AI Summary
5 min readTimothy Keller opens his sermon on Ephesians 1:19-23 with a striking claim: the gospel is not a philosophy or a set of ethics that you have to pick up and power yourself. It is, he says, a power that picks you up and lives into you. A philosophy cannot convert a village or put families back together, but the gospel does. The passage is the end of a prayer where Paul asks that believers would have "the eyes of their hearts enlightened" to know three things: the hope of their calling, their glorious inheritance, and the incomparable power of God toward them. Keller focuses on that third thing—the power—and argues that Christians systematically underestimate it, which distorts their faith, their confidence, and their view of the world.
Your very belief is a miracle
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What you'll learn
- 1 (00:42) **Paul's Prayer for Spiritual Understanding** - Keller introduces Ephesians 1:19-23 as the conclusion of Paul's prayer, asking for a felt sense of three things: hope, inheritance, and God's power.
- 2 (06:53) **First Evidence of Power: Your Very Belief** - The first evidence of God's power is that you believe at all; faith itself is a consequence of God's mighty strength.
- 3 (13:48) **Practical Implications of Faith as a Gift** - Understanding faith as a gift frees you from obsessing over the quality of your belief and from post-conversion letdown.
- 4 (22:09) **Second Evidence: The Resurrection of Christ** - God's power is resurrection power, measured not in megatons but in "resurrection units," which destroys death in you.
- 5 (29:35) **Third Evidence: Christ's Present Rule Over the World** - God is currently exerting power by controlling and ordering the world for the benefit of the church, a concept called "common grace."
- 6 (39:36) **Practical Implications of Common Grace** - Christians must appreciate beauty and wisdom wherever they find it, and trust that God is working all things—even tragedies—for their good.
- 7 Standout Quotes
+ Full timestamped outline available in the app
Show Notes
This sermon was preached by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on October 11, 1992. Series: Salvation From the Outside In. Scripture: Ephesians 1:19-23.
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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