The gospel and counseling

In the three weeks we have been in the Adirondacks, we have had the wonderful opportunity to slow down and rest. Marveling at the beauty of these mountains while hiking has itself been a means of God's grace for us. Michelle has already read four books, and if I could ever finish The Death of Death I would also have read four. The people of Adirondack Bible Chapel have been overwhelmingly generous and welcoming, and the staff have been generous with their time in meeting with us for encouragement and counseling.

During our time here I have been reflecting on the relationship between the gospel and counseling. I have long been convinced of the sufficiency of Scripture in the context of Christian community to bring healing and maturity (Deut 8:3; Ps 119: 97-104; Eph 4:7-16; 2 Tim 3:14-17; 2 Pet 1:3-4). But this is a conviction that ministries such as CCEF have been exploring and developing far longer than I. So I have no new or profound insights to offer.

But this central conviction has deepened: whatever the struggle for which the child of God seeks counsel, if the gospel is not central to the solution offered, then it is not a real solution. If the cross is not allowed to critique us and show that we are much worse sinners than we ever thought; if the Savior's death is not presented as the Father's final word about our guilt, forgiveness, and adoption; if the power of the resurrection does not form the foundation of our hope for a transformed life; if the risen Christ is not the reason for our confidence and His Spirit not the source of our power; if the Word of God is not our final measuring line; if God's glory reflected in Christlike character is not our goal -- if those things are not present, then counseling cannot properly be called Christian, no matter what the counselor and the one counseled may profess as their creed, no matter what methodology is applied, no matter how many Bible verses get batted about.

The gospel is my only hope. It does not merely make solutions possible -- it is the solution. It is not a first step on the path to wholeness -- it is the means of wholeness. I must constantly relearn such lessons, consistently preach this gospel to myself, and frequently be reoriented away from other "solutions" to God's solution. I need the cross and the empty tomb -- or rather I need the One who died on the cross and walked away from the tomb who purchased God's grace for me.