“And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever, even the Spirit of truth…” – John 14:16-17

{This teaching article is from Bob Hoekstra’s book How to Counsel God’s Way, which is about biblical discipleship truths for living the Christian life and helping others do the same. This study is taken from the section dealing with “God’s Means in Counseling.”)

The scriptures clearly establish that God’s word is the basic means that He uses in bringing His counsel into lives. The second means that God uses in counseling His way is inextricably interwoven with the first, and that is the work of the Holy Spirit. The use of the Bible in counseling does not depend upon human understanding or human ability to make the principles of the scriptures work properly. Rather, the Holy Spirit is available to minister to us and through us in these areas.

Another Helper Promised

In John 14:16-17, Jesus spoke of the Holy Spirit in terms that carry much significance for the present subject. “And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.”

When Jesus spoke these words, He was about to leave the disciples to return to His Father. The disciples were saddened by this announcement. Jesus had been their Teacher, their Master, their Helper, their Wonderful Counselor. So, He comforted them with the assurance that the Father would give them another Helper. This promised Helper would be in essence just like the previous one, because He also would be God.

A somewhat awkward, but accurate, translation of the term for Helper would be “one called alongside to help.” That is what Jesus had been to the disciples when He was with them. Now, the Holy Spirit would carry on this type of ministry in their lives as one who would dwell within them and help them along their pathway through life.

This word contains come meaningful insights for true biblical counseling. Although we will look at it more extensively later, a brief comment will be useful at this time. This term, here depicting the Holy Spirit, is one of two New Testament words that are sometimes translated in newer versions as Counselor. After Jesus, the Wonderful Counselor, ascended back to glory, the Holy Spirit would be sent by the Father to continue the divine counseling ministry of the Son.

This term is often translated Comforter, because providing comfort is so characteristic of being “one called along side to help.” Offering a counsel of comfort is one of the two fundamental types of counseling we are to be ready to give. The other is a counsel of confrontation.

The Spirit of Truth

In John 16:13, Jesus elaborates upon the ministry of the Holy Spirit. “But when He, the Spirit of Truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth.”

Notice the title, the “Spirit of Truth,” given here to describe the Holy Spirit. How perfectly this title fits our context of God’s means in counseling. God uses the truth of His word to impact lives, and the One who delivers this impact is called the Spirit of Truth. This One now lives in and works through the followers of the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Spirit of Truth is the One who inspires truth to be recorded in the word of God. The Spirit of Truth is the One who brings truth to bear upon people’s lives. The Holy Spirit is absolutely indispensable to counseling God’s way. Biblical counseling is not accomplished merely by having someone read or quote something from the word of God. The Holy Spirit is to be the motivating, instructing, convicting, transforming agent in every counseling situation. We must counsel in the same manner that all of ministry is to be done, “in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter” (Romans 7:6). This contrast is a matter of life and death, spiritually speaking, “for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life” (2 Corinthians 3:6).

Our Guide into All the Truth

God intends to change lives through the power of the truth that is in His word. The Holy Spirit is given to guide us into this truth. “He will guide you into all the truth.” The Spirit is to direct us throughout the word of God as we read it and study it, and as we minister it to others. He alone is able to properly unfold and personally apply all of the scriptures, including those particular portions that we may have a special timely need to consider.

Things Freely Given by God

1 Corinthians 2:12-13 offers more powerful reasons why the Holy Spirit must be totally involved in the counseling ministry. “Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual.”

We who are believers in the Lord Jesus Christ have not received the spirit of the world. The spirit of the world refers to the human wisdom of natural, unredeemed humanity. This earthly wisdom produces the ways of the world, involving all of their values and goals and methodologies and theories and resources. These are the very matters that create so many of the prevailing counseling needs. On the other hand, we have received the Spirit who is from God, who meets all of these counseling needs.

One of the reasons that we have received the Spirit who is from God is that we may know the things freely given to us by God. The things freely given by God are the free, divine resources of His grace. This speaks of the unlimited spiritual provisions that are now ours in Christ. These provisions are what we are to live on and grow in and serve from, and then offer to others in His name. These are the things people need in counseling. We come to understand these realties by the revealing work of the Spirit of God, unfolding them to us through the Word of God.

Consider what most folks really need to find as they go on a quest for counseling. They need a forgiveness that is fully paid for by Jesus Christ. They need new life that is only available by God’s grace. They need a love found in the Lord alone, a love which they could never deserve. They need hope and strength and peace and comfort. They need God to work in them to will and to do of His good pleasure. Well, these are “the things that have been freely given to us by God.” Much of the biblical ministry of counseling has to do with speaking to people about these gracious gifts of God that are available to go to work in our lives.

