In the book How People Change, Timothy Lane and Paul David Tripp detail the process of biblical change using the primary metaphor of heat, thorns, cross, and fruit. In chapter one, Lane and Tripp unpack a concept from 2 Peter 1:3-9 that they refer to as the gospel gap. There are people who know the Lord, go to church regularly, volunteer their time but “their lives are not characterized by peaceful, loving relationships, a sweet, natural, day-by-day worship of the Lord, a wholesome and balanced relationship to material things, and ongoing spiritual growth.”[1] There is a gaping gap between what they profess to believe and the application of that faith in their lives. They are living as if the gospel had not rescued them from the bondage of sin and death. When Christians feel the power of the gospel is not enough to deal with life’s problems, the local church becomes a place of confusion. Lane and Tripp refer to the gospel as a “then-now-then” gospel. The first “then” is our sinful lives before Christ. The future “then” is our eternal glorified state. “The church has done fairly well explaining these two ‘thens’ of the gospel, but it has tended to understate or misunderstand the ‘now’ benefits of the work of Christ.”[2] As Christians live in the here-and-now, they need to be reminded of how the gospel applies and shapes their lives.
This gospel gap results in three kinds of blindness: blindness of identity, blind to God’s provision, and blind to God’s process. If a Christian’s identity is rooted in anything other than the gospel, they will live out some other identity by identify themselves as their problems, occupation, relationships or other false identities. The second kind of blindness results in anxious living without the hope and courage to face their struggles and temptations. The final blindness results in a life not marked by constant work, growth, and confession and repentance. “There is one thing that physical and spiritual holes have in common: They don’t stay empty for long.”[3] These gospel gaps become filled with false narratives such as: formalism, legalism, mysticism, activism, biblicism, psychologyism, and socialism. These dangerous lies flow from subtle shifts in how Christians understand the gospel.
To fill the gospel gap Lane and Tripp intend to “bring the old, old story of the gospel to your heart and life in a way that has been heart-and life-changing for us.”[4] They use five gospel perspectives: the extent and gravity of our sins, the centrality of the heart, present benefits of Christ, God’s call to growth and change, and a lifestyle of repentance and faith. These perspectives are central to the gospel and are the starting place for true change. It puts Christian hope where it should always have been, in Christ.
The primary metaphor that the book focuses on is presented in chapter 6 and unpacked in the following chapters. This metaphor is based on Jeremiah 17:5-10. It is comprised of four components: Heat, Thorns, Cross, and Fruit. This simple metaphor serves as a way to look at our present struggles in light of the gospel. Heat refers to the outward pressures of this world, the temptation to sin, difficulties, sufferings and trials, and blessings. Thorns are the ungodly responses that naturally come out our hearts and fall into the category of “fleshly wisdom.” Cross focuses on the presence of God in his redemptive glory and love which he brings comfort, cleansing, and the power to change through Christ. Fruit is a result of what Christ has done for us and through this heart change and gives us new responses to the pressures we face in Heat. “Real change does not take place until it is visible in our lives and our relationships [Fruit].”[5]
In reading How People Change, you see current struggles in a new light. The simplicity of the primary metaphor of Heat, Thorns, Cross, and Fruit is its strength. It is easily taught to counselees or Christians struggling with real problems. It is comprehensive enough to serve as a guide into the complex range of human struggles. It provides a way of categorizing our struggles and thinking through the heart responses
This is a perfect book for an introduction to biblical counseling and how we change through the Gospel. It is a also a great resource for individuals who desire change in their lives. The tragic reality is that most Christians stumble through life with little or no visible evidence of the gospel. They try harder to be like Christ but fall short. Without the power of the indwelling Spirit working in their lives they are powerless to make real change. This leads them to either hide their sins in guilt and shame, or run towards if full lusciousness. If more Christians would grasp the gospel truths present in Chapters 3-6, the church would look more like the Kingdom of God and less like the world.
Also available in a small group study guide.
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How People Change By Timothy S. Lane & Paul David Tripp |
[1] How People Change, Page 3
[2] How People Change, Page 3
[3] How People Change, Page 7
[4] How People Change, Page 15
[5] How People Change, Page 193