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

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For biblical counseling training, check out our list of INS Online Courses.

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

Perhaps you’ve never thought much about it, but what does it mean to be a Jew? According to Romans 2:29, being a Jew is an inward thing, and all who have trusted Christ are the true Jews in God’s sight. Take a look at the passage sometime.

Perhaps as vividly as any other verse, this teaches that God looks at the inner person, when evaluating people, rather than the outer.

In the Bible, the distinction is that the word, “Jew” eventually became a religious term, it never was an ethnic one. Originally, the word “Jew” was a corruption of “Judah.” The ethnic term isn’t “Jew,” as many think, but the ethnic word is “Hebrew.” So a Jew is one who is a Jew inwardly, Paul (himself, a Hebrew) said.

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 Who Is a Jew? appeared first on Institute for Nouthetic Studies | Biblical Counseling.

Counseling is not a science; it’s an art. In biblical terms, that means it is a function of divine wisdom. It does not conflict with true science, but reaches beyond science into venues about which the latter has no competence to speak.

In the wisdom literature of Scripture, truth is set forth in life-experiences. In Proverbs, for example, you will find principles pictured in pithy, portable form. In Job, there is high drama through controversy between failed counselors, a counselee, and the divine Counselor. In Ecclesiastes, short sections coupled with briefer portions comprise a book that demonstrates that life is impermanent (the proper translation of the word “vanity” as it is found in the KJV).

So, if you are looking for me to spell out what counseling is, let me say that these biblical books, not to disparage the rest, plainly point to a working definition. In simple terms, Nouthetic counseling is the wise application of biblical truth to persons who have experienced a breakdown of the normal, sanctification process, in order to remove the various causes of the breakdown while, at the same time, endeavoring to help them seize upon the breakdown as an opportunity to achieve greater spiritual growth.

In this descriptive definition three major factors stand out:

1. Nouthetic counseling is the wise application of biblical truth to persons whose lives dishonor God through the cessation (or slowing) of the progress of sanctification.
2. Nouthetic counseling functions so as to reinstitute the normal process of Christian sanctification in the counselee.
3. Nouthetic counseling seeks, in addition, to capitalize upon overcoming hindrances to spiritual growth by using the opportunity to promote greater ongoing growth.

And, it must always be remembered that, at every point, it is through the Holy Spirit Who, in accordance with Philippians 2:13, gives to obedient counselors and counselees both the willingness and the ability to do those things that please God, that all is achieved.

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 is Christian Counseling? appeared first on Institute for Nouthetic Studies | Biblical Counseling.

“What is the meaning of that title?”

Well, no one is quite sure how it came about. The name just appears in Acts without explanation. As you can see, no point is made about it in the passages above. But many think it came from the words of Jesus When He said, “I am the way, the truth and the life” (John 14: 3).

“But, if it came from that verse, what about the other two items—truth and life? ”

That’s a good question, but remember, Jesus went on to say, “Nobody comes to the Father except by Me” (6). And these words all occur in a discussion of the “way” to the place that Jesus was preparing for His followers (v.3). So, it’s quite likely that John 14 is the source of the name.

“OK. I can see that. But, then, our faith would be described, fundamentally, as the way to eternal life or something similar.”

Right. And that wouldn’t be inaccurate. Surely the apostles who later on it seems dropped it, didn’t do so because they thought it was inaccurate. Luke, in Acts, freely described the faith by the term. It is a highly expressive title for our faith. Indeed, it might be interesting to revive it at times in certain circles to get people to think more about a prime objective of Christianity.

“Did the church eventually reject it or substitute the name “Christian” for it?”

There’s no record of its being rejected. It seems that the name “Christian,” in time, became the more popular designation, and the earlier designation just faded out.

“Then, there wouldn’t be anything wrong with using it?”

Not so long as you explained what it means. Otherwise, people might think you were describing some cult (there once was one that went by that name).

“Interesting.”

Quite. I kinda’ like the title. Wish it were more widely known, appreciated, and used.

“Me too.”

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

But people at times are like that too. They get into all sorts of situations that they should avoid for a variety of reasons, and then, find themselves trapped as truly as that meddlesome cat.

Christians should keep themselves so busy in the Lord’s work that they have little time to get involved in all sorts of circumstances that can do them nothing but harm.

There is a certain “curiosity factor” about sin. Sin attracts because it offers opportunities for exploring the previously unknown. And it often adds to that element an even more serious attraction—the possibility of participating in that which has been forbidden. That’s a bit of what Paul was talking about in Romans 7:8—the law itself producing a desire to break it.

Ever see a WET PAINT sign—and want to touch it? A NO TRESPASSING sign and want to enter anyway? The NO FISHING sign is another. That’s sort of the idea.

It is no business of the Christian to be poking his nose into every nook and cranny of sin-just to see what it’s like, of course—no thought of indulging. Yeah—right!

In Revelation 2:24, we read about those in the church of Thyatira who became entangled in the “deep things of Satan.” Hmmmm. Don’tcha wonder how that happened? Curiosity? Pushing the envelope?

Proverbs 22:3 reads, “A sensible person sees danger and takes cover, but the inexperienced keep going and are punished.” Just so. Stop before it’s too late—take cover or, better still, don’t even let your curiosity get the better of yourself to begin with.

Books related to handling trouble:

1. How to Handle Trouble by Jay Adams
2. Competent to Counsel by Jay Adams
3. The Christian Counselor’s Manual by Jay Adams

Check out our online course, Counseling Problems taught by Donn Arms!

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 Cats and Christians appeared first on Institute for Nouthetic Studies | Biblical Counseling.