256: Conviction of the Holy Spirit - Pastor Jeff's Testimony

If you are a biblical counselor, you have come face to face with many forms of human brokenness. It is overwhelming at times to see the effects of human sinfulness and depravity in the world. Men and women live in circumstances touched by suffering, substance abuse, anger, conflict, bitterness, depression, grief, sexual immorality, and shame. The secular world cannot see the spiritual realities behind these manifestations of sin. In each circumstance, Christians perceive that manifestations of sin and suffering are the results of death and bear witness to the absence of spiritual life among humanity.

This podcast begins a new series of theological talks addressing one of the most vital doctrines for biblical counselors, the doctrine of the Holy Spirit. If the sin and suffering counselees experience in the world is a result of sin and suffering, then the Holy Spirit is central to the work of biblical counseling.

In this podcast, Jeff Christianson argues that the Holy Spirit plays a vital role in the work and ministry of biblical counseling. The Holy Spirit gives and sustains spiritual life in both the ministry of the biblical counselor and the spiritual lives of counselees.

In Scripture, we see that the Holy Spirit plays two major roles in the believer’s life. First, the Holy Spirit gives spiritual life to the believer (John 3:3­–8). Paul writes that we were dead in our trespasses and sins (Eph 2:1). Our spiritual life begins when the Holy Spirit fully indwells our hearts at conversion. Second, the Holy Spirit not only gives us spiritual life, but he also remains within us as our continual source of spiritual life. Once we are born again, we continue to walk in step with the Spirit (Gal 5:25). Christians must remember that as they commute, work, travel, rest, fellowship, and engage in the different activities of life, they are constantly drawing upon the spiritual power of the Holy Spirit to sustain their spiritual life.

Many Christians struggle with understanding the nature of the spiritual life. They feel defeated by sin. They see their affections for God withering. They feel powerless in evangelism. For how common these experiences can feel, Jeff Christianson reminds Christians that they must not look to their own efforts to grow and sustain spiritual fruit. But Christians must look to the Holy Spirit to sustain their spiritual lives.   

Christians face a difficulty when discussing the Holy Spirit. There are many crazy ideas about the Holy Spirit floating around the church world today. Many Christians struggle to maintain the biblical balance on the doctrine of the Holy Spirit. On the one side is “Charismania.” Many Christians can become overwhelmed by experiences or ideas that they think are biblical. Sadly, the Holy Spirit can easily become an excuse for fleshly and humanistic hype. The key to discerning the work of the Holy Spirit is recognizing the authority and sufficiency of the Scriptures. God’s Word must govern and regulate our understanding of the Spirit’s work (1 Jn 4:1). On the other hand, many Christians respond strongly against the abuses of the Spirit’s work and swing too far the other way. People see the abuses of the Spirit and embrace a dead or dry approach to the Spirit’s work. In trying to prevent the abuses, they adopt a lifeless spirituality.

Instead of falling into either the ditch of “Charismania” or the ditch of lifeless spirituality, Christians must embrace the full teaching of the Word of God on the doctrine of the Holy Spirit. God’s Word clearly teaches that there is life, hope, and peace for believers found in the work of the Holy Spirit.

Christians must be careful when approaching the work of counseling. Many times, counselors have a background in some sort of mechanical field. Maybe you have a craft or a skill that has been cultivated over time. Jeff Christianson in this podcast shares his past as a car mechanic. Jeff spent many years in the 1980s working on hot rods and cars during the “Rock ’n’ Roll” years in Los Angeles, California. He still remembers the formula and processes of constructing engines, bodywork, and styling cars.

Christians with backgrounds in mechanical fields can take a mechanical approach to counseling. They are tempted to treat people like machines and view the change process as a series of formulas. Christianson reminds counselors that counselees are much more complex than cars or equipment. Many times, counselees lives are messy and complicated. The complexity of counseling forces counselors to rely upon the Holy Spirit in the transformation of their counselees.

Jeff Christianson ends this podcast with his own personal testimony. If there was ever an example of a messy counselee, Jeff fit the picture! Jeff shares how 2022 marks thirty years of his spiritual life as a Christian. If someone traveled back thirty years to Los Angeles, they would find a young Jeff Christianson with long hair, a cool car, and an empty soul. Jeff pursued everything the world had to offer, drugs, girls, and fun. His work on hot rods gave him access to celebrities and rock stars during the height of rock music in LA. One fateful day in 1992, Jeff went to see the band Motorhead and their new opening act, a band called Guns N’ Roses. During the concert, Jeff attempted to smoke in the concert hall and was kicked out. Drunk, Jeff went behind the theater to urinate only to be arrested. He spent the night in the Pasadena jail. Once he was released, he found his car impounded. A long walk to his car gave Jeff time to think about his life. His hot rod business was falling apart. His girlfriend had left him. He was empty. He was broken. His life was falling apart.

Soon after, Jeff found a Gideon’s bible and God changed his story. Jeff believes in the power of the Holy Spirit because thirty years ago the Holy Spirit took a young and empty Jeff Christianson and gave him spiritual life.

 

Jeff Christianson

Biblical Counseling Academy


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