death Archives - Institute for Nouthetic Studies | Biblical Counseling

You Never Know

Jay Adams — Wed, 16 Jul 2025 05:00:48 +0000

I was talking to him about biblical matters the very last day he was conscious. That night he had an unexpected bout with pneumonia from which he never recovered. Today, one week and two days later, I read his obituary. One week—and he was gone!

Death is certain, but its time, place and circumstance are not. How important, then, that we take opportunities to remind others of the need and the way of salvation. I am grateful that the Lord gave me such an opportunity with Ernie.

Is there someone about whose eternal future you are not sure to whom you could speak? Why not take advantage of that opportunity? God may use it to bring someone to Christ.

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:

Competent to Counsel by Jay Adams
The Christian Counselor’s Manual by Jay Adams
How to Help People Change by Jay Adams
The Use of Scripture in Counseling by Jay Adams
Sanctification and Counseling by Jay Adams
Critical Stages in Biblical Counseling by Jay Adams
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

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Transformation—How?

Jay Adams — Wed, 30 Nov 2022 06:00:00 +0000

You know, we’re both going to die.

“That for sure! Unless, of course, Jesus returns beforehand, and changes us so that it isn’t necessary to die.”

Are you expecting that to happen in your case?

“Well, it could. I’m younger than you (sorry to have to bring up the point).”

No problem. I know how old I am; my body won’t let me forget it. But back to the subject—are you looking forward to the second coming as a way of escaping death?

“Well . . . sorta’”

Hmmmm. Are you looking forward to death if that’s what will happen instead?

“That’s a bit different.”

How come?

“Well . . . I’m not sure.”

Will the transition from life to larger life by death be any different?

“Dunno.”

In either case, you will be with the Lord. which Paul says is “far better. And Jesus told the thief that when they died they’d be together that very day in Paradise.

“Yea. You’re right. But I wouldn’t yet have my glorified body.”

Correct. But with or without a body, Paul said that in Paradise, which he equated with the third heaven, he heard all sorts of good stuff he couldn’t reveal (II Corinthians 12:4). Sounds like a great place to be while awaiting the resurrection of the body.

“Yeah. Suppose you’re right.”

Sure I am. Paul couldn’t wait to die, which he called “gain” (Philippians 1:21). Anyone you know who doesn’t like to gain something?

“Don’t think so. But what sort of gain will I get?”

We know very little about the intermediate state between death and the resurrection. We do know that it is called “heaven” and “paradise,” however, and that’s a pretty good indication that the gain will be pleasant. We know that we’ll be with Christ, which is wonderful. We know that we will leave the sorrows of sin behind. Sounds like we know all we need to know to strongly anticipate it.

“You’re right. The only difference then, between transformation at Christ’s coming and transformation at death has to do with the body, and with how we leave this present world. It’s not death I fear, but the deterioration of the body that often leads so it. If I go at the second coming, I might avoid some of that.”

That’s about all the difference.

“But I guess that too is one more opportunity to lay up treasures in heaven—if I handle suffering leading to death Christ’s way.”

Right you are. So if one is a Christian, one way or another, he has nothing to lose and everything to gain.

“Sounds great, either way!”

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:

Competent to Counsel by Jay Adams
The Christian Counselor’s Manual by Jay Adams
How to Help People Change by Jay Adams
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 Transformation—How? appeared first on Institute for Nouthetic Studies | Biblical Counseling.

The Death of a Christian

Jay Adams — Wed, 26 Jan 2022 02:00:22 +0000

There is a grief that is biblical (1 Thess. 4:13), but it is different from that of the unbeliever. Why?

Well, first of all, the believer who died has gained by his death (2 Cor 5), because he is now with Christ which is far better. Those believers he leaves behind grieve (he doesn’t), because they “lose” him. Grief has solely to do with those remaining behind—so they are sorry for themselves—that they no longer have his presence with them. But, unlike unbelievers, they know where he is and rejoice for him. At death (among believers), then, there is both gain and loss. Among unbelievers, there is nothing but loss– for both the dying and for those left behind. There is no gain for anyone. What a difference!

Moreover, for the believer and his believing dead loved one, there is nothing permanent about the loss; he will be with his loved one once more when he goes to be with the Lord.

So the fundamental difference has to do with gain and loss—but what a difference it is!

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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Tears Over Death

Jay Adams — Wed, 18 May 2011 05:00:20 +0000

“Jesus wept”—this is the shortest verse in the Bible (in the original it’s one word!). But about what did He weep? He wept when he arrived at Lazarus” tomb, because of his death. Yet, He knew that He was going to raise him from the dead. Indeed, He purposefully postponed His visit to Bethany until fours day had passed and there could be no question raised about the resuscitation of a person who had wrongly been thought to be dead. So why did He weep?

It also says that Jesus “groaned.” That’s connected with the weeping. Actually, the original word indicates that the groaning was in anger. That too adds information about what took place.

Jesus wept because he saw the sorrow that death occasioned in His close friends, Mary and Martha. There was no reason to weep over Lazarus himself. He was angry because of the effects of sin upon those He cared for. Jesus was not cold, impassionate, uncaring. Indeed, He cared so much that He was deeply affected by this death; that He allowed it to show openly. And He didn’t think that it was unmanly to do so.

Christians who have the strange idea that crying at a loved one’s death is somehow or other unspiritual are surely wrong. But, at the same time they can have full assurance that if the dying loved one was a Christian, things are actually better for him.

“What if you are a Christian and the one who died is not? How could you be happy in heaven if he’s not there?”

Surely you, too, will weep now. Perhaps, even more profoundly. But when you recognize that things are not better for him, you still will have the assurance that someday, when you go to be with the Lord, you will see things exactly as He does. You may not understand now, but because you will Have God’s perspective, you will be happy in heaven.

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