Welcome to the Paul Tripp podcast, where pastor and best-selling author Dr. Paul David Tripp connects the transforming power of Jesus Christ to everyday life.

The core message of the gospel is the free gift of grace that we could never earn, achieve, or deserve.

But as we continue through Paul Tripp's sermon series in the book of James, street

level Christianity, Paul explains the seductive temptation to have a critical spirit towards

one another. Here's Paul with the sermon, Mission of Mercy. We stood there thinking,

what have you done?

We were looking for a house several years ago.

We were in the living room of a great old Philadelphia stone home, a bit shocked at what we saw. This home had been adorned with things

that just didn't fit. Above us were plasticized fake wood beams. The wall to our right was covered with mirrored tile. The color of the living

room was garish beyond imagination, festooned with a chandelier that I will not take the time

to describe. You couldn't help but stand in the middle of that wonderful house and say,

what have you done?

I would wonder this evening

if our Lord, at points and at places,

would stand in the middle of the house of his gospel and say,

what have you done?

How is it that we've taken a message, a humbling message of need and weakness and failure and sin,

and turned it into an occasion for pride?

How is it that we've taken a message of awesome transforming love

and made it an occasion for condemnation and judgment.

How is it that we've received the hope and the promise of ever patient grace

and yet can respond in ungracious criticism and judgment.

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