CHRISTIAN COUNSELING AS A COMMISSION

Hello Friends,
For those of you who have been patiently waiting for the continuation of the Christian counseling series I am happy to say the Lord has permitted me to continue. Over the next few days we will endeavour to cover all the material that will equip you and deepen your understanding on this topic.

Matthew 28:19-20 (AMP)

¹⁹Go then and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

²⁰Teaching them to observe everything that I have commanded you, and behold, I am with you all the days (perpetually, uniformly, and on every occasion), to the [very] close and consummation of the age. Amen (so let it be).

 

Mark 16:15 (AMP)

¹⁵And He said to them, Go into all the world and preach and publish openly the good news (the Gospel) to every creature [of the whole human race].

The first important to note is that counselling as described in scripture is an activity every believer is called to engage in. It is not exclusively reserved for pastors and ministers only. It is a commission handed over to every believer by our Lord Jesus Christ. We should use it to exhort and encourage one another and to win souls for Christ.

The key instruction is contained in the scripture where Jesus tells His disciples “go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature” Mark 16:15.

This instruction can be divided into two major statements:

1.   Go into all the World

2.   Preach to every person

1.   GO INTO ALL THE WORLD

It is a huge task in which every believer is involved. It is a journey we  are all called to embarked upon by the Lord Jesus Christ. We are all part of the great commission and are being sent by Christ Himself. He said, “Go!”

By this, every believer was anointed, ordained and commissioned to relay the message of salvation and to counsel the ungodly. We must not shirk away from this responsibility. Christ promised help and ability to all those who will obey:

Acts 1:8 (AMP)

⁸But you shall receive power (ability, efficiency, and might) when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be My witnesses in Jerusalem and all Judea and Samaria and to the ends (the very bounds) of the earth.

 We must answer the call like Isaiah the prophet who said, “Lord here I am send me.” We all have been sent, let us all obey.

2.   PREACH THE GOSPEL

Gospel means good news. Note that news which is not communicated is not news. News which is not spread about is not heard. News which is not heard is not preached. And news which is not preached is dead. Preach the gospel is the instruction.

We must open up our mouth and tell people the truth knowing that the truth that saves is the truth based on the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. He is the TRUTH and the LIFE. The only true way to eternity. Every other way is false and leads to destruction.

 In Isaiah 40:9, the bible said all those who bring the good tidings or preach the gospel of our lord Jesus Christ should not be afraid to lift up their voice in strength and say to the cities and nations, “Behold your God.”

 We should not be afraid to tell the whole world that Jesus Christ is LORD. We should not be afraid to preach the gospel of grace. We must preach it in season and out of season. We should not be afraid to tell our friends to embrace Jesus Christ as Lord and saviour. Indeed Saviour of the world! Saviour to all those who accept Him as Lord.

We must preach the good news that there is salvation awaiting every sinner. That there is NO CONDEMNATION to them that accept Jesus as Lord and personal saviour. That there is HOPE for the HOPELESS and DELIVERANCE for the oppressed. 

Isaiah 61:1-2 (AMP) says,

 ¹THE SPIRIT of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed and qualified me to preach the Gospel of good tidings to the meek, the poor, and afflicted; He has sent me to bind up and heal the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the [physical and spiritual] captives and the opening of the prison and of the eyes to those who are bound,²To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord [the year of His favour] and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn.

In Hebrews 10:25 (AMP) the bible says,

²⁵Not forsaking or neglecting to assemble together [as believers], as is the habit of some people, but admonishing (warning, urging, and encouraging) one another, and all the more faithfully as you see the day approaching.

As the above scripture points out a new dimension was added to Christian counseling as a commission. Here the bible states that the gathering and the fellowship of believers should be used as a platform of counseling one another.

According to apostle Paul all Christians should engage in Christian counseling. He urged all Christians to teach and confront one another. He wrote in  

Romans 15:14 (AMP)

¹⁴Personally I am satisfied about you, my brethren, that you yourselves are rich in goodness, amply filled with all [spiritual] knowledge and competent to admonish and counsel and instruct one another also.

Knowledge of the word of God is what will help every believer engaging in Christian counseling. God bless you.