonry, or Mormonism, where you take vows “never to reveal and always to conceal” rituals that you are required to perform in a Lodge meeting or in a “temple” ceremony. It has always been completely above board about its beliefs and practices.

Indeed, as Jesus said, He always spoke “openly.”

If an organization—or pseudo church—has anything worthwhile to offer, let it be open to examination. How can anyone vow to never reveal something before he knows what it is? That is one form of what the Bible calls a rash vow. It is sinful to take a vow that one doesn’t know whether or not he ought to keep before he knows what it is he is vowing to keep secret. Suppose, after taking a vow, one were to realize that he must expose the error or sinfulness of what he learns—he’d then find himself in an intolerable position. On the one hand, he’d be obligated to expose it; on the other hand he would have vowed not to do so. That is an unacceptable dilemma, one into which one must never allow himself to be inveigled.

One more thought—if a group of any sort has something worthwhile becoming a part of, it has no right to conceal it from anyone; but like our Lord said, it is something that should be proclaimed “openly to the world.” If it’s worthwhile, spread it abroad; why would you selfishly cling to it as private truth? If it’s not something worthwhile, then don’t get into it in the first place.

On every score, then, no Christian should ever become involved in a secret society. A fundamental principle of our faith is to preach the message of salvation to all the world. We have nothing to hide.

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.

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The post Got a Secret? appeared first on Institute for Nouthetic Studies | Biblical Counseling.

The answer, of course, is that no one knows.

The reason I say this is because of how the data are gathered–and then reported. Increasingly, all who profess to be Christians, are lumped together. Even some cultists—let alone weird and liberal groups who pretend to be Christians—are labeled and then counted as such. If these are diminishing, then supposedly true Christianity is too. Even if it isn’t.

But if they are not—and there is little reason to believe that they are—then are true Christian churches on the way down?

The fact is, although the groups counted as Christian, groups which are of all colors and stripes, that sort of grouping has been true to some extent for quite some time—at least for a century, so that faulty criteria for determining who is a believer can’t really be the reason for this seeming situation.

What is, then? Nothing. As I said, we have no idea how many genuine Christians there are in America. For that matter, you can’t even be sure about the Christianity of all of those in your solid, Bible-believing church! Only God really knows.

Then why even discuss the matter?

Good question. Because we ought not even be trying to count (how about it Barna!). There is no way you can get a DNA sample of a person, put it into a test tube together with the right substance, shake it four times. and have it turn out true BLUE (if the person being examined is genuine).

Besides, were we able to count, it wouldn’t really matter. Jesus Christ is conducting the course of His church throughout history, and we don’t know what He is planning for the future. There could be another dark age ahead. If so, Christians are the light of the world—i.e., people with lives designed to shine so as to lead the way. If it means He will bring about glorious revival, then we can all sing His praises with greater intensity since there will be more of us to do so!

So, there is a reason why it doesn’t really matter whether we can know if the church is growing or not, even though it is our task to attempt by evangelization to help increase its numbers. That is what we should concentrate on.
 

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
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The post There is a Reason Why appeared first on Institute for Nouthetic Studies | Biblical Counseling.

What are you talking about?

“Denominations.”

Denominations?

“Yep. Every time I turn around there seems to be a new one I never heard about before. Since the Anglicans split, we now have two Episcopal churches in the USA.”

Wrong. Back in 1873 the first split took place, and the Reformed Episcopal Church was begun. They have a seminary in Philadelphia and one in South Carolina. They divided over sacerdotalism. But, apart from that, what bothers you about denominations?

“Just that there are so many. Can’t understand why people can’t get along with each other, and why they have to keep on splitting.”

Would you like me to take a shot at answering?

“If you can.”

Well, there are many reasons for the situation. I’ll grant you that some of them are quite wrong and only have to do with power grabs, and so forth. And, even when there’s a better reason, some of that sort of thing can get mixed in and confuse people. But there is one fundamental reason for the problem. Paul explained in 1 Corinthians 11:19:

. . . there must be factions among you so that it may appear who is approved among you.

In that passage, he was dealing with factions within a congregation, but the principle applies to broader factions as well.

“Then, it sounds like Paul thought that divisions were a good thing?”

No. No. He wasn’t commending the Corinthians for their factious spirit—rather he condemned it. But, at the same time, he made it clear that, sometimes, something wrong can be necessary to produce something right.

“Sounds fishy to me—please explain.”

In order to determine who is right, issues must often come to a head. They can’t—shouldn’t be—ignored when truth is at stake. Now, we’re not talking about mere differences of opinion, but whether God’s truth and His work is at stake. Whether or not such matters as the Gospel are up for grabs. That sort of problem often results in division.

At least, when the division occurs, issues—often swept under the rug for years—surface. If they are of importance, they ought to be brought to light so that people can become aware of, and avoid, any heresy that exists. In the recent Episcopal division, for instance, liberalism, and even the ordination of so-called “gays,” became visible to the public.

“Hmmmmm. I think I see. But I don’t like it.”

Neither do I. But we live in a world of sin—and that means much that we don’t like will take place.

“Guess you’re right.”

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 Denominations appeared first on Institute for Nouthetic Studies | Biblical Counseling.

Sure, but you can always put a rubber gasket in it if the problem is with the hose.”

Exactly. If the problem is with the hose, deal with it. But if the spigot leaks, well . . . that’s another story.

If the spigot leaks; you may need to replace it or move the hose.

If there’s a leak in your spiritual life, then fix it by inserting the gasket of repentance. If the spigot leaks, then you may need to get a new one.

“How do I do that?”

