Instead of asking a person if they are a Christian, ask him or her what God is doing in their lives. The reason for this is because people have different understandings of what the word 'Christian' means. To some people, it means going to church and trying to be good. To others, it could mean, not being Jewish or Muslim.
God deals with our hearts. That is how good counseling is done. Our knowledge is important, and we need to believe what is true, but if what we know to be true doesn't affect our heart, the Bible says that we are deceived. We become only hearers if we don't apply God's word to our hearts.
The heart of counseling deals with what God is doing in our lives. The person being counseled may be a Christian in name only (nominalism). He or she may misunderstand what Christianity is about, and that will affect their ability to receive good and proper counsel. If we can sense that the person going for counseling doesn't understand the Gospel, we should teach them the Gospel. They need to hear. By asking them the question of what is God doing in their life, it will help them to see that God is likely not there, because they haven't responded to Him yet in repentance and faith.
If after asking the question "What is God doing in your life", you can understand that they are recipients of the Gospel, then you can minister to them as a believer. The Gospel is the answer for all our sin and weaknesses. We will have the privilege of restoring a fallen brother or sister. Galatians 6 continues to tell us to bear one another's burdens, and that is forbearing or sticking with someone until we see them through. That is what the Body of Christ is supposed to be doing. Let us function as the church and love both the lost and those who know the Lord, and be ready to serve them in the way the is right for either group.
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