The Narrative of Relationship

How to Care Like Christ
Part V: The Narrative of Relationship

Blog Series Note: How to Care Like Christ equips lay people, pastors, and professional Christian counselors with the biblical knowledge and relational skills to change lives with Christ’s changeless truth.

Read the Bible as the Story of Relationship Initiated, Rejected, and Fought For: Genesis 1-3

If we are to use the Bible to nourish hungry souls, then we must hear the Bible’s story the way God tells it. And God tells it in story form, as a narrative of relationship. Over 75% of the Bible is narrative, and the rest of the Bible involves passionate psalms, wisdom applied to life, and personal letters to real people in real life situations and relationships. The Bible is 100% relational!

The Bible begins by telling the story of relationship initiated and rejected (Genesis 1-3). After those first three chapters, the rest of the Bible tells the story of God wooing us back to Him self, all the while fighting the Evil One who wants to seduce us away from our first love. Ever since Genesis 3, life is a battle for our love—the ageless question of who captures our heart—Christ or Satan.

Our biblical ministry is sterile and dead if we see the Bible as a textbook. But if we read and use the Bible as the story of the battle to win our hearts, then our counseling comes alive.

Relate God’s Truth to Human Relationships through Trialogues: Matthew 18:20

But what does this mean? Does dispensing God’s Word mean that we tell our counselees and parishioners to “take two Scriptures and call us in the morning”? Does it mean that life is so simple that it consists of a one-problem-one-verse-one-solution formula? No. Nor does it mean we make the Bible relevant. The Bible is relevant. We have to work hard to make it boring and irrelevant. We need to learn to use the Bible in relationally relevant ways.

Soul physicians do so by mastering the art of the trialogue. In a monologue, I talk to you, teach you, or preach to you. In a dialogue, the two of us converse back and forth. However, in a trialogue, you and I engage a third party in our interaction—the Holy Spirit by way of His inspired Word. “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them” (Matthew 18:20, KJV). Counseling is a powerful trialogue interaction about God’s Word between three people—a counselor, a counselee, and the Wonderful Counselor.

We take the specific issue the person is struggling against, and with them we explore together specific biblical passages and specific biblical principles that relate God’s truth to their life. In preaching (the pulpit ministry of the Word), we “bomb the shores.” It’s like a shotgun because we have to share in a monologue truth to 100s of different people. But in counseling (the personal ministry of the Word), we engage in “hand-to-hand combat.” It’s like a rifle because we can zero in with one person, talking back and forth about how our friend might apply various Scriptures and biblical principles to personal issues.

So What in Your Relationships? So What in Your Ministry?

So what? What difference should nourishing the hungry soul with God’s Word make? In how you live and in how you minister, what difference could it make if you:

*Feasted on and helped others to feast on God’s Word?

*Made truth and love kiss as you ministered to hurting and hardened people?

*Read and shared the Bible as the story of the battle for our hearts?

*Related God’s truth to human relationships through trialogues—personally relating truth to life?

The Rest of the Story

*Return tomorrow when we explore how to nourish the spiritual hunger of the soul.

*For the full story, feel free to visit: http://bit.ly/7vaE

Nourish the Hunger of the Soul

How to Care Like Christ
Part IV: Nourish the Hunger of the Soul

Blog Series Note: How to Care Like Christ equips lay people, pastors, and professional Christian counselors with the biblical knowledge and relational skills to change lives with Christ’s changeless truth.

Preventative Medicine—God’s Word (Matthew 4:4)

Doctoring the body does not begin with the treatment of illness, but with preventive maintenance of health. Knowing how to keep the body healthy requires that we understand what the body needs. What diet? What nutrients?

So it is with doctoring the soul. What does the soul need? What nutrients? Jesus reminds us in Matthew 4:4 that we do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God. Our souls need the Bread of Life, the Word of Life. What are the implications of this for biblical counseling?

Feast on the Word of God: Coram Deo Sola Scriptura—Colossians 2:3-10; 2 Peter 1:3

We nourish the Word-hunger of our soul by feasting on the Word of God. Martin Luther called this living coram Deo sola scriptura: face-to-face with God by Scripture alone. Deo is Latin for God; coram is Latin for in the presence of, face-to-face with, sola means alone, and Scriptura is Scripture. Luther used this phrase to illustrate that we live and breathe with reference to God every second in every situation. Luther perceived all of life as a story of personal encounter with God, that the deepest questions in the human soul are God questions, and that we find our deepest answers in God’s Word.