Perhaps you’re hooked up to the wrong spigot. If so, you’ll end up with a mess if you continue to use it. And, in the meanwhile, like those plants, you may dry up spiritually.

“What faucet would be a leaky one?”

Any that isn’t attached to the Source of truth.

“But what does replacing it mean?”

Move the spigot in the pulpit, or remove the hose.

Changing churches if the truth is leaking out of the pulpit of the one you attend. It’s no virtue to be “true” to a church that fails to deliver the spiritual water of life, Christian. A liberal church delivers polluted water out of a rusty spigot, and the little bit of truth that you receive is so infinitesimal and so thoroughly mixed with rust that it won’t help  you. What you need is a steady, continual flow of pure, spiritual water.
“Sure, but our family’s always been members of our church.”

Look at them with a careful eye—what has it done for them? How much do they know of God’s Word? What spiritual benefits have they received over the years? Make a careful assessment; then make a good decision.

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 If the Hose Leaks, Fix It! appeared first on Institute for Nouthetic Studies | Biblical Counseling.

Every age is uncertain in many respects, but there have been times when things were nailed down much more tightly. The financial situation is precarious. The political area is quite iffy. And, what seems to be true of the church is that everything is up for grabs.

The political and economic arenas are important, but nowhere near as important as the religious.

Now, many Christians would say that what happens in the world out there (notice my wording) is of vital importance to the church. Of course, it is important, but I am sure in God’s eyes what happens in and to His people is far more so. And, indeed, what occurs within the church has far more impact on the culture than anyone realizes.

The culture largely reveals the state of the church. That is, because even when the church fails to realize it, the culture is an accurate barometer that indicates the extent of the church’s ability to affect it.

A church as unstable as the one that we see around us is quite clearly mirrored in the culture’s increasing growth toward anarchy. When the home goes, society follows the lead. There is extreme instability there—even in believing circles. When the church fails, the home fails; when the home fails, the church suffers. The effect, once underway, is cyclical.

To put it simply, things are in a mess, and there are few signs that their downward trend will be reversed.

God can do wonders—even with a society like ours. Of course. But we have no reason to think that He will when the church goes on blithely ignoring its culpable frailty and sinful ineffectiveness. It is time for us to awaken, to call for God’s mercy and help, to stop living like the world, and to start living like we know we should.

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 The World and the Church appeared first on Institute for Nouthetic Studies | Biblical Counseling.

We are always hearing of all sorts of organizations beginning that hope to carry on the work of Christ—some may be legitimate; others surely are not. It is the church that Jesus Christ built to carry out His will and do His work; of that, we can be certain.

But what is the church?

The Greek, New Testament word translated, “church” is ekklesia (from which English words such as “ecclesiastical” come). It is a compound term composed of ek = “out of” and “kaleo” = “to call.” That means the church is a body of “called out persons.”

But what does that mean?

The word goes back to the Greek city-states which were composed of three sorts of persons: citizens; freedmen; slaves. The slaves and freedmen made up the bulk of the population. These cities were little democracies each having its own constitutions, rules, etc. They were true democracies, rather than representative bodies. That means that every citizen could vote on every issue that arose. When a city meeting was called for, the citizens gathered, heard speeches, and then dropped a stone into a pitcher indicating their votes (black stones = “no”; white stones = “yes”). Only citizens could vote.

Whenever a vote was imminent, the “herald” would go about the city shouting the fact that a vote was to be taken. In that way, out of the mass of people in the city, the citizens were called out and from the general populace to gather and cast their vote.

So, the picture of the herald, going forth to call out from the world those who would believe the Gospel lays behind the idea of the church as composed of the “called out ones” who are called out to transact God’s business. As people believe the Gospel preached by Christ’s heralds (preachers), they become part of those whose “citizenship is in heaven” (Philippians 3:20), the church.

Have you heard the call to faith in Jesus Christ? Are you a citizen of heaven? If not, turn to one of our previously archived blog articles on how to be saved. Then read, repent, believe, and become one.

Be sure to visit our online bookstore for all your biblical counseling resource needs: insbookstore.com
For biblical counseling training, check out our list of online courses here: INS Courses 

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

Cursed is the one who does the Lord’s business deceitfully.
Jeremiah 48:10 (HCSB)

That was true then; it is true now. The footnote in Holman for “deceitfully” is “negligently.” Whether the better rendering is the former or the latter is not significant. The point is that business done before the Lord (or in His Name) that is done wrongly is sin, and He will not put up with it.

How much business is done in God’s Name today! The church—and religious organizations in general—are deeply involved in money-making activities. But careless, sloppy or deceitful methods cannot withstand His perusal. How His people handle His money in transactions of various sorts is a matter of concern to God.

In III John, it is clear that missionaries “took nothing of the Gentiles [the unsaved to whom they preached] for the sake of the Name.” How Christians deal with funds is of importance to the spread of the truth. Here were men who went out to offer the Gospel feely to the lost. They, therefore, rightly refused to raise their support among the unsaved to whom they preached. That decision was highly commended in the book.

In addition, John encourages His people to financially support such men so that they would not have to sully the Lord’s Name by seeking funds from the unsaved.

The passage in Jeremiah may or may not have to do with money alone. It probably has to do with carrying on the Lord’s activities—of whatever sort they may be. In either case, they must be done conscientiously, not slovenly, nor as “sharp” traders and businessmen. As Christians, all of our business is also the Lord’s “business” since we represent Him in all that we do. So, His condemnation of those who do not take care to do business as it should be done should be of importance to all of us.

Believer, take note. Counselor—is there something here for you to think about when counseling Christians?

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