Speaking of Things Freely Given

“These things we also speak.” We are to speak of these wonderful things that God’s grace provides. Sadly, the church of the Lord has become so intimidated by the world and its counseling theories and its psychotherapeutic systems that we too often think that we have nothing to say. After all, the world has all of those advanced educational degrees that supposedly contain such deep insight into the makeup of humanity. So, the church either sends searching and needy people out into the world for help, or we try to bring into the church the exalted wisdom of the world. Instead, the Lord intends for us to be speaking of the freely given things of God.

Words Taught by the Holy Spirit

However, as we are speaking of these uniquely provided gifts of God’s grace, we are to use the kind of words that the Lord has ordained for their communication. We are to speak, “not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches.” Increasingly, the Lord’s people are using the vocabulary of the world when we talk about the problems of man and the solutions that are needed. The church now sounds just like the world as we speak of dysfunctionalism and codependency and victimization and self-esteem. Such terminology was not derived from biblical studies. These terms and concepts came from man’s wisdom, from the humanistic theoreticians of the world.

We are to speak in words “which the Holy Spirit teaches.”  Perhaps we have forgotten that God has a great vocabulary. In fact, is it incomparable. When the Lord addresses the issues of man’s needs and the necessary remedies, He uses divine terms that contain heavenly precision and supernatural hope. To describe the existence of man’s problems, God uses words like sin and separation and bondage and death and alienation and condemnation and judgement. To explain the acceptance of God’s remedies, He uses terms like conviction and repentance and confession and conversion and salvation. To unfold the path of wholeness, He uses concepts like justification and sanctification and glorification and identification and dedication and transformation.

In comparison to these heavenly, life-giving, life-changing words from God, man’s earthly concepts are anemic and lifeless. May we minister in words that the wisdom of God teaches us, not the wisdom of man. This is another reason that psychological theory falls so far short of what is needed when ministering to people. It speaks in words taught by mere human wisdom.

Comparing Spiritual with Spiritual

One of the reasons that we must give counsel using terms that are taught to us by the Holy Spirit is that the Spirit compares “spiritual things with spiritual.” The wisdom of man compares fleshly things with fleshly. When the church attempts to integrate psychological theories with biblical truths, the result is at best a comparing of fleshly things with spiritual. This amounts to the proverbial impossibility of mixing water and oil.

The Spirit of God combines spiritual with spiritual. He creates spiritual life where there was spiritual death. He offers spiritual solutions to spiritual problems. He brings spiritual strength for spiritual weakness. He shines spiritual light where there is spiritual darkness. He provides spiritual liberty where there was spiritual bondage. He extends spiritual insight where there is spiritual confusion. Whatever the situation, the Spirit wants to bring spiritual to bear on spiritual. When this is allowed to occur in our personal ministry, godly biblical counseling can really take place.

Umbrella Cliché #5:

“Life’s problems are too complex today to be using only the Bible and the Holy Spirit.”

This umbrella cliché often arises at this point. It usually develops in this manner. The Bible is affirmed as good, and the Holy Spirit may even be acknowledged as important. However, life’s problems are described as far more complex today than in “the Bible days.” Consequently, the Bible is not enough for today, and the Holy Spirit is no longer sufficient. Many people have accepted that reasoning. Therefore, even God’s people are out seeking after so-called “contemporary wisdom” and “up-to-date truth.”

Have we forgotten that the author of the word of God is “I AM”? He is the eternal one. He does not get old or out of style. His pronouncements are not fads that pass away. Even if we grant that life has become increasingly more complex and difficult to live, this does not mean that God’s wisdom is inadequate. Considering the infinite measures of divine understanding, nothing is too complicated for the Holy Spirit.

Those who use this cliché to justify the use of psychological theories in the ministry of the church are inferring that God allowed insufficiencies in His word. May the Lord forgive us for selling His word so short and for not trusting in the work of His Spirit. In addition, may He awaken us to see how we are drifting from Him and His word.

Conclusion

The second basic means God uses (along with His word) in getting His counsel into our lives is the Holy Spirit. True biblical counseling cannot take place without the full involvement of the Spirit of Truth. So when we are looking for counsel from the Lord or being used to share His counsel with others, we want to be depending upon the Spirit to lead us and guide us into the truth of His word. Likewise, when others come to us for godly counsel, we want to urge them to be putting their hope in the work of the Holy Spirit in order to ensure any spiritual benefit for their lives.

(This article is an excerpt from the book How to Counsel God’s Way, which is about biblical discipleship truths for living the Christian life and helping others do the same. This study is taken from the section dealing with “God’s Means in Counseling.” In addition to this book, further biblical study on these matters is available through our Counseling God’s Way audio and video studies.)