AI Summary
5 min readIn this sermon, Timothy Keller argues that the central, life-changing reality of Christianity is not merely trying to live a better life, but being brought into a legal, or "federal," union with Jesus Christ. He insists that the difference between being a Christian and not being one is not a matter of degree, but a cataclysmic shift from death to life, bondage to authority—a change so radical that it can only be explained by the believer’s total identification with Christ in his death, resurrection, and exaltation.
The Radical Nature of the Change
Keller begins by emphasizing the stark "before and after" picture Paul paints in Ephesians 2. The pre-Christian state is described as being spiritually dead and in bondage. The Christian state is being made alive and seated in authority with Christ. Keller warns against a watered-down view of Christianity that sees it as a supplement to one’s life—going to church more, trying harder. Paul’s language, he argues, allows for no such gradualism. "You were dead, now you're alive," Keller says. This is not an incremental improvement; it is a momentous, profound, and cataclysmic change that cannot be understood as a matter of degree.
The Mechanism: Federal Headship
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What you'll learn
- 1 (01:35) **The Before-and-After Picture of Christianity** - Keller introduces Ephesians 2:4-10 as the "after picture" of an encounter with Christ, contrasting it with the "before" of spiritual death and bondage.
- 2 (05:02) **The Crucial Theology: Union with Christ** - Keller identifies the mechanism of the new birth as "union with Christ," hidden in the Greek prefix "syn" (together with) attached to verbs in the passage.
- 3 (10:38) **The Basis of the Relationship: Federal Headship** - Keller explains that the personal relationship with God is based on a legal, covenantal union with Christ as our federal head or representative.
- 4 (15:30) **The Great Exchange: Imputed Righteousness** - Keller unpacks 2 Corinthians 5:21, explaining that Christ was made "legally" a sinner on the cross, not actually sinful, so believers could become "legally" righteous.
- 5 (22:57) **The Practical Implications of Being Crucified with Christ** - Keller explains that being crucified with Christ means God treats believers as if they have already paid for every sin, removing the need for self-atonement.
- 6 (26:10) **Why Christianity is Utterly Unique** - Keller argues that Christianity's doctrine of substitutionary union makes it completely different from all other religions.
- 7 (28:41) **The Source of Assurance and the Cure for Pride** - Keller explains how union with Christ provides the only solid basis for knowing God's love and eliminates both inferiority and superiority complexes.
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Guests on this episode
Show Notes
This sermon was preached by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on November 22, 1992. Series: Salvation From the Outside In. Scripture: Ephesians 2:4-10.
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