Paul sends the same message when he insists that in Christ are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Therefore, we must not let anyone take us captive through worldly philosophy which depends on human reason instead of upon Christ (Colossians 2:3-10). Peter echoes Paul when he reminds us that in Christ we have all things that pertain unto life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3). The Word of God is profound—it deeply addresses the real life issues of real people in a really messy world! That’s why biblical counselors join their spiritual friends in feasting on God’s Word for daily existence.

Make Truth and Love Kiss: Philippians 1:9-10; Ephesians 4:15; 1 Thessalonians 2:8

As we minister God’s Word to people’s suffering and sin, we must make truth and love kiss. We need to make Philippians 1:9-10 our spiritual friendship prayer. “And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best.”

Love is not enough. Truth is not enough. Love and truth must kiss. When our love abounds in depth of insight, we are able to discern what is best for our lives and for the lives of our spiritual friends.

Paul is excited. It is as if he says, “I’m praying that your love very much exceedingly spills over!” The word he uses for “abound” relates to the word used for the abundance remaining after Christ fed the 5,000. It speaks of liberality, lavishness, overabundance, and spoiling. Don’t you want to spoil others with Christ’s love?

You can if you do it in full knowledge and depth of insight. “Full knowledge” pictures noticing attentively, discerning, fully perceiving, observing, and discovering. That’s what God calls soul physicians to do: diligently dig to uncover the buried treasure of truth contained in God’s Word.

“Depth of insight” suggests the experiential use of wisdom—knowledge applied to life. Don’t you long to share Christ’s changeless truth to change people’s lives?

The Rest of the Story

*Return tomorrow when we explore how to nourish the spiritual hunger of the soul.

*For the full story, feel free to visit: http://bit.ly/7vaE

Free from Accusation

Who I Am To Christ, Part Five—Free from Accusation

Christ-Esteem: The world talks about “self-esteem.” But God’s Word teaches us about “Christ-esteem”—how God views us, sees us, accepts us, and loves us through Christ. Knowing how God relates to us because of our relationship to Christ is vital to glorifying God, defeating the lies of Satan, and ministering powerfully.

Note: Excerpted from Soul Physicians: http://bit.ly/7vaE

As you read the following summaries:

*Meditate on the verses and on the truth they share about you.

*Reject the lies of Satan about how God views you.

*Thank God for who you are to Christ.

*Select one verse/truth per day and specifically apply it to your life and relationships.

My Relationship to God through Christ

Colossians 1:21-22—Once alienated from God, Christ has reconciled me to God.

Colossians 1:22—I am free from accusation.

Colossians 3:12—I am one of God’s chosen people.

Colossians 3:12—I am dearly loved by Christ.

Colossians 3:13—I am forgiven by Christ.

1 Thessalonians 1:4; 2 Thessalonians 2:13—Together with all the saints, we are brothers and sisters loved by God.

1 Thessalonians 1:4—I am chosen by God.

2 Thessalonians 2:13—I was chosen to be saved.

2 Thessalonians 2:16—I am loved by God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Hebrews 2:12—Together with all believers, Christ calls me, “My brothers.”

Hebrews 3:1—Together with all believers, I am a holy brother/sister.

Hebrews 4:16—I may approach the throne of grace with confidence.

Hebrews 7:19—I have been drawn near to God.

Hebrews 8:12—The Father has forgiven my wickedness and remembers my sin no more.

Hebrews 9:6-14—I have a cleansed conscience: shalom.

Hebrews 9:15—I am guaranteed an eternal inheritance in Father’s forever family.

Hebrews 9:26—My sins have been done away with forever.

Hebrews 10:2—I no longer have to feel guilty because I am cleansed once for all.

Hebrews 10:17—My sins and lawless acts God remembers no more.

Hebrews 10:19—I have confidence to enter the most holy place of God’s holy presence.

Hebrews 10:22—I can draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance, having been cleansed of a guilty conscience.

1 Peter 2:6—I will never be put to shame.

1 Peter 3:18—Christ has brought me face-to-face with God.

1 Peter 3:21—I have a good, clear conscience before God.

1 John 3:1—God has lavished His love upon me.

1 John 3:1—How great is the love of God that He has called me, together with all Christians, “Children of God.”

1 John 3:16—Christ loved me so much that He laid down His life for me.

1 John 4:9-11—The Father showed His love for me by sending His Son to die for me.

1 John 4:17-18; 5:14—I have full confidence in approaching God’s presence.

Revelation 1:5—I am loved by Christ.

