It was like drinking water from a fire hydrant.
That’s how I felt coming out of the Biblical Counseling seminar by Dr. Harold Sala.
All I can say is “wow.”
Here are a few take-aways.
God has entrusted to us the ministry
and message of reconciliation.
Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 5 that we have been reconciled to God. As a result, we have been given the ministry of bringing others into a restored relationship with Christ.
All problems stem from one root – SIN. It may sound simple but it’s not simplistic.
Every relationship that has been broken results from a heart that has been marred by bitterness, greed, pride, anger, hatred or something of that sort which the Bible calls sin. We just have to call a spade a spade.
In a day and age of political correctness, we use words like “affair” and “misappropriation of funds” to hide the real essence of what we have done to offend a Holy God.
The good news will never sound so good until we realize how bad the bad news is.
We are separated from God and we cannot save ourselves. Our hearts are rotten and only Jesus can rescue us.
The Bible is not only cross cultural
but also counter cultural.
While the principles of Scripture are not confined by geographic boundary lines, we will find that they are also counter-cultural.
This means that what the world reveals to us as ‘common’ may not necessarily be ‘normal.’
It’s common for people to have sex before marriage these days, but the Bible says it’s not the norm.
1 Thes. 4:7 says that it is God’s will that you should be sanctified: to avoid sexual immorality.
What is common may not necessarily be normal according to God.
Conflicts don’t destroy relationships;
our refusal to resolve does.
I found this to be very true.
There will always be conflicts. When you’re talking about relationships with people, that’s clearly inevitable.
The question is not whether there will be conflicts or not, but are you willing to resolve.
A wise man told me once, “the goal is not the point out who’s wrong or right but to restore the relationship.”
Forgiveness doesn’t mean everything is ok;
it’s giving up the right to hurt back.
Forgiveness does not equal forgetting.
I think that’s quite impossible. No matter how you try, the scar is still there.
But forgiveness is letting go of your right to hurt back and retaliate understanding that God is the ultimate Judge.
There is punishment for the unjust.
And for those who give their life to Christ, the appropriate penalty has been taken on by Christ Himself when He died on the cross.
