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By: Dave Hunt
(The Berean Call Reprint 86 - 96)
The Bereab Call
PO Box 7019
Bend, Oregon 97708
USA
Many Christians mistakenly believe that there is an identifiable body of knowledge known as "Christian psychology." That simply isn't true. No such program or training, or school is recognized by even the Christian psychologists, and certainly cannot be found in any psychology textbook. So what is "Christian psychology?
It is simply one form or another of secular psychology developed by godless humanists hostile to the Bible and now dressed up in Bible language, and passes this deceitful combination as Bible truth. Many "Christian psychologists" affirm the inerrancy of Scripture, yet they denounce the belief that the Bible is the only legitimate and authoritative source of moral values and spiritual guidance of mankind. This means they denies the sufficiency of the Scripture. New "revelations" have been given through the godliness, antichristian apostles and prophets of psychology (Freud, Jung, et al) and accepted by the church as of equal authority with the Bible.
Psychology pretends to be the study of soul, it has been called the cure of the soul. Christian psychology says that we do need its help, that the Bible does not have all the answers we need, that prayer, repentance, being filled with the Holy Spirit and other biblical remedies are not enough because there are psychological problems that require something more. Psychotherapy pretends to be able to deal with the soul and the spirit, in fact it is a subject upon which God has spoken with finality and about which he claimed to have communicated in His Word the whole truth.There are no parts of this truth missing from the Bible and left in the limbo to be discovered by godless theorists. God's word offers total and perpetual spiritual healing, and that includes the emotions. Scripture declares that God's divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature,having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust"(2 Peter 1;3,4).
We do not need from Fraud, et al. Psychotherapy is a rival religion that cannot be integrated with Christianity. Secular psychologists and psychiatrists in increasing numbers are pointing out in books, articles, and lectures the bankruptcy of their profession. How astonishing it is that as those who were once its leading proponents are abandoning their sinking ship, Christians are jumping aboard as though it were the ark of safety. Former president of the Association for Humanistic Psychology, Lawrence LeShan, has suggested that psychotherapy is the hoax of the twentieth century--yet the church as embraced it as a part of "God's truth" missing from God's Word.
Christian psychologists assure that psychological theory that contradicts the Bible will not be accepted, but in actual practice "psychological truth" is imposed upon the Bible and becomes the new grid through which the Bible is to be interpreted. Inevitably, psychology gains authority over the Bible and the church, Christian universities and seminaries develop large and growing psychology departments in order to keep with the "current trend", and have become breeding ground for secular humanism accepted as psychology. Pastors begin to believe that they are not competent to counsel from the Bible without going back to seminary for an advanced degree in psychology. Without the background of such, one will be seen and treated as unqualified to give counsel to his congregation, even though he can preach to them from an open Bible.
The very foundations of Christian faith are being undermined by many those who are looked to as its defenders. For example, the Graduate School of Psychology of Fuller Theological Seminary has received accreditation form the American Psychological Association continually, such school also places heavy emphasis upon hypnosis, which come right out of the occult.
Abraham Maslow, a psychologist's "hierarchy of needs" states that man's physical needs for such thing as food, clothing and shelter must be met first, then so-called psychological needs, and last of spiritual needs.This theory blatantly turns Christ's command upside down, Jesus commanded His disciples,"But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you'(Matthew 6:25-33). However, this "hierarchy of needs" permeates the books and sermons of many preachers. Consequently every place in the bible that deals with charity and love need to be reinterpreted, to align with this theory of self-love.
Christians psychologists such as Larry Crabb,who is considered to be the most biblical of all, but could not have an exception, in his book, "Understanding People (p.120)", Crabb writes,"Unless we understand sin as rooted in unconscious beliefs and motives and figure out how to expose and deal with these deep forces within the personality, the church will continue to promote superficial adjustment while psychotherapists, with or without biblical foundations, will do a better job than the church of restoring troubled people to more effective functioning". Is this biblical?
