Comparison of Counseling Models

An episode of the Reformed Thinking podcast, hosted by Edison Wu, titled "Comparison of Counseling Models" was published on June 7, 2025 and runs 51 minutes.

June 7, 2025 ·51m · Reformed Thinking

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Summary

Deep Dive into Cornerstone by Jeremy Prayer - Comparison of Counseling ModelsBased on the sources, the core belief of biblical counseling and the purpose of Christian life stand in sharp contrast to secular approaches, representing God's way versus man's way.The central core belief is the sufficiency of God's Word. The Bible is considered the only true source of and authority for living and is completely adequate for addressing man's problems, specifically for salvation and sanctification. This contrasts with secular counseling which views the Bible as unnecessary, and integrated Christian counseling which believes secular theories must be utilized, thus denying the Bible's exclusive sufficiency.The fundamental problem of mankind is sin and the depravity of man. Man is seen as a creature created by God to glorify God, but is inherently rebellious and self-centered. Responsibility for problems lies with the individual who chooses to sin. Guilt is viewed as real and a direct result of sin. This is unlike secular models which attribute problems to external factors, internal conflicts, or limited thinking, and often dismiss guilt.The solution is repentance and belief in the gospel. Salvation and growth (sanctification) come only by faith in Christ and by grace in Christ, requiring the Holy Spirit working through the Word. Secular solutions are human-centered, focusing on self-awareness, environment, or inner potential.The ultimate purpose of the Christian life is to live for the glory of God. Consequently, the focus of biblical counseling and the Christian life is to deny self, leading to "less of me, more of God". This is a direct opposition to secular models that focus on liberating or exalting the self.Furthermore, every Christian is responsible for counseling one another using the Bible. This isn't solely for professionals but should be the culture of the church. Believers are to use the Word to teach, correct, train, and restore, pointing others to the Lord where the answer is found, not within themselves.Reformed Theologian GPT: https://chat.openai.com/g/g-XXwzX1gnv-reformed-theologianPatreon: patreon.com/edi_reformed

Episode Description

Deep Dive into Cornerstone by Jeremy Prayer - Comparison of Counseling Models

Based on the sources, the core belief of biblical counseling and the purpose of Christian life stand in sharp contrast to secular approaches, representing God's way versus man's way.

The central core belief is the sufficiency of God's Word. The Bible is considered the only true source of and authority for living and is completely adequate for addressing man's problems, specifically for salvation and sanctification. This contrasts with secular counseling which views the Bible as unnecessary, and integrated Christian counseling which believes secular theories must be utilized, thus denying the Bible's exclusive sufficiency.

The fundamental problem of mankind is sin and the depravity of man. Man is seen as a creature created by God to glorify God, but is inherently rebellious and self-centered. Responsibility for problems lies with the individual who chooses to sin. Guilt is viewed as real and a direct result of sin. This is unlike secular models which attribute problems to external factors, internal conflicts, or limited thinking, and often dismiss guilt.

The solution is repentance and belief in the gospel. Salvation and growth (sanctification) come only by faith in Christ and by grace in Christ, requiring the Holy Spirit working through the Word. Secular solutions are human-centered, focusing on self-awareness, environment, or inner potential.

The ultimate purpose of the Christian life is to live for the glory of God. Consequently, the focus of biblical counseling and the Christian life is to deny self, leading to "less of me, more of God". This is a direct opposition to secular models that focus on liberating or exalting the self.

Furthermore, every Christian is responsible for counseling one another using the Bible. This isn't solely for professionals but should be the culture of the church. Believers are to use the Word to teach, correct, train, and restore, pointing others to the Lord where the answer is found, not within themselves.

Reformed Theologian GPT: https://chat.openai.com/g/g-XXwzX1gnv-reformed-theologian

Patreon: patreon.com/edi_reformed