Series Eight: Biblical Counseling and Personal Discipleship

This study deals with sanctification and how to recognize true vs. false repentance. It then addresses four critical components in the process of change. Third, it identifies obstinacy as a major roadblock to maturity. Last, it provides a brief explanation of three models of sanctification.

The principles found within this section on counseling and discipleship are a compilation of materials—some developed by Grace Immanuel Bible Church, Jupiter, FL, as well as many adaptations from the counseling materials of Grace Community Church, Sun Valley, CA, under the leadership of Dr. John MacArthur. We are deeply indebted to Dr. MacArthur and the pastoral team at Grace Community for their labors and biblical clarity through the years on this vital subject.

Sanctification is the working out of the believer’s justification. However, the Christian easily forgets the priority Scripture places on this process and will substitute cheap alternatives for true biblical sanctification. There is a moral imperative upon the believer, and it has elements to it both initially upon conversion as well as progressively in his sanctification.

True Sanctification and Repentance

1. True sanctification can be explained both negatively (what it’s not) and positively (what it is).
   1. Sanctification is not
      1. mere relief from trials. This is what the world seeks.
         1. Psalm 1 warns against trafficking in worldly ideologies.
         2. Colossians 2:20–23 describes cheap forgeries of true sanctification.
      2. produced by passion and feeling.
   2. Sanctification is
      1. the formation of Christ in you (Rom 8:28–29; Col 1:28–29).
      2. produced as we conform to the Scripture by faith:
         1. Battling the way God commands (Heb 12:3–4)
         2. Abandoning self (Rom 10:1–10; Gal 2:20; 5:16)
         3. Uniting faith with hearing (Heb 3–4)
         4. Understanding God’s sovereign hand (1 Cor 10:13; Jas 1:2–8)
2. True sanctification engenders true repentance, but false repentance bears the following marks:
   1. Mouthing confession but without true change (Heb 12:17)
   2. No genuine hatred of sin (Ps 51:4)
   3. Bitterness towards God (Heb 12:15)
   4. A countenance/disposition that hasn’t changed (Ps 32:4; 51:12)

