Man is not “basically good”; he is “dead in trespasses and sins” (Ephesians 2:1), and the unregenerate heart is “deceitful and beyond all cure” (Jeremiah 17:9). Therefore, the biblical counselor takes a drastically different approach: rather than seeking solutions to spiritual problems within one’s own mind, he seeks to confront sin, obtain wisdom from above (James 3:17), and apply the Word of God to the situation.
Mtu "kimsingi si mzuri"; yeye ni "mfu katika makosa na dhambi" (Waefeso 2: 1), na moyo huwa mdanganyifu kuliko vitu vyote, una ugonjwa wa kufisha; nani awezaye kuujua." (Yeremia 17: 9). Kwa hivyo, mshauri wa kibiblia kwa haraka anachukua mbinu tofauti: badala ya kutafuta ufumbuzi wa matatizo ya kiroho ndani ya akili ya mtu mwenyewe, yeye anatafuta ili kukabiliana na dhambi, kupata hekima kutoka juu (James 3:17), na kulitumia neon la Mungu kwa hali hiyo.