God hates sin because it destroys the perfection of his creation (Romans 3:23) and to restore a perfect world where the lion will lie down with the lamb, he must destroy sin and everything corrupted by it (John 3:36). The most comforting fact about this doctrine is that Jesus bore God’s wrath for us (1 John 4:10) so no one has to bear it themselves, although unbelievers choose to (Romans 2:5). In counseling it is a guiding principle that any difficulty a believer faces in this life no matter how bad is for our edification, not our destruction (Hebrews 12:6-8, Job 23:10). Romans 1:18, 24 goes so far as to picture God’s wrath as letting people get what they want, though they will not want what they get. 1 Cor 5:5 similarly pictures this destruction similarly, as leaving people to indulge their sinful desires and reap consequences.
1 John 1:9 reminds us that God will forgive us if we confess, but it is important to remember he is under no obligation to do so. In counseling, it is important to remember it is not our physical works or changes of heart that bring healing, it is God’s merciful nature that forgives the undeserving if only they will let it. We often even as believers “make God in our image” by feeling owed forgiveness because we are commanded to forgive. However, we forgive because we are forgiven and commanded to (Eph 4:32, 1 John 4:19), God is under no such obligation, he does it strictly out of his own desire to. This realization abases pride, produces profound gratitude, and propels counselors and counselees to be gracious and merciful out of a pure heart, rather than one negotiating and manipulating to satisfy itself, recapturing the heart of mercy.
1 Peter 1:15-16 gives us the practical exhortation to holiness, which is perfection. Because God is morally perfect, he calls us to be as well. In counseling, this reminds us that the goal is not to fix circumstances or ease pain, it is to expel lesser desires with a desire for God, shifting the focus to him. It means there is no sin that it “worth it” or “doesn’t matter” or consequenceless. They all impede on the primary objective: holiness.
Romans 8:28 is perhaps the most assuring verse in the Bible because it reminds us that God is in control. Jesus being crucified was the greatest evil possible, and yet God wrought the greatest good we know out of it. Because God is all powerful we do not have to worry when circumstances are bleak, no matter how painful or unhelpful they might seem, God “signed off” on them, and will use them for greater good than we know. In life and counseling, this is a powerful reminder that our ways are not his ways, and that we need to adjust our desires to his.
Proverbs 15:3 is a powerful reminder of God’s omniscience, that no matter how well we can fool ourselves and those around us, we cannot fool God. He knows our sins and our sinful desires, we cannot get away with anything. Moreover, he knows the way to holiness we would never find, and what we need to progress in our sanctification (Isa 40:28), so nothing we find outside of what he’s given us will measure up.
Psalm 139:7-10 reminds us that God is always with us, and he hears our cry. He’s not just observing (omniscient), able to fix it (omnipotent), or loving from a distance, he is personally involved in the most intimate of relationships. In life and counseling when we’re tempted to feel neglected, we know that we are part of God’s plan, and that he cares about the obscure nuanced details of our personal life and not just the big important events in the history of the world.
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