Revelation 19:7—Together with all believers, I am the Bride of Christ.

Note: Excerpted from Soul Physicians: http://bit.ly/7vaE

A Child of Promise

Who I Am To Christ, Part Three—A Child of Promise

Christ-Esteem: The world talks about “self-esteem.” But God’s Word teaches us about “Christ-esteem”—how God views us, sees us, accepts us, and loves us through Christ. Knowing how God relates to us because of our relationship to Christ is vital to glorifying God, defeating the lies of Satan, and ministering powerfully.

Note: Excerpted from Soul Physicians: http://bit.ly/7vaE

As you read the following summaries:

*Meditate on the verses and on the truth they share about you.

*Reject the lies of Satan about how God views you.

*Thank God for who you are to Christ.

*Select one verse/truth per day and specifically apply it to your life and relationships.

My Relationship to God through Christ

1 Corinthians 1:9-10—I am called into intimate fellowship with the Son.

1 Corinthians 12:27; Ephesians 4:12; 5:23—Together with all the saints, I am the Body of Christ.

2 Corinthians 1:22—I am sealed by the Spirit, secure in Father’s forever love.

2 Corinthians 5:5; Ephesians 1:14—I am indwelt by the Holy Spirit, guaranteed my eternal inheritance as a member of God’s family.

2 Corinthians 5:18-19—I am reconciled to the Father by the Son and my sins will never be counted against me.

2 Corinthians 6:18—The Father says of me, “You will be my sons and daughters.”

2 Corinthians 11:2—Together with God’s people, I am espoused to Christ as His pure virgin bride.

Galatians 3:26; Galatians 4:6-7—I am an adult son/daughter of God.

Galatians 3:27—I am baptized into Christ.

Galatians 3:27—I am clothed with Christ.

Galatians 3:28—Together with all believers, we are one in Christ.

Galatians 3:29—I belong to Christ.

Galatians 3:29—I am an heir of promise.

Galatians 4:5—I have received the full rights of an adult son/daughter of God.

Galatians 4:7, 31—I am no longer a slave, but a son or daughter.

Galatians 4:28—I am a child of promise.

Note: Excerpted from Soul Physicians: http://bit.ly/7vaE

Tin Man and Evangelical Christianity

Tin Man and Evangelical Christianity

The Sci-Fi channel recently aired a six-hour mini-series, Tin Man, updating The Wizard of Oz. This was not your Auntie Em’s yellow brick road!

In the original movie version, no one could confuse the good guys (and girls) with the bad guys (and girls). Evil was evil and good was good.

In Tin Man, such was not the case. The good guys and girls were tortured souls with glaring weaknesses. Even the wonderful Dorothy (DG in this version) ended up being part of the cause of fifteen years of suffering due to her failure to heed her parents, her over-adventurous spirit, her paralyzing fear, and her abandonment of her sister.

Azkadellia, aka, the Wicked Witch of the West, seemed thoroughly, completely, unredeemable evil. Until . . . the end. In the end we learn that she, too, was a tortured soul, with a once-good heart, who longed to be free.

Of course, I’m not endorsing everything about Tin Man. My point in this blog is not to critique every un-Christian aspect.

Rather, I’m making a case for Tin Man, in one way, emulating the way the Bible depicts human beings—even its lead characters. Other than the God-man, our Lord Jesus Christ, every other man and woman in the Bible is flawed. Horribly flawed.

Think David. A man after God’s own heart. Yes, David the murderer, adulterer, and liar. The list of imperfect Bible characters continues endlessly.

Unfortunately, that’s not how modern Christians tend to read the Bible. Nor is it how modern Christians tend to write novels or enjoy movies. Far too many so-called Christian novels, and all-too many movies endorsed by Christian leaders, are drivel. Their characters are flat, one-dimensional. Picture perfect.

And there’s the rub. Other than Christ, no character is a picture of perfection.

And here’s the point. Our Pollyanna perspective on life leads us toward an arrogant, judgmental, unforgiving spirit toward one another, toward unbelievers, and even toward our own selves.

And frankly, it leads most of us to live boring, flat, one-dimensional lives, while often hiding the multi-dimensions competing every second in our souls.

Honestly, I prefer DG to Dorothy. I prefer Azkadellia to the Wicked Witch. At least they are fully human and fully struggling to be more fully human.

Until heaven, isn’t that the honest truth about all of us?