29 But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’ 30 And he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ 31 He said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.’” ~ Luke 16:29-31
Where does one go for answers? As a pastor-counselor, people come to me seeking what they need for their life. Most people know that I have none. My focus in both counseling and preaching is to point out what God’s Word teaches. Some do not like me telling them my stance upfront because they want me to fix them quickly. You know, one of those pat answers that they will not do, and then send them on their merry way. However, I genuinely believe that I do not have the answers for which those people look. However, I know Someone who does—God. As we saw last week, God has given us a means of grace to bring us into a relationship with Him and help us live and think as He designed us.
For Scripture to be a valid means of grace, it must answer all questions of life. In God’s goodness, He gives Scripture to be the rule of faith and life (Luke 16:29-31; Luke 24:27,44; 2 Tim. 3:15-16). Consider Paul’s Words in 2 Tim. 3:15, “and that from a child thou hast known the Holy Scriptures, which can make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus,” one infers Scripture to be most necessary for salvation from one’s corrupted nature (Gen. 3:13; Rom. 5:12; Eph. 2:1-3), glorification of God (Rom. 11:36; 1 Cor. 6:20, 10:31; Psa. 86:9,12), and enjoying Him forever (Psa. 16:5-11; 73:24-28; John 17:21-23; Rev. 21-3-4).
The WCF states, “the whole counsel of God concerning all things necessary for His glory, man’s salvation, faith, and life, is either expressly set down in Scripture, or by good and necessary consequence may be deduced from Scripture” (1 Cor. 2:9-10; Heb. 4:12; Isa. 55:11; Psa. 19:7-11). This statement means Scripture is ultimately the principium cognoscendi externum, the external principle of knowing God and humanity. There is no need to look any further for help in understanding humanity’s plight on this earth, for the Bible’s purpose is to reveal the truth for our salvation and obedience (Psa. 19:7-11; John 20:31). John Calvin said, “All wisdom is contained in the Scriptures, and neither ought we to learn, nor teachers to draw their instructions, from any other source” (Calvin, Commentaries, on 2 Tim. 4:1). Therefore, Scripture teaches a person how one conforms to the image of Christ—restored to the image that is marred by sin, in knowledge, righteousness, and holiness (Rom. 8:30; Eph. 4:24; Col. 3:10). God’s Word manifests itself in the Christian as He causes His glory to be seen and reflected in the believer.
Some do not believe this to be true. Of course, one recognizes unbelievers would never view God’s Word as credible, much less sufficient (1 Cor. 2:14-16). It is foolishness to them. However, there are Christians who believe Scripture to be true but not sufficient. These Christians are called integrationists, Christian Counselors, and Christian psychologists. (Heath Lambert, A Theology of Biblical Counseling, 25). In other words, these people believe that the Bible is necessary for counseling, exhorting, and admonishing others, but it is not sufficiently so.
In Lambert’s mentioned book, he provides five areas of agreement between the biblical and Christian counselors: 1) marked by conservativism, 2) care for hurting people who need help, 3) psychologists make accurate observations that are often helpful, 4) secular psychology gets things wrong, and 5) not all problems are counseling problems (26-28). However, it is the two areas of disagreement, which separate the two types of counselors. These disagreements are the necessity of using secular techniques to help people and the sufficiency of the Bible alone. This latter disagreement strikes at the heart of the reformed stance of sola Scriptura, Scripture alone.
Then Lambert gives an example of a Christian counselor who believes secular counseling techniques should be an addendum to the Bible. He quotes Mark McMinn’s work Integrative Psychotherapy: Toward a Comprehensive Christian Approach. Although the work’s title sounds catchy and “Christiany,” McMinn believes there should be a secular and biblical mixture to achieve optimal balance (29). However, as R.C. Sproul once said, “Theologians who have sought to combine Christianity and secularism are on a fool’s errand.” He continues, “If we seek to breed them, the result will be a grotesque hybrid.” (Sproul, Lifeviews, 38). McMinn forces a marriage, a balance between the sacred and the secular, and God demands complete trust in His Word alone (Rev. 22:18-19).
Christians who are called to counsel and advise others in matters they struggle with must turn to God’s Word. It is unlawful to teach anything other than what is taught in Scripture (Deut. 4:2). His Word is both a shield and a sustainer of life (Prov. 30:5-6). It is the light that breaks through one’s darkness and stands above any human conception and premise (Isa. 29:13; Mark 7:6-7). The sufficiency of Scripture implies that for whatever question we face or trial we encounter, we must go to the Word of God for answers. God will grant wisdom (James 1:5; Prov. 2:3-6).
Andrews PCA 