A Hospital for Hurting Souls

The longer I am a believer the more I marvel at the genius of the local church. The longer I am a pastor the more I marvel that God’s grace would be sufficient enough to save, call, and equip a sinner like me to make even a lame attempt to shepherd a microscopic portion of His sheep. And the longer I am a biblical counselor the more I marvel at the kind of risk-taking love that God calls us to display toward one another as sinners ministering to sinners—together—in a fallen, broken world.

One of the characteristics of this risk-taking love is initiative—daring to come alongside a brother or sister in Christ who is hurting and finding it difficult to take the next necessary spiritual step. Galatians 6:1 makes it clear that this personal, counseling ministry is a family matter. Paul addresses “brethren.” Counseling is a ministry of discipleship within the family of God. In fact, that is what the church is—a visible family of the invisible God. The New Testament most commonly refers to believers in familial terms such as “brethren,” “brother,” or “sister,” which occur some 250 times. The church is the original “brotherhood” (1 Peter 2:17). This analogy has numerous implications. For example, it obligates us to “Be devoted to one another” (Rom. 12:10), to care for one another’s needs (Acts 2:44–45; 4:32; 11:29–30; 1 John 3:17–18; 1 Tim. 5:1–16), and to pray for one another (James 5:13–16). However, the familial commitment of the brotherhood also requires us to exhort, and if necessary, discipline family members who are in sin. The Bible’s plan for restoration is carried out by brethren for brethren.   Continue at Paul Tautges

The Cross Frees You From Trying to Forgive Yourself

In my recent post entitled God Doesn’t Want You to Forgive Yourself, I argued that the concept of “forgiving yourself” is not only unbiblical but counterproductive to growing in your faith.  In this follow-up, I wanted to address the pain and guilt that leads people to feel like they must forgive themselves even though they know God has already forgiven them.

What I do appreciate about encouraging hurting people to forgive themselves is that there’s a recognition that something is not right.  If after you’ve confessed your sin to God and to others you still feel a paralyzing guilt, an ingredient is missing.  But if that ingredient isn’t forgiving yourself, then what is it?

A passage from Matthew’s gospel I think gives us a good answer.  Matthew 9:1-8 is the famous story of the paralytic who was brought by his friends to Jesus in the hopes that he would be healed:

…And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, ‘Take heart, my son; your sins are forgiven.’  And behold, some of the scribes said to themselves, ‘This man is blaspheming.’  But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, ‘Why do you think evil in your hearts?  For which is easier, to say, “Your sins are forgiven, or to say, “Rise and walk?”  But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins’ -he then said to the paralytic- ‘Rise, pick up your bed and go home.’ And he rose and went home.  When the crowds saw it, they were afraid, and they glorified God, who had given such authority to men.

What exactly is going on here?  Continue at The Tenth Leper