AI Summary
5 min readIn a sermon from 1993, Tim Keller uses Ephesians 2:11–18 to argue that the Christian gospel creates a unity between people that no other force can. The passage describes two groups—Gentiles who were "far away" from God and Jews who were "near"—and claims that through Christ's blood, both are brought into the same position: reconciled to God and to each other. Keller's central argument is that this unity is only possible because the cross simultaneously exposes and destroys the hostility that all people, whether religious or irreligious, hold toward God.
The Same Hostility, Different Expressions
Keller draws a sharp distinction between being "near" to God and being "far" from God, but insists that both positions are forms of estrangement. The "near" people are the morally upright, the religious, those raised in the law. The "far" people are the pagans, the skeptics, those who have abandoned belief. Yet Paul writes that Christ "came and preached peace to you who were far away, and peace to you who were near"—because both groups needed peace. Both were hostile.
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What you'll learn
- 1 (00:36) **Reading of Ephesians 2:11-18** - Keller reads the passage that frames the entire sermon: Christ has destroyed the hostility between those far from God and those near, creating one new humanity.
- 2 (02:57) **The Laundry Analogy for Spiritual Growth** - Keller shares his wife's metaphor for how the Holy Spirit works, illustrating that truth often needs to be repeated before it "drops in" and produces change.
- 3 (04:41) **The Church as a New Humanity** - Keller states the core thesis: the church is meant to be a place where a new humanity is created, with bonds stronger than family, culture, race, or class.
- 4 (06:15) **The Two Mechanisms for Unity: Blood and Spirit** - Keller introduces the two-part framework from the text: the blood of Christ (verse 13) puts everyone in the same legal position, and the Spirit of Christ (verse 18) gives everyone the same experience of God's presence.
- 5 (07:35) **The Distinction Between "Far" and "Near"** - Keller explains Paul's distinction between Gentiles (far away) and Jews (near), emphasizing that "far away" doesn't mean bad, but hopeless.
- 6 (09:58) **Groundhog Day as a Metaphor for Hopelessness** - Keller uses the movie *Groundhog Day* to illustrate the pagan worldview of cyclical, meaningless existence, where nothing ultimately matters.
- 7 (14:10) **The Inconsistency of Modern New Yorkers** - Keller points out that most people try to live as if they can have meaning and hope without God, but the honest thinkers know this is inconsistent.
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Guests on this episode
Show Notes
This sermon was preached by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on February 28, 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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