How can you relate to someone whose views and values and practices offend you and distress you? How can we relate to people with whom we deeply differ? Our culture says we need to be tolerant, but I want to show you that Paul says the mark of a supernaturally changed heart is to go way beyond tolerance. It’s something better than tolerance, something greater than tolerance, something I’m going to

One trait or quality of a supernaturally changed heart is peace. There’s a difference between a supernaturally changed heart and a morally restrained heart. The marks of a supernaturally changed heart are sometimes called the fruit of the Spirit. They’re listed a number of places in the New Testament. And peace is always included. So let’s look at 1) what is this supernatural peace that’s availabl

Every religion in the world gives you a list of virtuous behaviors. But the New Testament gives you something different. It does give you a list, but it’s of aspects of how a supernaturally, grace-changed heart shows itself. The apostle Paul says it’s possible to do all the morally virtuous behavior without any love at the core, for virtuous behavior to flow out of an inner emptiness rather than a

Morally virtuous behavior can arise out of a heart that hasn’t actually been supernaturally changed. For example, in traditional moral training, we teach people to be honest by using a motive of fear and insecurity. But only for a heart that feels absolutely loved is lying unnecessary and unnatural. It’s only an experience of the grace of God through Jesus Christ that changes the heart rather than

The city of Corinth was a place of commerce. Nobody went there except to be successful. It was built from scratch just a few decades before Paul’s letter was written. There were not old families and traditions. This was a place that attracted an unusually resourceful, talented, ambitious, intense kind of person. And right into this culture, Paul says, “I don’t care how rich or talented you are. If

This talk was given by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on November 6, 1994. Series: Redeemer Open Forums. Today's episode is brought to you by Gospel in Life, the site for all sermons, books, study guides and resources from Timothy Keller and Redeemer Presbyterian Church. If you've enjoyed listening to this podcast and would like to support the ongoing efforts of this ministry,

This sermon was preached by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on August 29, 1993. Series: Salvation From the Outside In. Scripture: Ephesians 3:14-21. Today's podcast is brought to you by Gospel in Life, the site for all sermons, books, study guides and resources from Timothy Keller and Redeemer Presbyterian Church. If you've enjoyed listening to this podcast and would like to sup

This sermon was preached by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on August 22, 1993. Series: Salvation From the Outside In. Scripture: Ephesians 3:14-21. Today's podcast is brought to you by Gospel in Life, the site for all sermons, books, study guides and resources from Timothy Keller and Redeemer Presbyterian Church. If you've enjoyed listening to this podcast and would like to sup

As we find ourselves discouraged with our circumstances in life, we usually react in one of three ways. We might harden ourselves by saying life is unfair and we should get used to it, we might be overcome by despair, or we might simply believe everything will get better for us soon. The apostle Paul shows us there’s a better way to deal with discouragement. Even as he writes from prison, he expla

We sometimes think becoming a Christian is something that has to take a lot of time and effort. As we consider what we believe, it can be easy to feel as if we’re somewhere between “not a believer” and “someone saved by Christ.” But the Bible gives us a different interpretation: we are either strangers to this world and God’s kingdom, or we are fully citizens of it. And when we profess faith in Ch

Get the new book The Stories We Live By this month as our thanks for your gift at gospelinlife.com/give . This video is an excerpt from session 1 of a group study that has also been created to complement the new book. The Stories We Live By Bible Study Guide releases Nov 3rd, but can be pre-ordered today from bookstores or here .

When we think of what it means to be holy, many of us think of a perfect person who never does anything wrong. And if the apostle Paul says that we are being shaped to be holy, how could we ever live up to such a standard? The Bible, thankfully, gives us a bigger definition of the word. To be holy means to be wholly his—someone who has reoriented their priorities around God and his glory even as t

In the Book of Ephesians, the apostle Paul calls Christians stones of a holy temple “built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets…” But what does it really mean that these figures of the early church are our foundation, and why is it important? By studying the apostles and prophets’ teachings in the Word of God, we make sure the church is built on a solid basis for a unity that cannot be f

One of the biggest questions the Bible answers is, “If human beings have been separated from God, how can we be in his presence again?” The good news is this: from the days of Adam and Eve to our own lives today, God has been working out a plan that allows us to dwell with him once again. The apostle Paul describes us as building blocks that make up a new temple—one which God himself inhabits. Wha

Being part of a church doesn’t mean we’re part of an audience. Rather, each of us is a building block that plays a crucial part in making up the whole. The apostle Paul explains this when he says we as Christians are stones that build a holy temple—stones that must enjoy unity, connection, and intimacy if we are to hold together. And if we rely on Jesus Christ as our cornerstone, we can immerse ou

This sermon was preached by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on April 4, 1993. Series: Salvation From the Outside In. Scripture: Ephesians 2:19-22. Today's podcast is brought to you by Gospel in Life, the site for all sermons, books, study guides and resources from Timothy Keller and Redeemer Presbyterian Church. If you've enjoyed listening to this podcast and would like to suppo

This sermon was preached by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on March 14, 1993. Series: Salvation From the Outside In. Scripture: Ephesians 2:18. Today's podcast is brought to you by Gospel in Life, the site for all sermons, books, study guides and resources from Timothy Keller and Redeemer Presbyterian Church. If you've enjoyed listening to this podcast and would like to support

This sermon was preached by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on March 7, 1993. Series: Salvation From the Outside In. Scripture: Ephesians 2:11-18. Today's podcast is brought to you by Gospel in Life, the site for all sermons, books, study guides and resources from Timothy Keller and Redeemer Presbyterian Church. If you've enjoyed listening to this podcast and would like to suppo

When we consider what it means to be “close to God,” it’s likely we think of the religious as near to him and non-churchgoers as far away. But Paul tells us that no matter how close we seem, we are all equally estranged from God until we call Christ our Savior. As the Book of Ephesians points out, the real question of whether we are Christians or not is not how good we are or how often we pray. Th

This sermon was preached by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on February 21, 1993. Series: Salvation From the Outside In. Scripture: Ephesians 2:11-18. Today's podcast is brought to you by Gospel in Life, the site for all sermons, books, study guides and resources from Timothy Keller and Redeemer Presbyterian Church. If you've enjoyed listening to this podcast and would like to s