The Gospel and Mental Illness

by Heath Lambert

We live in a broken world, beset with overwhelming problems: disease, pain, death, sorrow, sin and mental illness--clinical depression, bipolar disorder, borderline personality disorder, schizophrenia, and panic attacks. Our culture assumes people diagnosed with mental illness are stuck, doomed to struggle for the rest of their lives against a problem without ever experiencing real and lasting change. As Christians we know better. The world is broken, but God has invaded that world with the power, light, and hope of his Son Jesus Christ. Whether you're tormented with panic attacks or thinking of committing suicide, Jesus can help.

Genres: Counselling, Christian

58 pages, Paperback

First published September 10, 2014

About the author

Heath Lambert (PhD, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary) is the Executive Director of the Association of Certified Biblical Counselors and is the Associate Pastor at First Baptist Church Jacksonville, FL. He is also a visiting faculty member at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Lambert is the co-editor of Counseling the Hard Cases: True Stories Illustrating the Sufficiency of God's Resources in Scripture (B&H, 2012), and author of The Biblical Counseling Movement After Adams (Crossway, 2011), Finally Free: Fighting for Purity with the Power of Grace (Zondervan, 2013), and co-author of Transforming Homosexuality: What the Bible Says about Sexual Orientation and Change (P&R, 2015).

Reviews

[Frank · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very informative booklet that provides a basic understanding of how the Bible addresses mental illness.

[Lane Bloomer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good biblical truth. However the lack of elaboration or detailed explanation to the points he makes has potential to be misunderstood or feel abrasive

[Hannah Bauer · Rating 2 out of 5]

Health Lambert was one of my favourite professors in college because he gave us stories of people who were struggling greatly and came to the saving work of Jesus Christ. This is what I expected from this book, but I was throughly disappointed.
Lambert, on more than one occasion says that “mental illness does not really exist”. I’d like to see how that conversation would go with a mentally ill person. I thought this book would be encouragement for those with a mental disorder diagnosis, but instead it was a defence for ACBC counsellors and how to go about re-diagnosing problems in Biblical categories. I agree with Lambert when he says that our first priority as believers and as counsellors is to place things under Biblical categories and seek the scripture first. Often medical professionals will assume medical problems instead of spiritual ones. There is tons of over diagnosis and over medication of people in this world. However, just because there is too much of this in the medical world, doesn’t mean that mental illness doesn’t really exist or that we shouldn’t address peoples real problems. Lambert often sites the DSM ( both in the book and the classes I have taken from him) and says that it’s confusing. I will agree, our system isn’t perfect and needs refining. But to simply say that there is no such thing as clinical depression, anxiety disorder, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia is untruthful and quite frankly hurtful for those who are suffering with these disorders. Yes, we need to address sin in the lives of those we counsel first, seek first the kingdom of God. There is also a need to seek medical help for psychological issues at times as well.

[Kirk Adams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent introduction to Biblical/nouthetic counseling, explaining the secular inconsistency in defining and diagnosing mental illness, the spiritual nature of it, and how Scripture is sufficient to help those who struggle with it. What secular psychology labels as a disorder or illness is often labeled by the Bible as sin or suffering, and Christ's atonement is the only solution for both of those categories. Some mental illnesses are organic in nature, and Lambert addresses those situations as well and explains how Scripture presents a holistic view of mankind that is both physical and spiritual. This means that some issues require medical intervention, some spiritual guidance, and some are a combination of both. I highly recommend this short booklet to all pastors, ministry leaders, counselors, and Christians who are interested in understanding what Scripture has to say about mental illness and helping people through it.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good and short read! Not in depth study but basic for those who are wondering if the gospel has anything to do with mental illness (absolutely does)! It was encouraging to read his praise of Jay Adams and his recommendation of one of Ed Welch’s books (blame it on the brain).