Four Critical Components in the Process of Change

1. The first component in the process of true change is to recognize and acknowledge guilt.
   1. The world’s perspective: guilt is something you are victimized by.
      1. Its explanation of guilt: environment, sickness, heredity, ill-treatment by others, etc.
      2. Its efforts to deal with guilt:
         1. More sin (Rom 1:18)
         2. Chemicals (to suppress/dull feelings and behaviors)
         3. Blameshift (It’s their fault.)
         4. Self-esteem (I’m not as bad as they are.)
         5. Self-gratification (I deserve happiness.)
   2. The Bible’s perspective: guilt is a fact of your legal liability to punishment.
      1. Guilt is universal because sin is universal (Rom 3:19, 23).
      2. Sin is serious because God is a holy judge (Rom 1:18; 2:5–6).
      3. Even where the effects of guilt may be lessened, guilt remains and can have physiological effects (Ps 32:1–5; 38:1–8). Feelings of guilt should not be disregarded, for there is always an underlying reason for guilt feelings.
   3. God has given us the faculty of conscience to help us identify the presence of guilt. Our inner man uses the information it possesses to evaluate our thinking and actions. Conscience involves what we know or believe rather than what we feel. Feelings are often a result of the operations of conscience but are not identical with them.
      1. The importance of a clean conscience (Acts 23:1; 24:16; Rom 14:23; 1 Tim 1:19; Heb 13:18)
      2. The reality of abused consciences
         1. Seared/calloused (Eph 4:19; 1 Tim 4:2; Titus 1:15)
         2. Untrained (Lev 4:22–24; 1 Tim 1:13; Heb 5:14)
         3. Overactive (Rom 14:1–5, 23)
         4. Biblically uninformed (1 Tim 1:5)
   4. What about guilt in the believer vs. the unbeliever?
      1. The unbeliever stands liable before God for all his guilt.
      2. The believer
         1. Guilt for sin doesn’t judge him in eternity, but he will come under the loving yet chastening hand of God.
         2. Chastening can be mild, a set of restrictions placed upon you in His providence, or it can be a scourging. Some were chastened so severely that they were taken home to heaven (1 Cor 11:30).
2. The second component in the process of true change is repentance. To repent means to turn/to change.
   1. The timing of repentance
      1. Initially—repentance is necessary for genuine conversion (Luke 3:3; 2 Cor 7:10). Unsaved people must turn from sin; sin is self-rule/autonomy (Rom 10:9; 1 John 3:4).
      2. Progressively—repentance remains continually necessary for the believer (Ps 51; Luke 17:3–4). Believers must turn from sins (expressions of the lingering desires of the flesh [Gal 5:16–17]).
      3. Counterfeit repentance—there is a false repentance that does not bring about forgiveness (Matt 3:7–10; 7:21–23), but rather produces death (2 Cor 7:10b).
   2. The task of repentance
      1. Comprehending—we must see our sin as it relates to God before we can repent. A change of mind is required.
      2. Confessing—to confess means “to say the same thing” (homologéō). We must acknowledge to God the fact of our sin and agree with God about the nature of our sin (Prov 28:13; 1 John 1:8–9).
      3. Choosing—true repentance always includes a willful resolve to not repeat the sin (Isa 1:16–17; Luke 5:27–28).
   3. Signs of true repentance
      1. Restitution—“to set things right”—the repentant sinner must fulfill any obligations to the offended party (Exod 22:1; Lev 5:15; Luke 19:1–10). This includes both an outward confession when it is appropriate (Jas 5:16) and a willingness to accept the consequences of our sin (Ps 51:3–4).
      2. Reconciliation—true repentance will cause us to do whatever we can to transform the conflict into a peaceful and edifying friendship (Matt 5:24; Rom 12:18; 2 Cor 2:7–8).
      3. Regret—True repentance may not always be accompanied by emotions (especially those that are visible to others), but in many cases a feeling of sorrow corroborates other evidences and points to a real change in thinking (Ps 51; Job 42:6). Emotional responses alone, however, do not prove that repentance is genuine (1 Sam 15:27; 2 Cor 7:10b).
      • Note: We must remember that not every case of repentance requires all of the above changes, and we also must be very careful to allow the fruits of repentance to be defined by God rather than by man (Mark 7:6–13; 1 Cor 4:5–6).
3. The third component in the process of true change is forgiveness. To forgive means to pardon (Jer 31:34).
   1. Forgiveness means “to release from liability to suffer punishment or penalty.”
      1. Aphíēmi—to let go or release; often refers to debts having been cancelled or paid (Matt 6:12; 18:27, 32).
      2. Charízomai—to bestow favor unconditionally; this is undeserved, it cannot be earned (Luke 7:43; 2 Cor 2:7–10; Col 3:13).
      3. Forgiveness according to Matthew 18:21–35
      • When forgiving others, there are two aspects to keep in mind:
        1. The positional aspect
           • Mercy absorbs full payment (Matt 18:27).
           • Those who have received mercy should likewise give it (Matt 18:33; cf. 5:7).
        2. The relational aspect
           • Mending broken communion
           • Ministering God’s peace
      4. Forgiveness should be carried out:
         1. Immediately (Luke 17:3)
         2. Repeatedly (Luke 17:4)
         3. Lavishly (2 Cor 2:5–8)
   2. Forgiveness displayed
      1. By God
         1. Man needs God’s forgiveness both before he is saved (Rom 4:3–8; Col 2:13–14) and after he is saved (Matt 6:12; Heb 12:5-11).
         2. The former is positional forgiveness while the latter is relational forgiveness.
      2. By man
         1. We must forgive one another just as God has forgiven us (Eph 4:32; Col 3:13).
         2. This means you will not:
            • remind the person of the sin (unless it would be absolutely necessary to do so for the person’s good).
            • mention it to anyone else (unless it would be absolutely necessary).
            • allow your mind to dwell on it.
         • We are commanded to forgive, so we are sinning if we refuse to make that promise. Therefore forgiveness is a matter of obedience rather than feeling.
4. The fourth component in the process of true change is replacement.
   1. The concept of replacement
      1. Biblical change involves both “putting off “and “putting on.”
      2. In order for change to be pleasing to God and to last over time, old sinful patterns must be replaced with new godly ones.
      3. Replacement is taught throughout the Scripture (e.g., Ps 1:1–2; Isa 1:16–17; Rom 13:14; Eph 4:22–32; Col 3:9–10; 1 Thess 5:21–22; Heb 10:25; 3 John 11).
   2. The character of replacement
      1. Breaking and establishing habits (Rom 6:5–13 [esp. vv. 12–13]; Eph 4:22–24; Col 3:9–10)
      2. Enduring in obedience (Heb 10:36; 12:1–3)
      3. Structuring our environment (Rom 13:14; 1 Tim 4:7)

Making Progress: Fear of the Lord vs. Obstinacy

In the process of helping people change and mature, there is often a roadblock that retards progress. The core issue is competing affections (i.e., idols of the heart). This is due to a lack of the fear of God and a desire for something other than God.

