For many years, Instruments in the Redeemer’s Hands has been a favorite ministry resource of mine. The impact of Tripp’s book on my view of ministry as well as on the sanctification of my family has been profound. The sincere concern for excellent philosophy and practice has provided me with an extremely specific reference for counseling and other aspects of pastoral ministry.
The principles set forth by Tripp comprise such a helpful resource because they range from the most general and philosophical to the most specific and practical. Though I find Instruments in the Redeemer’s Hands helpful with the turn of each page, perhaps I enjoy most of all Tripp’s starting point. Tripp begins where all faithful Christian authors and counselors must: the gospel. Here Tripp explains that true help, hope, and even the very best reason for getting up in the morning can only be found in the gospel. As a result, Tripp exhorts his readers to realize that wise counsel never approaches struggling people with a system of redemption or a set of principles and strategies. Yet while making much of the gospel, Tripp is also careful to point out that the gospel, though it is our glorious hope of redemption, is not a program of steps or a strategy for redemption. Rather, Tripp powerfully points out that true help in found in the gospel because the gospel exalts the Redeemer who is a living, acting, transforming Person.
Following his establishment of the gospel as the central ground for change, Tripp uses this Christo-centric view of change to illumine the necessity of heart-oriented discipleship. As the Scriptures reveal the heart as the wellspring of life, Tripp also magnifies the essential value of aiming at the heart. Tripp carefully examines the human heart as the seat of self, wants, desires, and motives. As a result, Tripp makes the poignant assertion that all counseling issues are essentially worship issues. Tripp writes, “Every human being is a worshiper, in active pursuit of the thing that rules his heart. This worship shapes everything we do and say, who we are, and how we live. This is why the heart is always our target in personal ministry” (Tripp 73). This biblical view of people and their problems has proven essential to my understanding and practice of counseling ministry. Without a heart-oriented target, there is no true diagnosis or treatment of problems in counseling. On the other hand, by aiming at the heart a faithful counselor is able to do what Tripp refers to as “following the Wonderful Counselor” (Tripp 95-112).
Since the solutions to problems of the heart is Christ and His transforming influence, then the question is begged as to how can gospel help be brought to bear upon counselees? As Tripp puts it, this is made possible through God’s ordained method of incarnation among His children. In fact, Tripp states that believers have been called to nothing less than the agenda and calling of incarnating Christ to others (Tripp 97). This style of incarnational ministry, brings to Christians a uniquely insightful agenda which pursues change in the lives of others. In addition, on the grounds of 2 Corinthians 5 and 6 Tripp explains that believers also possess a unique calling to incarnational ministry through the compelling love of Christ.
Though I found every principle of Instruments in the Redeemer’s Hands to be “key” the space provided here allows for mention of one other; Building Relationships by Identifying with Suffering. Within this principle, Tripp unpacks the often neglected reality that all counselees, even those whose troubles directly result from their sin, are suffering. As such, an essential part of incarnational discipleship is indentifying with counselees’ suffering. Often it seems that those who struggle are dealt with harshly concerning their sin without redemptively acknowledging their state of suffering as well as their struggles against sin. Of course, this involves not only addressing the sin and suffering of others but also sharing one’s own struggle with sin and suffering.
There is a profound opportunity for a restoration of wise biblical counsel in the Church. I am thankful for role God is using resources such as Instruments in the Redeemer’s Hands to bring about a more insightful and effective brand of soul care. 
