Skip to main content

A Theology of Biblical Counseling






A Theology of Biblical Counseling by Heath Lambert

Dispensing wisdom, giving good advice, listening to a friend in need, these are all situations where we are all counseling, so says Heath Lambert in his new book, A Theology of Biblical Counseling.  Heath, no stranger to counseling, The difference for Heath in his book is this, “Every vision of reality about counseling with be theological.  The only question is whether a counselor adopts a theological vision of reality that God believes is faithful – or unfaithful (17).”  This kind of counseling vision is what steers every part of this book, and steers people toward Christ and His Word.

In the second chapter, Heath offers a distinction between those who see the Scriptures as necessary for counseling but not enough.  He writes, “They often thing that the Bible is necessary for people who need counseling, but even then do not believe the Bible is enough.  They think the Bible is a book about how to get saved and walk with Jesus but is not focused on offering insight to the most serious counseling topics (38).”  This kind of difference is what leads Heath to really delve into the Scriptures, especially Psalm 55 with Trenyan, a young woman dealing with anger, the failure of her parents, and deep wounds.  He writes, “It was so encouraging for her to know that there were words in the Bible that gave expression to her sorrow (62).” 

Beautifully, Heath sets to expression what I have thinking about for years, namely the powerful work of the Holy Spirit in the lives of people.  He writes, “For counseling to be successful, the Holy Spirit must take the words of our biblical counsel and press them into the hearts of people, convicting them in a way only people can (163).”  Conviction and judgment will reap good harvests as the Spirit does the work of changing the heart of the people we counsel.  Further, Heath makes a good distinction later in the chapter that is worth mentioning concerning the filling of the Spirit.  He writes, “I believe Paul is not asking us to seek more and more of the Spirit, but rather is asking us to depend on the Spirit more and more like Christ (171).”  The goal is in concert with a Trinitarian view of God, as we depend more on the Spirit our we are made more into the likeness of Christ, thereby obeying God the Father and his will.  Lastly, Heath gives the reader a very good admonition when counseling fails, such that we pray to God the Holy Spirit for direction, wisdom, and a powerful working in the lives of those we meet in the counseling chair each day.


Thanks to Cross Focused Reviews and Zondervan for the copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Rise of the Modern Self by Carl Trueman

  The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self by Carl Trueman Navigating the culture that we take up residence in, with its laser focus on sexual identity, tolerance, and an individualism that raises its head at every corner, Christians need a robust account of how we got to this point in our Western culture without retreating to our churches nor morphing with the latest trends.   Carl Trueman, professor of religion and theology at Grove City College, brings his keen historical research to bear on this issue in his new book, The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self.   Part historical survey and philosophical analysis, Dr. Trueman traces the trajectories of key thinkers such as Rousseau, Freud, and Marx, while also incorporating the insights of Charles Taylor and Phillip Rieff to form a cogent argument as to how we got to this point in our history, both in our expressive individualism and sexual freedom outlooks.   The book is surprisingly insightful and yet demands from the reader the pa
Post a Comment
Read more

The Conditioned Mind

The Conditioned Mind: Overcoming the Crippling Effects of Sin and Guilt by Michael J. Mannia Counselor and author Michael J. Mannia knows firsthand how the spiraling of sin and guilt can eat away at life.  His new book, The Conditioned Mind, is a look into how believers can overcome the effects of sin and guilt and live in the freedom that we have in Christ.  Through a careful look into the patterns that we develop and the mindsets that we get ingrained in, Michael is able to offer ways through guilt that bring freedom and healing.  I think this is not only a timely but a book that aims toward bringing real healing to its readers. In the first chapter Michael looks at two needs that we have: our need for love and our need for security.  Love isn’t something optional for the human race, but something it needs at its core.  “Additionally, we need to reciprocate love.  We need to feel loved as much as we need to love others (8).”  Love is a two-way street that inv
Post a Comment
Read more

Passover and Jesus

The Messiah in the Passover , Edited by Darrell Bock and Mitch Glaser Why should Christians celebrate and remember the Passover?   This is a striking question that needs to be understood as well as the historical and theological context of the Passover.   However obscure we sometimes view the Old Testament, there is some significant reasons why we should reach back and study the Passover.   Mitch Glaser in the Introduction states, “When Christians celebrate the Passover, they grow in their understanding of the Old Testament, affirm the Jewishness of the Gospel, deepen our understanding of the Lord’s Supper, and build community with fellow Christians…” (20).   This book is answer to why celebrate the Passover but even more importantly an answer to what the Passover is and what it signifies to us today.   The various contributors of this book, Messiah in the Passover, bring a wealth of ministry experience in relating the Jewishness of both Jesus and the Old Testament to
Post a Comment
Read more