Counseling Theology - Common Grace and The Ability of Secular Psychologists to Truly Understand The Human Condition.

Continuing in this Biblical Counseling series, we shift gears slightly, and begin to see how proper theology in counseling sets what we do apart from secular psychology, and even what is commonly called “Christian Counseling.” In all that has been revealed to us, whether common or saving, and whether general or specific, we will begin to see that God’s ways far surpasses all those that man may devise.

Common Grace

Common grace is the language we use to describe and understand God and his bountiful kindness on all that he has created. In Matthew 5:45, Jesus explains God’s kindness, saying, “For [your Father] makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.” by saying that he does these wonderful acts for everyone we see God’s grace being disseminated evenly over all of creation. Both of these things mentioned are free to humanity and allow food to grown, and create sustenance for all living things; God is supremely kind in doing this. This principle however, flows into more arenas than just agriculture. This grace of God applies to many things, like love (Matthew 7:9-11), family (Genesis 2:24), work (Genesis 1:28, Proverbs 22:29), morals (Romans 2:15), our physical health (Provers 3:1-2), as well as to knowledge and wisdom (Job 32:8; 35:11). Common grace allows people who do not know Christ to be able to do things well, to become exceptional in their work, and create things on a monumental scale. Furthermore, because Jesus is the light of men (John 1:4), this allows all the minds of men in the world to function (to some degree) the way the Lord intended them to. By necessity, because Jesus has come in to the world, as man’s light, the frays of that light are enough to illumine the minds and hearts of men to continue to pursue God’s mandate for us at creation.

Paul describes common grace in 1 Timothy 4:10 saying, “to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe as being saved” (Emphasis added). Here, Paul is saying, without any uncertainty, that all men are saved by Christ. This saving, however, doesn’t mean eternal redemption, no, but Christ is nonetheless described here as the savior of all people. What does Paul mean? Calvin helps us by his comments on this passage saying,

“The word Savior is not here taken in what we call its proper and strict meaning, in regard to the eternal salvation which God promises to his elect, but it is taken for one who delivers and protects. Thus we see that even unbelievers are protected by God, as it is said (Matthew 5:46) that “he maketh his sun to shine on the good and the bad;” and we see that all are fed by his goodness, that all are delivered from many dangers. In this sense he is called “the Savior of all men,” not in regard to the spiritual salvation of their souls, but because he supports all his creatures. In this way, therefore, our Lord is the Savior of all men, that is, his goodness extends to the most wicked, who are estranged from him, and who do not deserve to have any intercourse with him, who ought to have been struck off from the number of the creatures of God and destroyed; and yet we see how God hitherto extends his grace to them; for the life which he gives to them is a testimony of his goodness.”

We may initially shutter to think this way, but alas, this is what the scriptures teach. It teaches that even if someone doesn’t experience regeneration, and hates Jesus, they are still saved (biblically) if they have recovered from an illness, received rescue from a bad situation, have been shown kindness, or anything of the like. Because God is a gracious God, people have experienced the salvation of God – in a lesser sense – by what we call, common grace. 

Conclusion and Application

Common grace is an important and necessary reality to acknowledge, especially in counseling. By common grace a person is allowed to understand and know true things. Because of God’s intellectual provision for all men, they are able to operate and respond to the world around them in an honest way discovering true things. When it comes to secular psychologists, they too are able to know true things and discover true things about the humanity. They are able to make discoveries, and make descriptions that can be helpful and true and right in regards to the human condition. Secular psychologists carefully and skillfully evaluate and study many things including human behavior and physiological responses to particular circumstances and situations. 

Because of God’s common grace toward secular psychologists, we can be supremely thankful, because, they have done some helpful work in allowing us to understand people in a critical way when it comes to counseling. As people struggle with depression, or family difficulty, or addiction, etc. we can look to what secular psychologists have observed and be thankful for their scrutiny of man.

Conclusion

Common grace is God’s gift to all man kind and we ought to thank him for it. But next time we will dive more into this knowledge, and discuss the the next step after observation, and how this is where the biblical counselor, and the psychologist take a drastic turn from each other.

stay tuned!