Dr. James Dobson is to be commended for leading the fight against humanism's immoral issues: abortion, pornography, child-abuse, and homosexuality. Yet he has based his entire ministry upon another stepchild of humanism:the theory that virtually every problem in modern society and the church today (from drugs, rape, or murder to depression) is caused by a "bad self-image" or "low self-esteem."
Robert Schuller declares, "The death of Christ on the cross is God's price tag on a human soul...we really are somebodies!", he also says Christ died to sanctify our self-esteem. He perverts "Thou shalt have no other gods before me" to mean "Believe in God who believe in you!"--though the Bible warns,"Cursed be the man that trusteth in man" Jer 17:5. He says it is destructive of the gospel to call anyone a sinner, and declares,'You don't know what power you have within you!...You can make the world into anything you want."
In 2 Timothy 3:1,2, Paul warns,"...in the last days; perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of them selves.... In Philippians 2:3, Paul also says " in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves." and Roman 12:3 warns us not to think of ourselves 'More highly than ought to think", nowhere does the Bible warn us against too poorly of ourselves. "Christians psychologists" borrowed the seductive myth that self-love, self-esteem and self-worth are vital ingredients for a healthy mental state, and a lack of it becomes root of sins!
In fact, most if not all of the heroes in the Bible lacked all that psychologists says we need. Moses was rejected by his own people and considered himself to be both unworthy and incompetent. If there was ever a man with an low self-image and self-esteem, and by today's secular standard --it was Moses. Instead of prescribing months of Christan psychological counselig to raise his self-image, God said,'I will be with you!" Look at Paul. Hated by the Jewish community and rejected by most of the church"no man stood with me"-2 Timothy4:16, "all they in Asia be turned away from me 2 Timothy 1:15, he considered himself the chief of all sinners (1 Timothy 1:15), and "less than the least of all sinners"(Ephesians 3:8). However God only declared that His strength was made perfect in Paul's weakness. Millions are being robbed of the presence and power of God in their lives by being turned to self-love, self-image, self-acceptance, self-worth,etc.
Christian psychology has promoted the lie that God loves us because of some value He sees in us; and even that Christ's death; proves we are of infinite value to God. In fact, He died for our sin. Spurgeon said it well,"Jesus...did not come to save us because we ere with saving, but because we were utterly worthless, ruined, and undone. The Bible does frequently remind us that we are sinners and unprofitable to God in and of ourselves. How reluctant we are to admit that truth.
On the other hand, Christian psychologist allows us to say, "I can't love my wife or husband or parent. According to the Bible, we are commanded to love: first of all God, then neighbor as ourselves,and finally even our enemies. There is no place for no love of others. We are not to be excused from the command because somebody is not lovable. Unfortunately, the simple obedience of God;s Word that sound doctrine compels has been undermined by "psychological counseling" that nourishes unbelief and rebellion.
Psychologist also promotes positivism in humanism, as a result, charges of "divisive" and "negative" were laid against those who would warn the church of unbiblical teachings and practices. Christ was very negative when he warned of judgment and hell, exposed sin, demanded repentance, rebuked the religious leaders and indicted them as hypocrites, whited sepulchers, blind leaders, fools etc. When Paul exhorted Timothy to "preach the word",and one must "reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine". Christian psychologists" have redefined as mental illness all manner of behavior that Jesus, the Great Physician, diagnosed as sin, To the Christian psychologists, drunkenness is not a sin, but an excusable "illness"-- "alcoholic", a new term at the time.
True spirituality has nothing to do with psychology (1 Corinthians 2:11), a fake science based on man's rationalization, i.e. self-deception, As a Christian, true spirituality is a product only of our submission and obedience by His grace to His word John 14:15). The idea that man can add anything to God's way is utter folly. The church needs to return to biblical Christianity, starting from purging itself of psychological theories and terminology.
