The biblical usage of the word translated “saved” is precisely the same as ours. A newspaper headline that reads “Child Saved From Drowning,” means he was rescued. To be saved is to be rescued—rescued from sin and its consequences. “All have sinned and come short of the glory of God” (that’s what Romans 3:23 has to say about everyone, including you). When God saves someone He rescues him from the penalty of sin, which is eternal punishment in hell. He also gradually rescues him from the power of sin in this life. And, ultimately, He rescues him from the very presence of sin by taking him to heaven. That is what it means to be saved.

But, it is of the greatest importance to know how to be saved. About this matter, as I have already indicated, there is no unanimity. What does the Bible say?

In Acts 16:31, in response to the question, “What must I do to be saved?” Paul answered, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved and your house.” Salvation is received by faith. When Scripture says that you must believe “on” (or “in,” or “upon”) Jesus Christ, it is talking about something more than mere assent. The Bible is clearly saying that you must depend upon Jesus Christ. But, what does that mean? It means that you must entrust your entire life, here and hereafter, to Him. It means that you must depend wholly upon what He has done, to be saved.

But what has He done in order to save? Jesus Christ died on the cross, bearing the punishment that was due to all who throughout the ages will believe on Him. He rose from the dead, giving evidence that God accepted His penal, vicarious sacrifice. The wrath of God fell on Him instead of them. All who trust Him as Savior have their sins forgiven. This is the “good news” that the apostles proclaimed around the Mediterranean world and that you are now learning in this blog. If you depend upon the saving work of Christ on the cross you will be saved.

Notice, the “gospel” is good news to be believed; not good deeds to be done. News has to do with something that has already happened; not with something yet to be done. You cannot be saved by depending upon your good works, on ceremonies like baptism, or church membership. Nothing you have done or ever could do will save you. You must look away from yourself and others and look in faith to Christ alone. It is depending on the Lord Jesus Christ alone that saves. You cannot be saved by some vague invitation to “come forward,” or to “let Jesus come into your heart.” There must be an understanding of the good news that Christ died on the cross for guilty, condemned sinners like you, and a willingness to depend on His death and resurrection to save you from your sin.

And, in trusting Christ as Savior, you must be willing to admit that you are a sinner. When the Bible says that you “have sinned and come short of the glory of God,” it means that, apart from God’s forgiveness, there is no way in which you can have eternal life. He will not allow unforgiven sinners to live in His perfect heaven. You must change your mind about yourself (apart from Christ you are unacceptable to God), about God (He is not a Santa Claus who accepts all into heaven) and about Christ (He isn’t just a great man; He is God come into the human race to save sinners).

Is God at work, convicting you of your sin and the need for a Savior? Then repent, change your mind; submit yourself to Jesus Christ and He will make you a new person and change the direction of your life. Trust Christ today.

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 Does It Mean to be Saved? appeared first on Institute for Nouthetic Studies | Biblical Counseling.

You guide me with Your counsel, And afterwards, you will take me up in glory.   Psalm 72:10

What a way to live life! Here and hereafter to live with God’s counsel and His Person.

Do you know Christ as your Savior? If not, whose counsel do you follow here; where will you go hereafter?

I urge you to think about that counsel now—it is found only in the Scriptures. But it leads to eternal life hereafter with God in glory. Glory is the splendor that surrounds Him and all that belongs to Him. Don’t you want to be a part of that glorious place where there is no sin or its ill effects? Where there is no sickness, misery of any kind or death?

If you don’t know how to be saved, check out some of our earlier blogs that explain the way of salvation and believe!

Check out our online course, The Use of Scripture in Counseling, taught by Jay Adams!

1. What to do on Thursday
2. The Christian’s Guide to Guidance 
3. A Call for Discernment

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 Here and There appeared first on Institute for Nouthetic Studies | Biblical Counseling.

For My people have committed a double evil:
They have abandoned Me, the Fountain of living water, And . . .
Dug cisterns for themselves—cracked cisterns that cannot hold water.     Jeremiah 2: 11

If only those who are thirsty because they can’t find any water in their dry cisterns would recognize the reason for their dilemma, they might turn in repentance and drink freely of God’s living water! The trouble is that whenever you reject God, you always turn to an inadequate substitute. But too often this is not recognized so people try to get water from a cracked cistern!

