AI Summary
5 min readGod's Love and Holiness Are Not in Conflict
In a culture that typically associates "holy" only with the phrase "holier than thou," Timothy Keller confronts a central tension many people feel about Christianity: How can the God of the Old Testament—full of wrath, judgment, and demands for perfection—be the same as the loving, accepting Jesus of the New Testament? Keller argues that this apparent contradiction dissolves when we understand God not as a detached judge but as an artist, a goldsmith, an architect who loves his work so deeply that he cannot leave it unfinished or corrupted.
The Real God Rearranges Your Life
Keller grounds the sermon in Ephesians 2:19–22, where Paul describes Christians as a holy temple being built together, with Christ as the cornerstone. The key word is holy, and Keller insists it carries almost nothing but negative connotations in modern speech. But Paul uses it deliberately, and to grasp what he means, Keller turns to the scene in John 2 where Jesus cleanses the temple—whip in hand, overturning tables, driving out money changers and animal sellers.
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What you'll learn
- 1 (00:03) **Introduction: The Big Vision of Faith** - The podcast introduces the theme that the Bible presents faith as more than a personal matter, describing God's purpose to create a new kind of community.
- 2 (00:44) **Scripture Reading: Ephesians 2:19-22** - Tim Keller reads the passage that frames the entire sermon.
- 3 (01:35) **Reviewing the Temple Metaphor** - Keller recaps the previous sermons in the series, establishing the interpretive framework.
- 4 (03:21) **Introducing the Core Question: What is Holiness?** - Keller transitions to the new topic, focusing on the word "holy" in the phrase "holy temple."
- 5 (04:47) **Jesus Cleanses the Temple (John 2)** - Keller reads the account of Jesus driving out the money changers, which serves as the central illustration.
- 6 (06:28) **An Aside: The Reassuring Inexplicability of Jesus** - Keller argues that Jesus' surprising and contradictory actions are evidence that he is real, not a made-up figure.
- 7 (09:29) **The Core Thesis: God as Artist and Architect** - Keller explains why Jesus acted with such zeal for the temple's holiness.
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Show Notes
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 they make mistakes. Join us as we examine how we, too, can be stones that make up what Paul calls a holy temple of God.
This sermon was preached by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on May 9, 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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