Instruments in the Redeemer’s Hands

 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?