“Do you actually consider that what you consider is admittedly actual?”
These had been the primary phrases I heard on the preliminary day of a worldview class in my senior yr of faculty. Our professor requested once more, and you could possibly hear a pin drop. Over the semester, he helped us perceive that all of us have presuppositions, although we are sometimes unaware of them.
The fact for everybody is that components of our professed worldview ceaselessly don’t match our usefulworldview. My professor aimed to assist us develop a constant Christian worldview throughout all of life, which included a biblical understanding of the essential tenets of any worldview: Who’s God? Who’s man? What’s fact?
Presuppositional Waters
Presuppositions are beliefs underlying our beliefs that govern how we predict, interpret, and act.[1] As biblical counselors, we swim in presuppositional waters. Not solely as we counsel others but in addition as we focus on points throughout the biblical counseling motion. Presuppositions can’t be escaped! All of us have them. As a result of these of us in Christ are being progressively sanctified, we’re in a lifelong course of that requires fruitful labor and dependence on the Lord to judge our presuppositions, turning into extra aligned with Scripture and, due to this fact, extra Christlike. It’s a dedication. Nonetheless, it additionally requires humility and a willingness to behave when confronted with beliefs that don’t align with God’s Phrase.
In Romans 12:2, Paul appeals to us to not be conformed to this world however to be remodeled by the renewal of [our minds], that by testing [we] might discern God’s will, what is nice and acceptable and excellent. Equally, in Philippians 1:11th of September, Paul needs us to develop in love (for God and others) by gaining data, exercising discernment, and making judgments that enable our continued development in Christlikeness.
Anytime we’re confronted with data, we now have a duty to do one thing with it (2 Pet. 1:3-11). As biblical counselors, we agree with these texts, however to what diploma can we observe them ourselves? Are wesubmitted to them? Once we counsel, we’re—on the coronary heart of our counseling—asking counselees to judge their presuppositions and to permit the Lord to alter them, leading to Christlikeness. We have to be expert in doing this ourselves to guide others on this means.
The Position of Others in Our Progress
As biblical counselors who want for our counselees to contemplate our counsel, are we keen to contemplate the enchantment from our brothers and sisters in Christ, co-laborers in a shared calling, to exhort us in an analogous method that Paul did Timothy to “Preserve a detailed watch on your self and your educating, persist on this, for by so doing, you’ll save your self and your hearers” (1 Tim. 4:16)? Simply as we want our counselees to take care of a humble coronary heart posture, additionally it is essential for us.
When one thing is delivered to our consideration relating to sinful methods of considering or behaving, and even the chance that we is perhaps taken captive by believable arguments (Col. 2:8), it’s offensive to our flesh! All of us nonetheless have remnants of the need to be like God (Gen. 3:5), however we should put this off. We should acknowledge our want for the Lord.
As we’re more and more conformed to Christ’s picture, the Holy Spirit illuminates areas the place we’re not submitted to Him, permitting us to carry these issues beneath His rule and reign (Gal. 5:16). Many instances, the Lord permits brothers and sisters in Christ to assist us see this stuff. This can be a grace from God, and it typically requires the braveness of our brother or sister in Christ.
Do we now have the humility to contemplate what they’re bringing to our consideration?
Even when somebody is mistaken in what they create to us or does it in a fashion we don’t choose, we will keep a posture of real humility and gratitude for his or her care towards us, asking the Lord to assist us perceive the guts of what they’re saying. On the coronary heart, they need to see us turn into extra like Christ.
This endeavor just isn’t for the faint of coronary heart. Effort and time are required in relationship to 1 one other and earlier than the Lord. I typically must be reminded of this! We stay in an age of reactionary responses, and whether or not we need to admit it or not, it’s straightforward to be swept up with the throng and reply in like method. Nonetheless, the Lord requires slowness in our responses, demonstrating belief and dependence in Him (Prov. 14:29; 15:18; 16:32). This requires power and self-discipline—meekness. One thing attainable solely by means of humble dependence on the Lord. Whether or not we notice it or not, our responses additionally reveal our presuppositions.
As biblical counselors, we’re properly acquainted with a rigorous work ethic! We goal to be like Paul when he explains, “Him we proclaim, warning everybody and educating everybody with all knowledge, that we might current everybody mature in Christ. For this I toil, combating all his power that he powerfully works inside me” (Col. 1:28-29). It’s additionally one thing we require of our counselees.
Humility and Obedience
At each level of our worldview, we have to be ready to make a protection to anybody who asks [us] for a cause for the hope that’s in[us] (1 Pet. 3:15). There’s nothing incorrect with a wholesome argument! Arguments sharpen us and might trigger relationships to develop in depth. However we should do it with gentleness and respect (1 Pet. 3:15). We’re to obey this command. Biblical counselors can nonetheless have defective, errant presuppositions as a result of we now have not but been promoted to glory. We nonetheless want counsel and correction to assist us turn into extra like Christ! This can be a actuality that ought to provoke humility.
Once we counsel others, we undertake severe stewardship for which we can be held accountable. We’re difficult counselees on the presuppositional degree. We should be certain that we “do [our] finest to current [ourselves] to God as one permitted, [workers] who [have] no must be ashamed, rightly dealing with the phrase of fact” (2 Tim. 2:15).
This implies we have to be keen to go first in humble teachability!
Questions for Reflection
- Conversations surrounding presuppositionalism have elevated this yr throughout the biblical counseling motion. Have you ever thought of how your presuppositions information your ideas, choices, conduct, and counseling?
- How do you see presuppositions at play within the lifetime of your counselees?
- How can we, throughout the biblical counseling motion, develop in how we relate to 1 one other as we focus on points on the presuppositional degree?
[1] Ernie Baker, “Presuppositionalism, Frequent Grace, and Trauma Principle ,” Journal of Biblical Soul Care, 2024, https://acbcdigitalresources.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/sources/JBSC/Spring2024/JBSC+2024+Spring+Baker.pdf.