Are you dying of thirst spiritually? Don’t know why? Consider the Lord’s words through Jeremiah, His prophet.  It’s likely that they will apply and explain your problem. I urge you to consider the possibility.

How to return?

By recognizing your problem, confessing your sin off substituting another way for God’s, and turning to Jesus Christ as Savior.

How do you turn to Him?

By trusting Him as the One Who died for the sins of all those who put their faith in  Him.  He is the Risen One Who will someday raise all who do to live with Him in the heavenly city that He plans to bring down to earth—a city in which you will never thirst again!

Check out our online course, The Use of Scripture in Counseling, taught by Jay Adams!

1. What to do on Thursday
2. The Christian’s Guide to Guidance 
3. A Call for Discernment

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 It Works Both Ways appeared first on Institute for Nouthetic Studies | Biblical Counseling.

The Fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.”      (Psalm 14:1).

How do we know that he is a fool?

Simple. A fool speaks as if he has the answer to a question to which he cannot have an answer. No man knows enough to make that statement. You would have to be everywhere at the same time to reach that conclusion. Otherwise, God might be just one jump ahead of him.

But to be everywhere at once is to be God! And the strangest part of it is that he isn’t just boasting, showing off or something. He believes it—partially, at least—and is trying to fully convince himself that it is really true.

Say, fool—will you come to your senses? When you do, it is time to find out about the Salvation that is in Christ Jesus. If you need help, let us know.

Check out our online course, The Use of Scripture in Counseling, taught by Jay Adams!

1. The Christian Counselor’s New Testament and Proverbs
2. What to do on Thursday
3. How to Help People Change

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

Ten lepers were cleansed of leprosy because they obeyed. But the obedience of nine was evidently self-centered. Only one returned to thank Jesus and praise God for his healing—and “He was a Samaritan.” The thoughtlessness of forgiven sinners is often similar to this incident. Christians, like these Jews, are happy to be saved, but then take their salvation more or less for granted. The Jews considered themselves God’s people and, perhaps, had the idea that they were entitled to God’s goodness. The Samaritan recognized that he was not. Actually, neither Jew, nor Gentile, nor Samaritan deserves anything from God—all is of grace for all who receive it. Are you truly grateful for your salvation? Do you take the time to return to Jesus and praise God for it? Or, having been saved, do you just run off to show yourself to the priests! Of course, there are no priests today—but gratitude is still in order!

Now thank we all our God
with heart and hands and voices,
who wondrous things hath done,
in whom his world rejoices;
who from our mothers’ arms,
hath blessed us on our way …

From Jay E. Adams, Day by Day Along the Way, 109.

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 Where Are the Nine? appeared first on Institute for Nouthetic Studies | Biblical Counseling.

He took the lead as He went up to Jerusalem. (Lk. 19:28 CCNT/P)

It was not one of the disciples—not even hasty, impulsive Peter; it was the Lord Himself for took the lead as they headed for the cross! He did not hesitate to do what He had come to do: die for guilty sinners who could be forgiven only by faith in His substitutionary, sacrificial act. He come to lead many sons to glory!

How like the Lord! We do not (indeed, could not) take the initiative: He must do so—even today when the application of His work on Calvary is applied to us by faith! We do not choose Him; He chose us! Even the faith by which we receive His gift of eternal life is a “gift” (Eph. 2:8,9).

We were dead in trespasses and sins; He gave us life to believe.

Because eternal life is a free gift, and not a payment for effort on our part, you can become one of those who receives it. Repent of your sin and trust in Christ as the One Who died for you, paying the penalty for your sin, and you will receive the gift! Reach out your hand of faith and He will immediately place the gift in it!

The post Who Was It Who Went Ahead? appeared first on Institute for Nouthetic Studies | Biblical Counseling.

If you are wondering—read again 2 Cor. 12:2 where Paul, speaking in the third person of himself, contemplates such a possibility.

But the genuine possibility of an OBE isn’t the important thing. What is interesting is that he speaks as well of going to paradise (the third heaven) during the experience (whatever kind it was: in or out of the body). That is where Jesus told the believing thief on the cross he would be together with him at death—that very day.

So, the real question is: if you were to die today, where would your spirit be: in paradise or in gehenna (the place of punishment)? Upon death all go to hades (hades means the “unseen world” in which both places exist). But only those who have been saved enter paradise .

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