Book Brief
Instruments in the Redeemer’s Hands
By Paul David Tripp
Author
Background
After
reading Paul Tripp short introduction on his ministry website: https://www.paultripp.com/about I came away with the understanding that
Tripp is devoted Christian that is dedicated to the ministry of Christ while
clearly understanding the impact and
the realities of life in a fallen world. A well-educated person with an
intentional pathway that was determined early on, Paul touches every aspect of
Christ’s ministry leading him to launch his own ministry in 2006. And most
importantly, a Godly husband of 50 years, father, and grandfather that still
find times to touch people lives all around the world.
Thesis/Purpose
Tripp
presented this as a people focused approach rather than problem focused
approach. Hence, Personal Ministry is just that, personal! Counselling that
focuses on the person and the heart by engaging the counselee through personal
relationship. By understanding that we are just mere tools in the hands of the
Redeemer, Christ works through us as He sees fit within our redemptive
relationships. We are in the ministry of reconciliation as Ambassadors of
Christ, (2 Corinthians 5).
Argument
and Support
1.
Relational
approach
The
biological function of the heart is to mainly pumps and regulates oxygenated
blood throughout the body and deoxygenated blood back to the lung. Much like
the philosophical and spiritual function of the heart, communal and spiritual
connection is vital for its health. Therefore, it is critically important that
we established connection with the heart and understand the person biblically through
the heart before digesting the problem. In many cases, the counselee defines
the problem with partiality toward protecting the perceptual vulnerability of
the self. We are to rely on the sufficiency of Christ through the inerrancy of
the scripture as we work through Biblical Counselling primarily to penetrate
the heart of the counselee. This is not a mere fixing of the old heart but a
total renewal and uprooting of the old heart replacing it with the new.
Nevertheless,
understanding our roles, serving as the instrument of change is critical. The
counselee must understand our biblically based love for them; they must see it
in our actions. Just as Christ gave himself for us, we ought to love them
Christ like. Speaking the truth in Love, as an infant in Christ we must nature
the relationship as such an uncompromising biblically truth that is wrap around
love. Understating their struggle as we suffer with them as Christ suffered
with us (1 Peter 2:21). “To this you were called, because
Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should
follow in his steps.” Christ has set an example for us on we ought to be that
instrument in the hands of the Redeemer.
2.
Personal
Ministry that is relentlessly focus on the heart
Our work is
cut out, sanctification is the Godly renewal process of a redemptive
relationship between God’s and His people. Often the case, we are caught
between the two realities (1 Corinthians 15:45-50),
1.
Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom
of God
2.
A life-giving spirit, as is the heavenly man, so
also are those who are of heaven.
Henceforth, we navigate the relationship from a flesh and
blood to a spiritual seeking counselee. Tripp’s
Personal Ministry acknowledges that everyone is a counselor to some degree, we
are all influenced by others whether it is being done formally or informally,
Christians or non-Christians, or some other medium, as it is now, more
prevalent than ever with the accessibility of social media. This creates a
battlefield for the easily deceitful heart, a battle between the flesh and the
spirit. The indwelling spirit uprooted the old and brought in the new. Hence,
it is merely not enough that God forgave us, but Christ must occupy our hearts and
fight the battle for us. The heart is the key to real spiritual renewal. Once
the heart is renewed, a new person is created, (Ezekiel 36:26-27), “…and I will
give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you…” (2 Corinthians 5:17)
“Therefore, if anyone is in
Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is
here!”
Strengths
and Weaknesses
1.
Weakness:
What about Forgiveness?
Forgiveness was
hardly given any attention by Tripp. The question is: why does people seek
counselling? The need for counselling arises from dramatic and tragic events
which has victimized the counselees. The relationship between the counselee
(victim) and the perpetrator is one that must be clothed with forgiveness. In
fact, Counselee does not become a counselee until he/she seeks after the
redemptive relationship with Christ. Therefore, the preliminary condition is to
leave behind the agony of the past and move toward seeking: This is done
through the process of forgiveness. This is the example that Christ has given
us that we forgive for He has forgiven us (Colossians 3:13). The forgiveness by
Christ was the first covenant, “Christ first forgiven us” (Ephesians 4:32).
