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5 min readThe Whole Bible Told Through One Thread
The face of God is lethal to us. That is the problem the Bible spends its entire story trying to solve. Tim Keller opens this sermon with a startling claim: the presence of God—the thing we were built for, the thing we most deeply want—is also the thing that will kill us if we get too close. And the entire biblical narrative, from Genesis to Revelation, is about how God solves that problem so he can come and live with us again.
The Problem: Why God's Presence Is Fatal
Keller begins with a Hebrew word: panim, meaning "the face of God." In the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve lived with God's face. They had intimacy, oneness, and access. But when they decided to be their own masters, they were cast out. At the garden's door stood a cherubim with a flaming sword, blocking reentry. The message: the presence of God is now something that cannot be entered without blood.
Why would it be fatal to come near God? Keller offers two illustrations. The first is the "orbiting metaphor." A solar system works because all planets share the same center. If each planet orbits its own center, you get collision and destruction. God centers everything on what is right and true. Human beings center everything on what makes us happy. Two different centers. When they collide, we are the ones totaled.
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What you'll learn
- 1 (00:03) **Introduction: The Church as God's Dwelling Place** - Tim Keller introduces the sermon series on Ephesians 2:19-22, focusing on the church as a community where God dwells.
- 2 (05:02) **The Theme: God's Dwelling Place Through the Bible** - Keller introduces the central theme of the Bible: God's desire to dwell with his people, a thread that ties the entire biblical narrative together.
- 3 (08:31) **Why God's Presence is Fatal: The Human Dilemma** - Keller uses two illustrations to explain why the holy presence of God is lethal to sinful humans.
- 4 (17:10) **The Central Question: How Can God Dwell With Us?** - The Bible's core problem is the obstacle between a holy God and sinful humanity, which cannot be simply ignored.
- 5 (26:44) **Jesus Christ: The True Temple and Sacrifice** - In the New Testament, all the Old Testament imagery of the temple blazes into focus in the person and work of Jesus Christ.
- 6 (30:55) **The Final Fulfillment: The New Creation** - The Bible ends with the complete and final restoration of God's dwelling place with humanity.
- 7 (32:57) **Practical Implication 1: The Exciting News of Priesthood** - Because believers are the temple of God, they are also priests with full access to God and a new purpose for their lives.
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Show Notes
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. What does this nearness to God mean for the way we think about him and live our lives?
Join us as we see why 1) we should always have full assurance to draw near to God, and 2) we can think of everything we do as the offering of a sacrifice.
This sermon was preached by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on April 25, 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 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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