Abel and the Salvation of Faith

Timothy Keller Sermons Podcast by Gospel in Life

Tim Keller

Religion & Spirituality, Religion, Religion & Spirituality:christianity, Christianity, Spirituality

4.8 • 15K Ratings

🗓️ 7 April 2025

⏱️ 39 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Many of us are wondering how we’re even going to face Monday, but the men and women in Hebrews 11 didn’t just know how to face life—they were enabled to even go against the whole world. And the thing that enabled them was they were commended by God. Abel got the commendation from God—he was shown God accepted him as absolutely righteous, and as a result, he became one of these great hearts who can face the world, can face anything. By looking at Abel, and the contrast with Cain, we can have some understanding about how we also can know this same thing. The best way to understand the case of Cain and Abel is to ask: 1) how were Cain and Abel alike, 2) how were they not alike? and 3) are you Cain or Abel? This sermon was preached by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on October 2, 1994. Series: The Nature of Faith. Scripture: Hebrews 11:1-7. 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.

Transcript

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0:00.0	Welcome to the Gospel in Life podcast.
0:06.1	We all strive to live with stability and balance in the face of the challenges life brings.
0:11.9	It's natural to want poise and strength when we deal with adversity or uncertainty.
0:16.7	Today on Gospel in Life, Tim Keller shows us how a life of faith in Christ is the key to
0:22.0	facing the challenges and adversity in life.
0:25.4	After you listen to today's teaching, we invite you to go online to gospelandlife.com and
0:30.4	sign up for our email updates.
0:32.5	When you sign up, you'll receive our quarterly journal and other valuable gospel-centered resources.
0:40.3	Subscribe today at gospelandlife.com.
0:49.7	Let me read to you from Hebrews chapter 11.
0:50.8	It's printed in your bulletin.
0:55.0	This fall we're going through this particular chapter.
1:04.4	And though I'll read to you the first four verses of it because each week we're looking at a different case study.
1:12.2	This passage gives us a series of case studies that tell us about how various men and various women learn to live lives of faith. And I'm going to read down to verse four because verse four
1:17.3	tells us about Abel, and he is the particular case study to which we look today. So Hebrews 11,
1:26.2	verses 1 to 7. now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.
1:37.5	This is what the ancients were commended for.
1:40.8	By faith, we understand that the universe was formed at God's command so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.
1:49.7	Now, by faith, Abel offered God a better sacrifice than Cain did.
1:56.8	By faith, he was commended as a righteous man, when God spoke well of his offerings,
2:02.1	and by faith he still speaks, even though he is dead.
2:08.3	This is God's word.
	...

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