BCTC Lesson: How Gospel Distinctives Shape our Counseling

As some of you know, I attended a Biblical Counseling Training Conference (BCTC) at Faith Church in Lafayette, IN. As my roommate so poignantly stated, I have a love/hate relationship with conferences. I love to learn, I hate to sit; conferences have an excess of both! For your benefit in hearing, and mine in processing; I've decided to share some lessons I learned from my favorite session, presented by Dr. John Henderson, a counseling pastor in Denton, TX. This lesson (as you can tell from the post title) is all about how the Gospel influences us as persons, and what keys we can listen for in persons telling us their life story. Though the title emphasizes counseling, I found this to be most helpful personally, as an evaluation tool; rather than professionally, as a counseling tool. You can make your own decision on that. 

Here's the outline, and my thoughts/notes for each.

1) the MOTIVATION that compels us (the "why" of what we do)
*= my own additions

a. because Jesus loves me.... not... so that He will love me. 

"For the love of Christ controls [arrests, infects, seizes, constrains] us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; 15 and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised."

-2 Cor. 5:14-15 (ESV)

b. To His glory... not... to my glory.

"So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory [esteem, opinion, consideration, honor, brightening or revelation] of God."

-1 Cor. 10:31

"He must increase; I must decrease."

-John 3:30

c*. Because He gives me what I need... not... so that I get everything I want.

d*. Because God works best when I don't... not... to avoid/relieve pain.

e*. Because I love Him... not... because I feel like I have to.

2). The POWER that strengthens us ("how" we do what we do)

a. The Holy Spirit... not.. human power

b*. Salvation

"But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us,  even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus."

-Eph. 2:4-7

c*. Prayer

d*. Obedience/Faithfulness

"Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him"

-John 3:36

e*. Rest

"I do not occupy myself with things too great and too marvelous for me. But I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child is my soul within me."

-Psalm 131:1b-2

Notable Quote: "When something needs to change, it's the gospel that changes it."

-Henderson.

3) The GROUND we stand upon (what are we looking at and drawing from?)

a. Grace... not... Law

"For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love."

-Galations 5:6

b. Faith... not... works (works is the breeding ground for slavery)

c*. Delight... not... obligation (see section 1, point e*)

d*. Mercy... not... fear of wrath

-Think of the Story of Cain, how God gave Him so much mercy, yet Cain was motivated by a fear of wrath (running away, not wanting to be killed; though he had just murdered).

e*. Justification... not.. earnings

f*. confidence in what God has done... not.. pride in what we can do. (similar to faith vs. works)

g*. gratitude... not... grumbling.

"Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast to the word of life."

-Phil. 2:14-16a

Notable Quote: "If you could see the face of God, what would be his expression toward you?" -Henderson

4). The Transformation (which areas does the problem affect and the solution address?)

a. the Heart... not the hands (behavior).

"Keep your heart with all vigilance,

    for from it flow the springs of life."

-Prov. 4:23

*personal vendetta: when people emphasize the translation, "for from it flow the 'issues' of life." The word "springs" just means an "extremity" or "exit" or "source" or "border," (according to the NAS Hebrew Concordance). So, while we know the heart is desperately wicked, and it does influence behavior (see Jer. 17:9 and Luke 6:45), I don't think we can be quite so bold as to say the "issues" of life undoubtedly stem from a "condition of the heart" (e.g., suffering/tragedy). 

b. inner devotion/man... not outer performance (clean the inside, not the outside, of the cup)

"So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day."

-2 Cor. 4:16

Notable Quote: "healing is and 'every moment' issue, not an 'event only' issue." -Henderson

5) The ENVIRONMENT in which transformation happens (i.e., surroundings and circumstances)

a. in the body of Christ... not.. in isolated, academic discipline

"Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love."

-Eph. 4:15-16

*basically, this is the idea of "independence" vs "dependence." God did not design as self-sustaining organisms. In fact, the enemy of the Gospel is self-righteousness. Amazingly, even God, Himself, has incorporated community into His own being (the Trinity). God has never been alone, and He doesn't intend for us to be. This is also where humility and confession come into play in the process of change. 

6) The PERSON we fix upon (who do we give preeminence; who do we admire/admonish/worship)

a. Jesus Christ... not... self (there's a shocker). 

"And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit." 

-2 Cor. 3:18

*Christ is the mirror, and the Holy Spirit helps us find and change how we differ from His image

"Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears[a] we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure."

-1 John 3:2-3

Notable Quote: "The very act of gazing at Jesus purifies us. That, not our discipline, is the means by which we change."

Well, that's it. Like I said, I found it to be helpful in personal evaluation, but I'm not exactly sure when and how I would apply it in a counseling situation. I know how to apply it in a mentoring situation.... I don't have either yet, so there's still time to ponder.