Timothy Keller Sermons Podcast by Gospel in Life

Receptive Grace

October 12, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

In a 2002 sermon, Timothy Keller argues that the modern world’s obsession with tolerance is a counterfeit. The real mark of a supernaturally changed heart, he says, is something far more difficult and radical: “receptive grace.” This is the ability to enter into a deep, vulnerable relationship with someone you believe is seriously wrong, without needing to win, dominate, or assimilate them. Keller builds this argument from two passages where the Apostle Paul addresses conflicts in the early church, and he uses the framework to diagnose why both moralistic intolerance and detached, relativistic tolerance are actually two sides of the same coin.

The Strong and the Weak: Two Kinds of Intolerance

Keller begins by examining the conflicts in Rome and Corinth. In both churches, there were two parties: the “weak” and the “strong.” The weak were scrupulous, legalistic Christians who needed everything evaluated as right or wrong. They withdrew from anyone who didn’t share their strict dietary rules, feeling defiled by contact with the broader culture. The strong, by contrast, were broad-minded and theologically informed. They understood that idols were nothing and that dietary laws were irrelevant. They saw the weak as superstitious and narrow.

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What you'll learn

1 (00:03) **Opening & Text Reading** - Host introduces the sermon’s theme: the gospel transforms even our motivations, making us people who love and serve in response to God's grace.
2 (02:35) **The Problem: Moral Behavior Without Heart Change** - Keller introduces the series on the marks of a supernaturally changed heart, distinguishing it from mere moral behavior.
3 (04:13) **The Modern Urgency: How to Live with Deep Difference** - Keller frames the central question: how can people with deeply differing, offending beliefs live together?
4 (05:55) **What It's Not: The Two Parties (Strong vs. Weak)** - Keller explains the conflicts in Rome and Corinth, identifying the two parties: the "weak" and the "strong."
5 (11:12) **The Counterfeit Tolerance of the "Strong"** - Keller reveals that the "strong" are just as intolerant as the "weak," but in a different way.
6 (16:31) **What It Is: "Accept One Another" - A Radical Reinterpretation** - Keller unpacks the Greek word for "accept" (*proslombano*), which means to pull toward you and alongside you.
7 (19:50) **Bearing with the Weak: Entering Into Weakness** - Keller explains the radical meaning of "bear with the failings of the weak" using a commentary by Doug Moo.

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Guests on this episode

Timothy Keller

Show Notes

How can you relate to someone whose views and values and practices offend you and distress you? How can we relate to people with whom we deeply differ?

Our culture says we need to be tolerant, but I want to show you that Paul says the mark of a supernaturally changed heart is to go way beyond tolerance. It’s something better than tolerance, something greater than tolerance, something I’m going to call gospel-receptivity—a loving, peaceful receptivity toward people with whom we deeply differ.

What is this receptivity, this receptive grace? The best way to figure it out is to look at 1) what it’s not, 2) what it is, and 3) how we develop it.

This sermon was preached by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on February 10, 2002. Series: Practical Grace; How the Gospel Transforms Character. Scripture: 1 Corinthians 8:4-11; Romans 15:1-7.

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.