Jay Adams Visits the Institute
by Brian N. Burridge ©1993

If you have met him, you know the power of his words. Some perceive him as gruff, but he tells it like it is. He has written over 60 books, primarily on biblical counseling, but by no means is his experience and knowledge limited to that topic alone. Whether he speaks or writes, his words stir you to think. God has used this man to bless and change the lives of many. Dr. Jay Adams is a rare man indeed.

Recently, down here in sunny Florida, Dr. Adams was in town to speak at a One Day Symposium on Biblical Counseling. The sysmposium was on Thursday, but the Genevan Institute was blessed to have him attend our Wednesday evening session. We opened it up to the entire church where we meet, and had a better turn out than expected. Dr. Adams held a one hour question and answer time, that sent everyone home thinking.

Dr. Adams answered questions ranging from each Christians' responsibility in the church to what the Bible teaches about depression.

I was fortunate to have the privilege to pick his brain further, in the car on the way back to his hotel. If you haven't met this man, take my word for it, he is a wise man, with a true love for God and for his fellow Christians.

The following day, at the symposium, several of the Institute members, along with over 200 Bay Area Christians, met in Clearwater to listen to three 1 hour sessions by Adams, and two 1 hour classes taught by various other speakers, including NANC counselor, Donn Arms.

In his first seminar, Dr. Adams presented the worlds' views of counseling. He outlined Roger's, Freud's, and Skinner's views and methods of psychology. He then contrasted these views with the methods God has presented to us in the Bible. He urged us to keep in mind that counseling is actually dealing with theology. Bad theology leads to bad counseling. He also recommended that those training to be counselors should concentrate on theology courses, including Hebrew and Greek, instead of the typical psychology courses.

Dr. Adams reminded us that we have the Spirit and the Word and that is all we need to move ahead and be the individuals God wants us to be. If we don't, we are solely responsible.

Closing out the first seminar, he took us to II Timothy 3:16. The greatest tool for counseling is the Bible. As II Timothy says, the Bible sets the standards, convicts us of our faults, picks us up and sends us in the right direction, and helps us to develop in the proper manner.

After lunch we returned to the main chapel for Dr. Adams second session. Here, he opened with a discussion of the heart verses the mind. He said that the heart it not anti-intellectual like our modern civilization portrays it to be. The Bible never refers to the heart as the source of our emotion. In fact, Dr. Adams points out that according to the original Greek, when the Bible refers to a body part from which our feelings flow, it mentions the "guts" and our bowels. The real you is your "heart", your inner everything, not just your feelings. Only God can get to the inner self and heart. Only biblically can you work on improving the "inner" self.

First, we must desire to be righteous. An unbeliever cannot love as a Christian should; he cannot understand or comprehend what life is and what his importance is (I Cor. 2:14-16). Dr. Adams explained that this is why it is impossible to counsel a non-christian. They do not understand and do not believe the Bible, therefore we have nothing to work with. We must first evangelize them. Counseling is a ministry of the word, for believers. For the unbeliever we must tell them their way will be hard (Prov. 13:15). Romans 8:8 says that we cannot ask them to do good, because they cannot.

For the believer, there is hope. God has designed methods and tools that we can use to mature in Christ. Dr. Adams next took us back to II Timothy 3:16, which he referred to in the first session. In this verse we are shown the Bible's method of Christian growth. It teaches us, convicts us, directs us, and then develops us. The first three help us overcome the problem, and the fourth replaces it with righteousness.

Ephesians 4:20-32 tells us to put off our bad habits. A habit is something we do unconsciously, automatically, skillfully, and comfortably. We condition ourselves to respond in a certain way, sometimes in a sinful one. We develop a "style" of sinning. But, now that we are regenerated we are no longer servants of that sin. We must replace those sinful habits, with habits that glorify God. Habits are not all bad. Without habits we couldn't tie our shoes, brush our teeth, or drive our cars. God has blessed our minds with the ability to develop habits, but we must make sure that we overcome habits that offend our Creator.

Dr. Adams closed the second session by explaining the difference between overcoming a sinful habit, and just "vacationing" from it for awhile. When is a thief not a thief? When he's not stealing? No. When he is faithfully laboring to earn his provisions. A professional thief does not steal 24 hours a day. Even if he has sworn to stop stealing but does nothing to earn his living, he will most likely revert back to his previous lifestyle. We must not just take off the old, but replace it with the God-honoring new self.

In the third session, Jay Adams, used "worry" as an example. He called worry "a respectable sin" in the world's eyes. We must recognize worry for what it truly is; the sin of not trusting God.

Phillipians 4:6 tells us not to worry about anything, but to pray for everything, and have faith in God. God's promises never fail! If someone tells you that they tried to do something God's way and it hasn't worked, you know they haven't truly done what God has said. You must then investigate what it is they have been doing.

Some believers use the "pray and wait" method. God has not ordained prayer to be used in that way. We are to pray and walk in Christ. We must practice so that we create good habits. We must focus on God at all times. Pray faithfully, obey God, and learn His word. He will help you, He will strengthen you, but you cannot expect a miraculous, immediate response. Don't worry about tomorrow, just concentrate on the tasks today.

Dr. Adams closed his three inspiring sessions, by reminding us once again, that we cannot counsel or live proper Christian lives, without a working knowledge of the Bible. We at the Institute agree, and it is our endeavor to do just what Dr. Adams pointed out in his final session. May God give us the strength to live like Christ each and every day.

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