1. He must understand that the only way for a Christian to cooperate with God is to have a proper fear of God in his life.
   1. Psalm 32:8 portrays the man who fears God: “I [God] will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go; I will counsel you with My eye upon you.”
   2. 2 Corinthians 7:1—“Let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.”
2. He must understand that there are only two expressions of a life: one marked by obstinacy and one marked by the fear of God. Each is recognizable and discerned by its attendant fruits (Jas 3:13–18).
   1. A heart ruled by the fear of God is marked by patterns of:
      1. Spiritual discernment (“wise and understanding”)
      2. Gentleness/meekness
      3. Purity, peaceableness, gentleness, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial, and sincere
      4. Being accompanied by a harvest of righteousness
   2. A heart ruled by sinful desire is marked by patterns of:
      1. Bitter jealousy
      2. Selfish ambition
      3. Boasting
      4. Hypocrisy
      5. Being accompanied by disorder and vile practice
3. He must understand that there is only one explanation for man’s obstinacy, and there is only one solution.
   1. The root of obstinacy
      1. It is not due to circumstance, parents, health, environment, upbringing, etc.
      2. It is due to your own appetites (Jas 1:14–15; 4:1–2). If the fruit of your life matches the description of the earthly wisdom list, then your desire is controlling you. This is enmity with God (Jas 4:4).
   2. The solution to obstinacy (and getting out of bondage to your desires)
      1. Stop legitimizing sinful desires (Jas 4:3).
      2. Stop believing Satan’s lie that even temporary satisfaction will be worth it. There can be no flippancy about sinful desires; there must be an intensity and focus in the pursuit of the fear of God (Jas 4:7–10).
      3. Yield to the truth of God’s Word in humility.
         1. This is the only effective mechanism against sin’s enticement.
         2. Yielding in humility results in resisting Satan’s schemes (Jas 4:6–7).
4. He must understand that God disciplines those whom He loves.
   1. God disciplines His children that they might share His holiness (Heb 12:10).
   2. Some discipline is for training while other discipline is a corrective in response to waywardness.
   3. The discipline may be mild or severe (1 Cor 11:30).
   4. How does one avoid unnecessary chastening? “Do not be as the horse or as the mule which have no understanding, whose trappings include bit and bridle to hold them in check” (Ps 32:9).

Three Models of Sanctification

There are various views on how one becomes Christlike and to what degree Christlikeness is attainable in this life. It is important to understand these views in order to be equipped to truly care for and disciple others who may have different conceptions as to how maturity is attained. There are three basic models of sanctification:

1. The Wesleyan View (Christian Perfection): a “second work of grace” catapults the believer into a state of sinlessness, often called “entire sanctification.”
2. The Keswick View (Higher Life or Deeper Life): a unique post-salvation commitment (or enlightenment) allows the believer to enter into a victorious and consistent life of obedience. Spiritual growth takes place primarily by a passive trust in the work of God (i.e., “let go and let God”).
3. The Biblical View of Progressive Sanctification (commonly referred to as the Reformed View): a lifelong cycle of sin, repentance, renewal, and growth toward Christlikeness that will be complete only when we meet our Lord (Rom 6–8). This involves active discipline of the believer, who trusts that the Holy Spirit is energizing his effort (Phil 2:12–13). This view is well-articulated by the Westminster Confession, Chapter XIII:
   1. They who are effectually called and regenerated, having a new heart and a new spirit created in them, are further sanctified, really and personally, through the virtue of Christ’s death and resurrection, by his Word and Spirit dwelling in them; the dominion of the whole body of sin is destroyed, and the several lusts thereof are more and more weakened and mortified, and they more and more quickened and strengthened, in all saving graces, to the practice of true holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord.
   2. This sanctification is throughout in the whole man, yet imperfect in this life: there abideth still some remnants of corruption in every part, whence ariseth a continual and irreconcilable war, the flesh lusting against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh.
   3. In which war, although the remaining corruption for a time may much prevail, yet, through the continual supply of strength from the sanctifying Spirit of Christ, the regenerate part doth overcome: and so the saints grow in grace, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.¹