Once God forgave us, he came and sat at our table to fellowship with us. Forgiveness
is a process of letting go of the wrongdoing. It is the process of restoring to
what it was like prior to the wrongdoing. Forgiveness is the ultimate
demonstration of God’s Grace, Love, and Mercy. Hence, the process of
forgiveness needs to be humbly guided by the wisdom of a counsellor through the
heart seeking love of Christ.
Preliminary to
any actuality of counselling, forgiveness must be taken place. Forgiveness is a
form of voluntary suffering, the suffering moved from the perpetrator to victim.
As if someone wrecked my car and I forgave him—this does not make the cost of
the act evaporate. To forgive means moving the cost of the car from the
offender to myself. Hence, moving the relationship to pre-accident condition.
This is a core element of moving into the healing process as we guide the
counselee into renewal of the heart in Love.
2.
Weakness:
Entering the Relationship
While it is
very practical that we must find ways to enter into a relationship with those
that are in needs, we must recognize our own weaknesses. I agree with Tripp on capturing
opportunities that God has placed in our paths; but how are we to recognize
those opportunities as potential trap for ourselves.
The concept
of an “entry gate” is good because it organizes the process into a formal
structural but recognizing God-given “entry gate” present a challenge as we
enter the personal space of this person. At this level we focus on the person
and not the problem. We love the person and not judge them for their problems.
How long is it that we continue to focus on the person? What is the threshold
for turnback from the entry gate? Tripp does not offer a recovery process once
entered the entry gate and somehow identified this as trap.
3.
Strength:
Foundation in Love
I love
listening to sermon that are deep in theological encouragement but the problem
with those sermons, afterward, I found myself entertained but void of
understand the love of Christ. As the song goes, What about Love? Tripp argues
that the foundation of personal ministry and transformation of people is Love.
If God is Love than Love must be the core ingredient of our message, whether it
is being told from the pulpit or through a counseling relationship. Emotional
IQ of the heart must be driven by love; out of all these moral virtues, Faith,
Hope, and Love, the greatest of these is Love (1 Corinthians 13). The Apostle
Paul does not shy away from letting us know that if we don’t have Love, we gain
nothing and we are just like a resounding gong no matter what spiritual gifts
or material wealth we may possessed.
The
connection between the Heart and Love follows on what Christ has given us as
the recipient of His Love. Nothing can in creation can separate us from the
Love of Christ (Romans 8:35-39). This fundamental to the understanding and the
spiritual renewal of the heart is to know that nothing can separate us from the
Love of God. For a counselling relationship, delighting in God’s Love is the
highest degree of Reconciliation with God. Most counselee seek counseling
because they were under some harsh conditions to earn love. They were required
to be something or act certain ways to receive affection or love. Tripp focus
on the heart and love is right on as our primary task is to give direction to
the counselee toward God’s love that does not base on any condition—unconditional
Love.
Why would
the Professor make me read this?
This book is
very well written. It organizes in a way that it can be a practical workbook
for biblical counseling. The book laid out example situations and take the
reader through the pre-counselling, counseling, and post counselling process.
This one is a keeper.
Discussion
Starters:
1.
Personal
ministry aims at reaching the roots and not merely seeking behavioral change at
the surface but permanently uproot the old root and plant new root. This is a
combination of relentless personal evangelism and Biblical Counseling for those
that are in needed of change, but how do we avoid the traps of just replacing
the fruits? Perhaps not a fair question, but what is success looks like and
what is failure looks like within the parameters of personal ministry?
2.
Helping
people in need of change is very complicated when attempting to help those that
thought of themselves as not having any problems. The question is: A homeless
person walked into the Sunday morning service at church—fumed with alcohol,
clothes are solid mud and torn several places, smell like he had not taken a
shower for weeks. How do we approach him? Where is the entry gate?
3.
In the context of counseling those with needs,
how do we discern their experience of God?
