AI Summary
5 min readThe Choice Between Freedom and Hope
In a 1993 sermon, Tim Keller opens Ephesians 2:13-18 to argue that the deepest division between people isn't race or class—it's the universal human condition of being "far away" from God. The gospel, he says, doesn't just make people nicer; it changes their position entirely. And that positional change is the only thing that can give life genuine hope.
The Bond That Overwhelms Other Bonds
Keller begins with a puzzle the passage presents. Paul writes about Jews and Gentiles being brought together in Christ, but Keller insists this isn't merely about ethnic reconciliation. It's a case illustration of something deeper: when someone receives Christ, they receive a bond with other Christians so strong it overwhelms every other human link—language, career, social status, ethnicity.
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What you'll learn
- 1 (00:36) **Text and Context: The New Bond in Christ** - Tim Keller introduces Ephesians 2:13-18, setting up the sermon's focus on how Christ creates unity between people who were once divided.
- 2 (06:17) **The Core Question: What Creates This Unity?** - Keller identifies the central thesis: two things must happen to us to create this inexplicable community.
- 3 (08:25) **The Principle: No Covenant, No Hope** - Keller introduces the core principle that being a "stranger to the covenants of promise" means living a life without hope.
- 4 (12:41) **The Gentile Condition: Greatness Without Hope** - Keller clarifies that Paul is not saying non-Jewish civilizations were immoral or uncivilized; he is saying they were without ultimate hope.
- 5 (17:55) **Evidence of Hopelessness: Bertrand Russell and Leo Tolstoy** - Keller uses two famous intellectuals to demonstrate that without a covenant with God, a person is forced to confront a life without ultimate meaning.
- 6 (20:47) **The Inevitable Choice: Freedom or Hope** - Keller uses Aldous Huxley to frame the central existential choice: absolute freedom without hope, or hope with a loss of absolute freedom.
- 7 (24:57) **The Shallow Middle Ground** - Keller critiques the common modern approach of trying to have both freedom and hope without committing to a covenant.
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Guests on this episode
Show Notes
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 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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