Psychology and Scripture

[Gabriel]

Dear brothers and sisters,

I don't really know if this should be posted in the general or off topic discussions but I was wondering. What do the scriptures say about improving ourselves through Psychology? I hope this question does not come off as anti-science because that is not my intention. I know nothing physical can make us spiritual. But could God have given us this form of science to help us grow as people and overcome our fears?

God be with you all,

Gabriel

[grapehound]

Gabriel
Very interesting post. Did you have any particular model of Psychology in mind?

Grape

[Deborah-Leigh]

Hi Gabriel

I know of nowhere in the Scriptures where the Word of our God tells us how to improve ourselves except that we spiritually obey, follow  and abide in the Word of God. I do know that Babylon, Christendom, has many  formulas and techniques and uses the Word of God to sponsor their self help programs aiming at and for happier more self assured emotional dispositions.  

Yet we have quantum physics, we have psychology and mind bending techniques that include hypnotism. We have even gone to the moon. Has any of this improved our spiritual condition? No.

We might be smarter, and yet we are not any more wiser. We might be more technologically advanced yet there is more evil in the world as sin begets sin and the spiritual condition of humankind has been spiraling downwards to deeper darkness of soul and delusion. Just look at the state of the world.

God is our ultimate psychologist, knowing what no mortal psychologist can know or medicate or change.   Can any mortal know more than God?

What overcomes our fears? Here is what my God and your God says.

2Ti 1:7  For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
Heb 13:6  So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.
1Jn 4:18  There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.

The world has torment. Does that mean psychology has no place? No. I was treated for clinical depression for many years. Only once I got here, could I identify the root cause of that depression was buried in false understanding and blasphemous beliefs. God, through His Goodness caused me to repent! No psychologist could do that!

Arc

[gmik]

Good thoughts Deb.

My son Brian is a therapist for abused children.  He majored in Psychology and got his masters in Social Work.  The entire time, he said, was constantly battling the teachings w/ the Bible.  Now as a "Christian" therapist he feels he can help people so much more...he doesn't have any restrictions on him like I did as a teacher.

I always liked Phil 8....whatever is good....THINK ON THESE THINGS.  That is very good psychology! 

[Deborah-Leigh]

My therapist who helped me through clinical depression was unfettered to any Chruch doctrines so any influence from false teachings just did not appear in therapy. 

It is wonderful that Brian will not be re-inforcing the pagan Hell doctrines of demons with the children! That sure will help!

God has his own where He causes them to be!

Arc

[musicman]

Pschology in the bible?  Of course there is. .. . .well, maybe in one a them special bibles.  There's one section where Satan is lying on the couch and this demon phsychologist from the deepest bowels of hell is asking him to describe what has happened to him:

Satan- I. . . .I mean he just threw me out just like that.  I wanted a piece of the god pie and god just threw me out of heaven towards the Earth like I was less than nothing.

Demonchologist- And how does that make you feel?

Satan- I'm just p'd, he never even sat down to talk to me.  he never asked me about my feelings.  he hates me.

Demonchologist- And how does it feel to be tossed out of heaven?

Satan-That was my home man.  That was my home.

[grapehound]

Amen Arc.

Musicman, you rock! rofl 

[Gabriel]

For many years I studied Psychology because I have http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schizoaffective_disorder (hope that doesn't weird anyone out) it's just ever since I came to bible-truths it's always been in my mind that "nothing physical can make us spiritual" so it made me question those studies.  

God be with you all,

Gabriel

[judith collier]

Gabriel, not to make light but schizophrenic is nothing more than sitting on a fence. Both sides of the brain play havoc with one another because of miswired circuits. But, the way i see it that is physical, so treat it with physical. Spiritual is of the heart. I know all about this stuff believe me having been through enough diagnoses to put the shrinks to shame. I am down to obsessiveness now. Funny, in a way. But God has healed me this far along with medication but I need less and less as I see what my carnal mind does.
judy

[Akira329]

Pschology in the bible?  Of course there is. .. . .well, maybe in one a them special bibles.  There's one section where Satan is lying on the couch and this demon phsychologist from the deepest bowels of hell is asking him to describe what has happened to him:

Satan- I. . . .I mean he just threw me out just like that.  I wanted a piece of the god pie and god just threw me out of heaven towards the Earth like I was less than nothing.

Demonchologist- And how does that make you feel?

Satan- I'm just p'd, he never even sat down to talk to me.  he never asked me about my feelings.  he hates me.

Demonchologist- And how does it feel to be tossed out of heaven?

Satan-That was my home man.  That was my home.

Priceless!!!!

[musicman]

Pschology in the bible?  Of course there is. .. . .well, maybe in one a them special bibles.  There's one section where Satan is lying on the couch and this demon phsychologist from the deepest bowels of hell is asking him to describe what has happened to him:

Satan- I. . . .I mean he just threw me out just like that.  I wanted a piece of the god pie and god just threw me out of heaven towards the Earth like I was less than nothing.

Demonchologist- And how does that make you feel?

Satan- I'm just p'd, he never even sat down to talk to me.  he never asked me about my feelings.  he hates me.

Demonchologist- And how does it feel to be tossed out of heaven?

Satan-That was my home man.  That was my home.

