God’s Holy People (Part 2)

Timothy Keller Sermons Podcast by Gospel in Life

Tim Keller

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

4.8 • 15K Ratings

🗓️ 10 March 2025

⏱️ 38 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Christianity is never a mechanical thing. And the church is not a morality agency—it’s a regenerating agency. The real goal of the do’s and the don’ts in the Christian life is always character—growing into God’s holy people. The church does bring about moral behavior but, in a sense, as a byproduct. Because what the church is after is to turn people into saints, to create a kind of person. In Ephesians 5, we learn three things: 1) your Christian faith has to include a saying no as well as a saying yes, 2) Paul explains a few critical things you must say no to (greed, foolish talking, and sexual immorality), and 3) the whole point is not to give us a list of do’s and don’ts, but the point is always to be holy. This sermon was preached by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on May 12, 1991. Series: Christian Lifestyle. Scripture: Ephesians 5:3-7. 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 Gospel and Life.
0:05.6	What makes the Christian lifestyle truly distinct?
0:09.7	Many belief systems emphasize moral behavior, but Christianity offers something deeper, a radical
0:15.5	transformation from the inside out.
0:18.1	This month, Tim Keller is teaching on how the gospel doesn't just modify our behavior,
0:22.6	but completely reshapes our hearts.
0:31.8	Ephesians Chapter 5. We're going to look at a passage. We looked at last week to start and this week to finish.
0:40.7	And somebody's saying, you mean you're going to finish a passage in two weeks? And I'll say,
0:44.7	hey, I grow in grace like everybody else.
0:49.5	We wish change. Okay. Ephesians chapter 5, and I'm going to read from verses 3 through 7.
1:04.6	But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, the cheerful start. What do you think, to the passage, or of any kind of
1:14.6	impurity or of greed, because these are improper for God's holy people, nor should there be
1:21.9	obscenity, foolish talk, or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. For of this you can be sure,
1:31.9	no immoral, impure, or greedy person, such a man is an idolater, has any inheritance in the
1:39.2	kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God's wrath
1:47.1	comes on those who are disobedient. Therefore, do not be partners with them. Here ends the reading of
1:55.3	God's word. There's three things.
2:02.7	We learned from the passage.
2:05.9	We started looking at it last week.
2:07.0	The three things are this.
2:11.5	First, there's got to be a negative and a positive to your Christian faith.
2:15.1	There is a negative and a positive to the Christian faith.
	...

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