Grace Dependent

I received recently a wonderful package that I would encourage any pastor, counselor or lay leader to invest in.  Dr. Robert Kellemen has four books that I think will be key in anyone’s counseling ministry: Soul Physicians, Spiritual Friends, Beyond the Suffering and Sacred Friendships.  I am just now reading Soul Physicians and would like to blog my notes or items of interest from each chapter.  Below you will find points of interest from chapter 1.  (they may appear quite random apart from the context in which they are found)

Chapter One: The Soul Physician’s Desk Reference Manual:

• God’s Word is the “Soul Physician’s Desk Reference Manual”.  We use it to “nourish hungry souls”. In it God tells His story, describing life as a war and a wedding:
  • Life is a war in that God has called us to die daily.
  • Life is a wedding in that Christ has called us to love intimately.
• As “soul physicians”, we must master 3 “core counselor competencies” in using the Bible:
  • Trialogues – the counselor, counselee and the Holy Spirit interact via God’s Word
  • Spiritual Conversations – the counselor and counselee explore how biblical principles relate to daily life
  • Scriptural Explorations – the counselor and counselee explore the relevance and application of specific passages
• The quote below impacted me in a great way:
  • “At times we mistakenly counsel Christians as if they were non-Christians.  We view our clients or parishoners only through the lens of depravity.  This is like a heart surgeon transplanting a perfectly healthy heart into her patient, but then treating the patient as if he still has the old heart in his chest.  We are new creations with new nature: regeneration and redemption.  God has implanted a new heart into the core of our being with new power to live godly lives.  We have a new nuture: reconciliation and justification.  Christ provides a new relationship of complete acceptance with God and freedom from condemnation.  We are cleansed and forgiven.” (p.21)
• Every non-biological problem is a grace-deficiency problem.
  • Interesting thought there!
• Soul Care: The evils we have suffered
  • Sustaining: “It’s normal to hurt”
  • Healing: “It’s possible to hope”
• Spiritual Direction: The sins we have committed
  
  • Reconciling: “It’s horrible to sin, but wonderful to be forgiven”
  • Guiding: “It’s supernatural to Mature”
• Load the conscience with guilt and lighten the conscience with grace.
  
  • Something to remember when counseling – especially self-counsel.

There were a great number of things to take note of while reading just this first chapter.  I urge Biblical Counselors everywhere to invest in these resources.

Filed under: Biblical Counseling, theology Tagged: | Biblical Counseling, Dr. Bob Kellemen, Gospel, Grace, NANC, RPM Ministries, theology