NCT and Biblical Counsel

Some Guidelines for The Biblical Cure of Souls :
Camp Cherith 2008 Think Tank Discussion
Pastor Joseph Krygier
(This was the final lesson from a course taught by me in a Nouthetic Counseling adult bible study class. It refutes a model that was established as a model for “deliverance ministries” in churches) When I taught this, I was following more of a traditional Nouthetic approach. Since then and as I pursue NCT, I believe we can improve upon some areas of biblical counsel with the hermeneutic of NCT. To fully appreciate this outline you need to listen to the mp3 of this session. It was structured as a “what can we do to improve this approach? I deliberately left the outline as is in its older form to use it for the sake of our discussion. I have nine pages of notes that follow the basic 12 week course I taught in powerpoint and which, obviously is going through some revision. I would strongly recommend a reading of Christ Centered Ministry vs. Problem Centered Counseling by Bob And Deidre Bobgan as an alongside to much of the Nouthetic standards. Free e book Been reading all of their materials for years. http://www.psychoheresy-aware.org/radicalbk.html
The Scriptures noted here are only a minimal guide. Use the whole counsel of God as you find appropriate contextual Scripture and Scripture that expands or comments on other Scripture. Before you use it, make sure you understand it and live it.

I. Immediate Care For Restoring Souls
A. Acknowledge that you are not a victim, but a Christian who has sinned (or a pagan who needs to be saved) and who has not been living according to God’s righteousness and in His sanctification-Rom.6:23.
1 As a believer there is conflict that it is constant- Gal. 5:17. We will fail, but failure is not final.
2 Confess your sin. It is a heart issue- Prov. 4:23

B. Acknowledge that God has forgiven your sin- I Jn.1:9 Self forgiveness is not in the Scriptures.

C. Acknowledge that God’s Word is inerrant, all sufficient and authoritative for your life 2 Pt. 1:2-4.

D. Consecrate yourself to the Lord and His service in your daily living. Prov.3: 5, 6; Rom. 12:1,2; Titus 2:11-13.

E. Accept the fact that only God can change your heart and motives through the Word of God and the power and illumination of the Holy Spirit as you yield to God’s authority in your life, Accept the fact that others can only see your behavior and confront you with what is visibly wrong in relation to God’s standards as they are found in the Word of God and that this is our solemn duty to one another, to provoke one another to love and good works and accountability, Heb. 10:22-25.ˇ

II. Long Term Care For Restoring Soulsˇ
A. Learn and Practice the disciplines of the Christian life as a joyful expression of who you are in Christ not as a legalistic performance based ritual. Be the incuarable lover of Christ that you are.
God will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able to endure-1 Cor. 10:13.

1. Study and read the Word of God
a.) God’s Word is the truth you need for living.in righteousness. Discovered truth can fix your car or make surgery successful.
b.) All “truth” is not God’s truth.
2. Meditate on the Word of God-Ps. 1:2.
3. Memorize the Word of God-Ps. 119:11.
4. Pray without ceasing (be always ready)-I Thess. 5:17.
5. Be a witness - share the gospel-Mt. 28:18-20.
6. Serve God through a local assembly as a member Rom.12:4 - 8.
7. Be a cheerful giver when able-Mt. 6:1-4; 2 Cor. 9:7.ˇ
B. Let all be done as worship: study, prayer, fasting, witnessing, serving, giving. Include singing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs as part of your daily worship Col. 3:16-17.
C. Check in and check out with God
1. Start and end the day with God, the Word and prayer: a time of worshipˇ
D. Confess sin as soon as you are aware of it. Daily, ask God to search your heart and reveal any hidden sin-Ps. 139:23-24.ˇ
1. Find joy in repentance. It is a gift from God-Rom. 2:4ˇ
E. Take whatever measures are necessary to keep you from habitual sin. Flee itˇ
1. God will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able to endure-1 Cor. 10:13.ˇ
F. Learn to esteem others more highly than yourself-Phil. 2:3. Jesus did. Invest your life in others and be a servant to all. God’s love is another serving, and recognizing the real not felt need of others and offering the solution needed even if it is not recognized by the one you are helping. Self love is not taught in God’s Word except as sinful: men are and will become, increasingly, lovers of themselves-2 Tim. 3:2.
G. Remember, you are a child of God, you are entitled, empowered, equipped, encouraged and enabled by Almighty God to be His servant and an heir of heaven. We have the ability to do all God requires of us because His grace is sufficient for us-Phil. 4:13ˇ
H. This is the conclusion of the whole matter: “Fear (have an awesome respect for) God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man”-Eccl.12:13ˇ

Some of the notable comments following our discussion:
Include much of the identity we have in Christ
Follow the indicative/imperative logic of Scripture (we have linked articles available on this approach. Leave a request in comments.)
Do all to move away from third use of the law
Beware of instilling performance based sanctification