Instruments In The Redeemer's Hands: Appendix 4

I am amazed at how functional systematic theology can be if we learn to apply it correctly. I grew up in a church where believing the doctrines of the church were (functionally) all that mattered. Salvation was for only a few within the congregation; others were challenged only to live up to external standards of Christian living and a mere assent to doctrinal truths. Tripp really lays out well the applicability of basic doctrines such as those of God, sin, and man’s responsibility, and shows how interwoven these are in the lives of Christians.

I was particularly moved by the passage from Ezekiel 14:5 that Tripp quoted. The fact that God is in the business of recapturing hearts provides a rich picture into His work, and into how one ought to view not only his own life but also that of others. There is a battle going on; therefore, there will be strife, there will be struggle. Satan continues to rage against God, and to entice us into his service. But praise be to God, the LORD is relentless in His pursuit of us. He has recaptured the hearts of those who believe on Him, but we waver in our allegiances so often that the battle continues to wax on. We set up kings on the throne of our hearts where the Conquering King rightly belongs, and God is jealous for his honor. As a counselor, I need to see, to look for, God working in the lives of people to restore his rightful place in their hearts (and my own!)

Further, Tripp points out that God uses three certain means to accomplish His ends: His Word, His providence, and His people. I truly think it is key to remember that “counseling is the ministry of the Word from believer to believer in the context of what God is doing in a person’s situation” (326). The use of homework in a counseling situation, therefore, ought to reflect this agenda. I confess that I always thought of this type of homework as a means for me to figure out the counselee, and to make me as effective as possible- how self-centered! I pray that the Lord will give me a more God-ward focus when I engage in counseling in general and in assigning homework within that context in particular.