Introduction
In my day-to-day ministry of teaching counseling at Birmingham Theological Seminary coupled with supervising doctoral students’ internships in Biblical Counseling, I read multiple case reports every week. In addition, I interface with ACBC Phase 3 candidates and often discuss cases with previous supervisees. The regularity of the matrix of these cases highlights the normalcy of the impact of ignoring, and often downright stiff-necked rebellion, the Word of God. The following case report has been redacted. It could be one of any group of five cases I read (So, don’t think, oh, I know who that was, because you don’t).
Case Study
Counselee craves relationship and order, and those two cravings feature most prominently in his persistent use of pornography. This week, the main topic of our counseling session was order and relationships in life. The counselee shared that he had had open conversations with some of his male Bible study friends, during which they openly exposed some of his behaviors.
While we have talked about most of his sinful patterns at length already, I told him I was concerned about his being theologically unmoored and unstable. He craves order and relationships with people, but resists settled theological perspectives and is consistently frustrated by relationships and a lack of structure. It seems that this boils down to wanting to maintain control. He does not seem manipulative; rather, he pushes away things that may be uncomfortable for him. Theologically and ecclesiastically, he wants to push back against authority.
When I proposed the above to him, he admitted readily enough that this was the case, “though I don’t know if he grasped how important foundations are and how beneficial the means of approach of grace can practically be in the life of the believer and war against sin” (Eph. 6:10ff)
Supervisor Recommendation
First, I would ask him to read Deuteronomy 10-15 and then answer the question: if he were living in Israel at this point in history, what would be God’s response to his “stiff neck?”
If he objects, that’s the Old Testament and the Old Covenant, show him the parallels in the New Covenant by asking him to read the “If then promise” of 11:18-22 and then read Galatians 5:19-26 and asked, “Please explain to me your justification for your behavior?” And followed it with, “Is the God of the old covenant the God of the new covenant?” Follow up with this question, “Can you conclude that He has changed or that Moses’ directive has changed after having him read verses 10:12-13 of Deuteronomy.
Homework for Next Week
Ask him to read Deuteronomy chapter 10-15 and parallel passages as he works through the following outline. I’ve entitled the study, “Prepare Yourself to Fulfill Your Destiny.”
Recognize that you have been chosen 10:15, NT parallel Ephesians 1:4 and 2:1-10
Yet the Lord set his affection on your ancestors and loved them, and he chose you, their descendants, above all the nations as it is today.
Just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him in love…
Recognize who chose you 10:15 and NT parallel Ephesians 1:3
Yet on your fathers did Yahweh set His affection to love them, and He chose their seed after them, even you above all peoples, as it is this day.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,
Recognize what God requires of you 10:12, and NT parallel John 15:1-11
So now, Israel, what does Yahweh your God ask from you, but to fear Yahweh your God, to walk in all His ways and love Him, and to serve Yahweh your God with all your heart and with all your sou
Love for God and Others: The greatest commandment is to love God with all your heart, soul, and mind, and to love your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:37-39).
Bearing Fruit: Believers are expected to produce “fruit” (the fruit of the Spirit, such as love, joy, and peace) as evidence of their relationship with Jesus (John 15:1-11).
Obedience and Holiness: Following the commands of Jesus and living a life of sanctification, which includes acting justly, loving mercy, and walking humbly.
Faithfulness: Being faithful stewards of what God has entrusted to them.
Recognize how to love God 10:13, 16, and NT parallel Rom 12:1-2
And to keep the commandments of Yahweh and His statutes which I am commanding you today for your good?
So circumcise your heart, and stiffen your neck no longer (Internalize your commitment and refrain from resisting (stiff neck, or rebellion)
Therefore, I exhort you, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a sacrifice—living, holy, and pleasing to God, which is your [a]spiritual service of worship. 2 And do not be conformed to this [b]world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may approve what the will of God is, that which is good and pleasing and [c]perfect
Recognize why we should love God 11:2-7 and NT Parallel 1 John 4:19
So, know this day that I am not speaking with your sons who have not known and who have not seen the [a]discipline of Yahweh your God—His greatness, His strong hand and His outstretched arm (please see entire passage 2-7)
We love, because He first loved us
Recognize the promised reward for loving God 11:8-15 and NT parallel James 1:12
“You shall therefore keep every commandment which I am commanding you today, so that you may be strong and go in and possess the land into which you are about to cross to possess it. (Please read the entire passage)
Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has [a]been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him
Recognize the necessity of guarding your heart 11:16-17 and NT parallel 1 Peter 5:8
Beware lest your hearts be deceived, and you turn away and serve other gods and worship them, 17 and the anger of Yahweh will be kindled against you, and He will shut up the heavens so that there will be no rain and the ground will not yield its fruit; and you will perish quickly from the good land which Yahweh is giving you.
Be of sober spirit, be watchful. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour
Recognize responsibility to instruct in the faith 11:18-21 and NT parallel Eph 6:4
You shall therefore place these words of mine on your heart and on your soul; and you shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as [a]phylacteries between your eyes. 19 And you shall teach them to your sons, speaking of them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road and when you lie down and when you rise up.
Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.
Recognize the importance of the if, then promise of God 11:22-25 and NT parallel James 4:8 (and at least nine other passages in the NT echo this if, then tune)
For if you are careful to keep this entire commandment which I am commanding you to do, to love Yahweh your God, to walk in all His ways, and to cling to Him, 23 then Yahweh will dispossess all these nations from before you, and you will dispossess nations greater and mightier than you.
Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
Recognize that eternal vigilance is the price of freedom 11:16 and NT parallel Matt 24:42, 26:41
Beware lest your hearts be deceived, and you turn away and serve other gods and worship them…
Therefore stay awake, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming and keep watching and praying that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.
Conclusion
While the phrase “eternal vigilance is the price of liberty” is attributed to Thomas Jefferson, John Philpott Curran, an Irish orator, likely coined it in a 1790 speech. That he drew upon the Deuteronomy text appears evident. He proclaimed, “The condition upon which God hath given liberty to man is eternal vigilance, which condition if he break, servitude is at once the consequence of his crime and the punishment of his guilt.
As can be very easily observer even by the casual reader when laid out as in the text above, the message of the Bible, old and new covenant, is consistently the same while progressive revelation fleshes out dynamics of the plan of redemption come to fruition in the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus and the giving of the Holy Spirit to indwell and empower believers. This complete work is termed the Gospel, Good News. The manner of function of the believer is different in each covenant, but the essence is consistent: trust and obey. The beauty of observing these parallelisms is that the old covenant gives us earthly pictures of these truths. I find this very helpful in illustrating the New Testament realities.
Implementation
Let me state it simply. Listen, learn, and perform in accordance with God’s instructions. Doing so has three impacts:
- It maintains fellowship with God— “walking in the light as He is in the light” (I John 1:7)
- It maintains justice and equity in a community, fostering peace and unity (Rom. 12:18-21)
- It facilitates a developing marriage that brings joy to the couple and represents the relationship between Christ and His bride, thereby bearing witness to the validity, vitality, and variegated blessings of the Gospel of Grace before a fallen, lost, and confused world. (Eph. 5:21-33)