Timothy Keller Sermons Podcast by Gospel in Life

Politics of the Kingdom

September 21, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

Tim Keller opens this sermon with a vivid image of exhaustion. He describes the experience of a foreigner, a xenos—the Greek root of “xenophobia.” When you move to a new culture, you do not know the language, so even basic transactions drain you. You do not know the customs. You feel isolated, fragmented, disoriented. Your public life and your private life split apart. It is exhausting. That, Keller argues, is the condition of every human being who is not rightly related to God. We are all strangers and aliens in God’s own world, and we feel it.

Alienation as the Default Human Condition

Paul’s letter to the Ephesians uses two Greek words to describe the pre-Christian state. The first, xenos, captures the personal, emotional side of being out of place. The second, paroikos, translated as “alien,” captures the legal side. An alien has no citizenship, no right to vote, no right to a trial, no power to redress a wrong. Paul himself was a Roman citizen, and when it was discovered he had been beaten and imprisoned without a trial in Philippi, the authorities panicked. Citizenship meant something. An alien has none of it.

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What you'll learn

1 (00:03) **Episode Introduction** - A short welcome frames the sermon series in Ephesians and the core questions of identity, purpose, and hope.
2 (01:33) **The Two Kinds of Alienation** - Keller defines the Greek words Paul uses to describe the human condition apart from Christ: cultural shock and legal disenfranchisement.
3 (06:31) **The Theological Cause of Alienation** - Keller argues that the feeling of not fitting is not merely psychological or sociological but has a theological root: we were built for God's law.
4 (11:50) **The Essence of Conversion: A Legal Status Change** - Keller shifts to the positive side of the metaphor: becoming a Christian is a change in legal status, not a gradual moral improvement.
5 (18:28) **Why "Conversion" Matters, Not Just Morality** - Keller counters the objection that focusing on a conversion experience is wrong because everyone is at a different stage of becoming good.
6 (23:07) **The Call to Bring It to Closure** - Keller presses the practical application: many people want the benefits of Christ but are afraid to make the commitment and take the vow.
7 (25:42) **God's Commitment Changes Your Status** - Keller emphasizes that the essence of being a Christian is not just your commitment to God, but God's commitment to change your legal standing.

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Guests on this episode

Tim Keller

Show Notes

We sometimes think becoming a Christian is something that has to take a lot of time and effort. As we consider what we believe, it can be easy to feel as if we’re somewhere between “not a believer” and “someone saved by Christ.”

But the Bible gives us a different interpretation: we are either strangers to this world and God’s kingdom, or we are fully citizens of it. And when we profess faith in Christ, we undergo a wonderful, instant change in this identity that doesn’t depend on how smart, experienced, or moral we are.

Let’s look at how 1) until we believe in Christ, we are alienated to God’s world, and 2) becoming a Christian is a change in our citizenship.

This sermon was preached by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on May 16, 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.