[Larissa · Rating 1 out of 5]

Quando o livro que fala sobre psicologia não é liberal demais, é radical demais. 8 ou 80. Continuo em busca do tão almejado equilíbrio...

[Joshua · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent booklet on this topic. Lambert breaks down common myths around biblical counseling. Some of these include: biblical counselors encourage counselees to quit taking psychiatric medication, biblical counselors are against medical science, and that biblical counselors do not care about suffering and only confront sin. These misconceptions are simply not true. As the former president of the Association of Certified Biblical Counselors, Lambert is equipped to clarify these claims and clearly illustrates what Scripture teaches on each of these topics.

After breaking down these myths, Lambert proceeds talk about mental illness. He considers topics like what is normal, healing, the importance of the body, and suffering. Lambert is a clear writer and has written a really helpful booklet covering a lot of ground in a short span of pages. It deserves a place on every home library shelf, especially in a culture today that is becoming more and more therapeutic. Mental illness is now common parlance and many spiritual problems find proposed solutions in the world’s physical or medical remedies. Lambert is nuanced and insightful, bringing a robustly biblical treatment to these important topics.

[Megan Lang · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I essentially agree with what Lambert says in this book, I very much dislike his method of communication. His tone is offensive, abrasive, and harsh. I felt like I was being punched in the face with each passing chapter. It is disappointing that such an important topic is met with so little nuance. I would not recommend this book to someone who has never dabbled in the world of Biblical counseling.

[Jrod · Rating 3 out of 5]

Helpful Introduction

Lambert has written a helpful introduction on mental illness from a sufficiency perspective. He answers the common myths thrown against biblical counselors, and he introduces the relevance of the Gospel and Jesus Christ in dealing with the so-called mental illness. I read this looking for an in-depth discussion so I was a little disappointed.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very short overview of ACBCs (Association of Certified Biblical Counselors) position on medical versus spiritual intervention (both are often needed!) for mental health conditions. A great overview for considering how we might view mental illness as Christians. As a healthcare practitioner that sees nearly 70% of my patients on antipsychotic medications, I found this perspective helpful.

[Aaron Graham · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this is really a must read for everyone. You could read the whole thing in an hour or so, and it's jam packed with good stuff about to think about this tricky issue as a believer. Critiques a lot of caricatures and myths as well, some of which I have incorrectly held to in the past. Highly recommend. Like 4 bucks on Amazon, so no reason not to get it!

[Ashtyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

50 pages, super short read. Perfect booklet for someone wondering what biblical counseling is and is not and its stance on mental health. Have this accessible in your library if friends or family have questions or uncertainties about biblical counseling.

[Erik Spohr · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clear and helpful.

[Joe Jewart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderfully written with clearly defined terms and distinctions between a Biblical approach to counseling from a secular approach.

[Calvert Wallace · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very important read for counselors, pastors (who are counselors), and all Christians in general.

[Ryan Ahlenius · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good survey response to biblical counseling being ignorant helpers. All counseling issues are spiritual, whether that include sin or suffering.

[Robert Luff · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quite helpful, but way too short. Also, someone get this guy an editor!

[Sean Perron · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short and compelling. Winsomely addresses the controversial issues of the topic.

[Marc Plazola · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent resource that belongs on every Christian minister's book shelf! How does the Gospel of Jesus Christ provide hope and light for all problems people face? And how does that differ from the "mental illness" propaganda that has been popularized and so widely accepted? Did you know that not even all psychiatrists and psychologists agree that mental illness even exists? If the mental illness language was so concrete and scientific, then why is it that it is the one so-called "scientific" discipline that is so abstract, and thus, leaves room for so much subjectivity?

[Lee Button · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lambert begins by explaining clearly how biblical counseling approaches mental illness. Many people have a false notion of what biblical counselors do in the face of medically diagnosed mental disease. Lambert dispels those notions. Those chapters alone are worth the read. But he continues with a solid explanation of how to use the Bible properly in the realm of mental illness. Well done.