Sunday, November 23 – This devotional is picking up where we left off yesterday. If you haven’t read that devotional, please read it first. Again, this article is from Dr. George Crabb, MD. He is also the counseling professor at West Coast Baptist College.
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We know, however, that we are not competent to apply the wisdom of the Word in our own strength. Rather, we believe that both a genuine change of heart and transformation of lifestyle depend upon the ministry of the Holy Spirit (John 14:15–16:16; 2 Corinthians 3:17–18).
Biblical counselors know that it is impossible to speak wisely and lovingly to bring about true and lasting change apart from the decisive, compassionate, and convicting work of the Holy Spirit in the counselor and the counselee. We acknowledge the Holy Spirit as the One who illuminates our understanding of the Scriptures and empowers its application in everyday life. The Holy Spirit is the agent of change. We must have the involvement of the Holy Spirit in our counseling to develop Christlikeness in our counselee. Nothing of eternal value will transpire without the ministry of the Holy Spirit.
Wise biblical counselors serve in the truth that God reveals and by the strength that God supplies through His Holy Spirit. By the Holy Spirit’s work, God receives glory in all the good that takes place in people’s lives.
Biblical counselors affirm the absolute necessity of the work of the Holy Spirit to guide and empower the counselor, the counselee, and the counseling relationship. Dependent prayer is essential to the work of biblical counseling (Ephesians 6:18–20). Wise biblical counselors humbly request God’s intervention and direction, praise God for His work in people’s lives, and intercede for people to experience genuine life change to the glory of God (Philippians 4:6).
The Holy Spirit leads through the public ministry of the preaching of God’s Word. He transforms lives through the gospel and the new birth, and He has designed biblical preaching as an agent of change in the hearts of His people (1 Corinthians 1:21, Romans 10:17). The preaching of the Bible is a verbal, authoritative proclamation of God’s Word, which has an appeal for response—a changed life. For these reasons, preaching the Bible is one of the primary responsibilities of the pastor, and hearing preaching in a local church context is a necessity for growing Christians (2 Timothy 4:1–2).
The Holy Spirit also leads through the private ministry of biblical counseling. The Holy Spirit uses biblical counseling to teach the counselee how to apply Scripture to their life circumstances, to exhort the counselee, and at times to confront and rebuke when necessary. In our counseling, we ought not to rely on our own wisdom or ingenuity but on the leadership and guidance of the Holy Spirit. Our sufficiency is not in ourselves but in our God and His Word (2 Corinthians 3:5).
Furthermore, the Holy Spirit works in the counselee’s life to bring conviction as needed (John 16:8–11). As the Holy Spirit convicts, He also extends His grace that the counselee might respond in humility. “But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble” (James 4:6).
However, the Holy Spirit not only works in the counselee’s life, He also works in the counselor’s life in many ways. First, the Holy Spirit gives the ability to actively listen, which is of foundational importance in establishing a meaningful relationship. Again, in the book of James, we read, “Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath” (James 1:19). Second, the Holy Spirit gives insight and understanding so proper application of the Scriptures may be applied to the counselee’s life. Finally, the Holy Spirit indwells us, prompts us, and empowers us to walk in the Spirit so that our lives manifest the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22–23).
If we wish to make a difference in the lives of those we counsel, we need absolute dependence on the Word and work of the Holy Spirit.
“Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.” (Romans 15:13)
https://ministry127.com/the-word-and-work-of-the-holy-spirit-in-biblical-counseling
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