I'm surprised ya'll haven't heard of that bible.  Several church teachings come right out of it.  Anyhow, if you check a couple lines down, you'll see that god was invited to a few sessions.  Here's what it says:

Demonchologist- Satan, I have invited somebody.  

god- Satan, i threw you out for the benefit of my angels, and how dare you take a third of them with you?  

Satan- You shouldn't have thrown me out god.  Why do you hate me?

god- Well,. .. .because you are Satan now.

Demonchologist- Fellas, we are not expressing ourselves in a constructive way.

Satan-I want to be god.

god- Satan, go to time-out.

Satan- Aaahh, shucks god.  Your timeouts are eternity in hell.  I'm just going to torchor everybody while I'm there.

god-Well, you go right ahead Satan.

[Ninny]

Oh...so THAT'S why hell was made? hmmm...To Give the devil something constructive to do with his hate for GOD? Well, Musicman that is a very good explanation of it! That has just cleared up so much in my mind!!
I will ponder over this psychology session.....You're SO smart...How do you KNOW these things??   
Kathy

[grapehound]

Well spoken, Janine !

Thanks MM, you rock !

[Joel]

Hi Gabriel
From what I know about the scriptures, our minds are the battlegrounds where many long battles are won and lost. Of course good will prevail over evil in the end, but in the mean time, John 10:10 The thief's purpose is to steal, kill and destroy, My purpose is to give life in all its fullness.
If we don't have, or are not getting that fullness, then we are constantly under attach from the evils in the spirit world, that are constantly seeking to devour us.
While I was in the Church world I was allways depressed about something, and a lot of the time it was about the confusion of RELIGION. The only way I could deal with the onslaught was to disassociate myself from the turmoil, and my way was to SLEEP. and I mean a lot.
Most of the time I felt so drained, that was all I could do anyway. The World, the Flesh and the Devil are doing a number on the population of the world today.
But thank God there is deliverance through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!
We are a blessed people to have the Truths of God here at Bible-Truths that we can get answers from many, many subjects, that can break the chokehold of the thief.
Here is a scripture that you may want to look at:
Luke 22:45 KJV
And when he rose up from prayer, and was come to his disciples,he found them sleeping for sorrow.
TLB- At last he stood up again and returned to the disciple's- only to find them asleep, exhausted from grief.
All is of God and that is the reason we need him to deliver us from evil. We all have to go through the fire, so we can come forth as pure gold.
His will be done in all things.

Joel

[aqrinc]

Hi Gabriel,

Here is where Paul talks about: Psychology on Steroids i think. The Spirit Of Christ Jesus is our Therapist, else we would have zero chance of figuring out the incredible maze we must walk through to reach the Prize. But thank God, as paul says in the end, it is His purpose to Will and to Do, of his Good Pleasure for us.

I may be plagarizing brother paul, but here goes.

Rom 7: 1-25 (BBE)
1  Is it not clear, my brothers I am using an argument to those who have knowledge of the law, that the law has power over a man as long as he is living?
2  For the woman who has a husband is placed by the law under the power of her husband as long as he is living; but if her husband is dead, she is free from the law of the husband.
3  So if, while the husband is living, she is joined to another man, she will get the name of one who is untrue to her husband: but if the husband is dead, she is free from the law, so that she is not untrue, even if she takes another man.

4  In the same way, my brothers, you were made dead to the law through the body of Christ, so that you might be joined to another, even to him who came again from the dead, so that we might give fruit to God.
5  For when we were in the flesh, the evil passions which came into being through the law were working in our bodies to give the fruit of death.

6  But now we are free from the law, having been made dead to that which had power over us; so that we are servants in the new way of the spirit, not in the old way of the letter.
7  What then is to be said? is the law sin? in no way. But I would not have had knowledge of sin but for the law: for I would not have been conscious of desire if the law had not said, You may not have a desire for what is another's.

8  But sin, taking its chance through that which was ordered by the law, was working in me every form of desire: because without the law sin is dead.
9  And there was a time when I was living without the law: but when the law gave its orders, sin came to life and put me to death;
10  And I made the discovery that the law whose purpose was to give life had become a cause of death:

11  For I was tricked and put to death by sin, which took its chance through the law.
12  But the law is holy, and its orders are holy, upright, and good.
13  Was then that which is good, death to me? In no way. But the purpose was that sin might be seen to be sin by working death to me through that which is good; so that through the orders of the law sin might seem much more evil.

14  For we are conscious that the law is of the spirit; but I am of the flesh, given into the power of sin.
15  And I have no clear knowledge of what I am doing, for that which I have a mind to do, I do not, but what I have hate for, that I do.

16  But, if I do that which I have no mind to do, I am in agreement with the law that the law is good.
17  So it is no longer I who do it, but the sin living in me.
18  For I am conscious that in me, that is, in my flesh, there is nothing good: I have the mind but not the power to do what is right.

19  For the good which I have a mind to do, I do not: but the evil which I have no mind to do, that I do.
20  But if I do what I have no mind to do, it is no longer I who do it, but the sin living in me.
21  So I see a law that, though I have a mind to do good, evil is present in me.

22  In my heart I take pleasure in the law of God,
23  But I see another law in my body, working against the law of my mind, and making me the servant of the law of sin which is in my flesh.

24  How unhappy am I! who will make me free from the body of this death?
25  I give praise to God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So with my mind I am a servant to the law of God, but with my flesh to the law of sin.

george .