In the summer of 2014, I returned to school for Biblical Counselling at the Master’s University (TMU) after years of training and practice in integrationist and secular psychology. In December 2018, I officially completed my MABC requirements. Some of my fellow classmates and I have referred to our MABC program as “sanctification on steroids.” I am incredibly grateful to God and wanted to share a few reflections of thanksgiving.
Sanctification through God’s Word of Life
I am most grateful for a foundation of tools to rightly handle the Word of truth (2 Tim 2:15). Although I had attended Christian institutions for my graduate degrees and taken theology classes, I lacked discernment and a proper hermeneutic. I had become “taken captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ” (Col 2:8). Psychology seemed to make more “sense” to me than theology as to how to practically help people in their suffering, resulting in my pointing people to a false gospel (alleviating symptoms versus the surpassing worth of knowing Christ as Lord and Saviour, Phil 3:8-10). Dr. John Street’s love of Scripture and reverence of God was contagious. His 2-unit marriage and family class grew my marriage more than my 2-year marriage and family therapy program. I will never forget his pithy wisdom: “a text without a context is a pretext for a prooftext.” After his hermeneutics classes, I am grieved at how much proof texting I did not see in my previous integrationist studies, and even now I need to be wary of falling back into it. Dr. Shelbi Cullen also helped me to grow in application and teaching of the Word, especially with women.
When I left my previous theological studies, I had seen the Bible as an incomprehensible text of theology about which everyone had their own opinion. The only truth I held on to was that Jesus died for my sins, and one day I would go to heaven. Now it is the authority from which I want to make sense of everything, including what and how to counsel. Now it is God’s epic love story of creation, fall, redemption, and restoration. Now it is His very life breath (2 Tim 3:16), His Word of eternal life (John 6:68) and where else would I go? From studies of single words, passages, specific books, genres, and systematics, His Word is a mine of infinite treasures. These are not mere facts to be learned, but full of spiritual wisdom and understanding to be known and loved (e.g., Col 1:9). As I have learned to dig, I have encountered more and more of the true and living God as revealed in Scripture, and as I am beholding His glory, I am being transformed into Christ-likeness from one degree to another, which comes from God’s power and not my own (2 Cor 3:18).
Sanctification through Discerning the Thoughts and Intentions of the Heart
Not only were we required to exegete Scripture, but also our own hearts through the lens of Scripture. I learned about the centrality of man’s heart in Scripture: how out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks (Matt 12:34), how the heart must be guarded with all vigilance (Prov 4:23), and how the living and active Word helps to discern its thoughts and intentions (Heb 4:12). I have to put off my old self belonging to my former manner of life that is corrupt through deceitful desires, thus I must be renewed in the spirit of my mind, and actively put on my new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness (Eph 4:22-24). Through personal sanctification projects (PSPs) and in my own Biblical counselling, I sought to face my suffering and my old self and its manifestations using biblical terms coram Deo (before the face of God). I gained knowledge of the nature of true repentance as opposed to worldly sorrow (2 Cor 7:10-11), and that without true repentance there will be no significant heart change.
In Dr. Stuart Scott’s methodology classes, supervision, and just by his model, I learned how to help counselees (and myself) discern their hearts, confess, repent, and rest in the gospel, all with the Word of God. He also provided masterful organizational tools for data, and homework addressing the heart. His book From Pride to Humility[1] brought me to my knees before the Lord, and I frequently return to this booklet and to my knees. The PSPs helped me gain a deeper grasp of my constant need for gospel grace and mercy before a holy God. I am humbled by the logs in my eye before I dare as a counsellor (or in any other context) to remove a speck from my sister’s eye (Matt 7:1-5, c.f. Gal 6:1). At the same time, the PSPs helped me to see the sufficiency of Scripture to address my suffering, sin, and sanctification!
Sanctification through Superior Worship
The gospel, the good news of deliverance from death and redemption from sin through faith in Jesus Christ, leads to superior worship. Dr. Ernie Baker frequently reminded us that “superior worship pushes out inferior worship”[2]. Where our treasure is, there our heart will be also (Matt 6:21). Where we place our awe, hope, trust, love, shows what our heart worships, or our “worth-ship”[3]; we give worth to what we value, prioritize, sacrifice for, treasure. Like Paul and Barnabas cried to the crowd at Lystra, “We also are men, of like nature with you, and we bring you good news, that you should turn from these vain things to a living God.” (Acts 14:15). This worship turns to action fuelled by affection for God, as Paul later tells the Athenians, “In Him we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28). They become both hearers and doers of the Word (Jas 1:22) as acts of worship, not legalistic externalism.
Sanctification through Fellow Sojourners
Finally, I am grateful for the church body in sanctification. Hebrews 3:12-13 reminds us to “Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called ‘today,’ that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.” In 37 Ways to Love One Another, Biblical Counsellor and Pastor Paul Tautges shares Scriptural sources of the one-anothers crucial for sanctification. I was incredibly encouraged by TMU faculty, and fellow MABC students, from many walks of life and a multitude of ministries. Some have become mentors who are willing to exhort me as they point me back to the gospel and God’s all sufficient word.
My previous education and training gave me worldly knowledge and learnedness, which now help me see that even with keen observations and brilliant minds, they lack a biblical view and biblical solutions. The MABC at TMU gave me Christ and the sufficiency of Scripture for gospel-centred sanctification.
[1] Stuart Scott, From Pride to Humility: A Biblical Perspective (USA: Focus Publishing, 2002).
[2] Dr. Ernie Baker would attribute to Thomas Chalmers, The Expulsive Power of a New Affection.
[3] Ernie Baker, “BC560: Biblical Conflict Resolution Class Notes”. Santa Clarita: Master’s College,