AI Summary
5 min readIn the parable of the prodigal son, the father cannot freely welcome his wayward child back into the estate. Everything he gives the returning son—the robe, the ring, the feast—comes at the expense of the elder brother, who owns it all. The elder brother in the story is grumpy about this. But the Bible says Jesus is the true elder brother, and he was not unwilling at all. He gladly paid the price so that others could be brought into the family of God. This is the heart of what Timothy Keller calls the doctrine of adoption—the idea that Christians are not just forgiven or redeemed, but actually made into sons and daughters of God. In this sermon, Keller walks through what it looks like to actually live as a child of God rather than a slave.
The difference between a slave and a son
Keller’s central framework is a contrast between two ways of relating to God: the slave mentality and the son mentality. In a great household, both slaves and children take orders from the same head, but they obey for radically different reasons. A slave obeys out of fear—fear of being expelled, demoted, or punished. A son obeys out of security, knowing that the relationship is sure and that acceptance does not depend on performance.
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What you'll learn
- 1 (00:02) **Introduction and Series Context** - Keller introduces the third teaching on Ephesians 1:4-8, focusing on the doctrine of adoption as the climax of God's plan.
- 2 (05:06) **First Mark of Sonship: Fearlessness** - Keller explains that knowing you are a child of God produces freedom from fear, contrasting slave and son mentalities.
- 3 (14:44) **Second Mark of Sonship: Access to the Father** - Keller teaches that children of God have a spirit of prayer, crying "Abba Father" with shameless boldness.
- 4 (21:02) **Third Mark of Sonship: A Sense of Being Wealthy** - Keller explains that believers have an inheritance that gives stability and hope, even amid present suffering.
- 5 (29:55) **Fourth Mark of Sonship: Handling Suffering as Discipline** - Keller teaches that children of God see troubles as loving discipline from their Father, not punishment.
- 6 (36:44) **Fifth Mark of Sonship: Complete Assurance of God's Love** - Keller concludes that knowing God loves you infallibly is the foundation for all other marks of sonship.
- 7 (41:10) **Application and Closing Prayer** - Keller challenges listeners to examine whether they are living in freedom, prayer, wealth, courage, and security, and commands them to "behold" the Father's love.
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Show Notes
The highest thing that Christianity offers to us is to be adopted as God’s sons. It’s little surprise, then, that our identity as his children can radically transform how we live each and every day.
When we look at the great privileges and characteristics of people who know they’re children of God, what do we see?
Let’s walk through five marks of sonship: 1) a fearlessness about our security, 2) access to the Father through prayer, 3) acknowledging our wealthiness in our inheritance and future glory, 4) handling suffering and discipline with grace, and 5) having complete assurance of his love.
This sermon was preached by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on June 28, 1992. Series: Salvation From the Outside In. Scripture: Ephesians 1:4-8.
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 the ongoing efforts of this ministry, you can do so by visiting https://gospelinlife.com/give and making a one-time or recurring donation.
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