Tim Keller Answers What Christians, Non-Believers, and Other Religions Have in Common

Christians, non-believers, and people of other faiths have always had something in common. We have questions about life and about God.

I recently had a conversation with Dr. Timothy Keller, the founding pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City, that reaffirmed to me that the Gospel of Jesus Christ has the answers to the questions we’re asking right now in 2017.

Like questions about identity. Who we are is often wrapped up in what we do, what others think of us, and what we own, all of which are the fruit of what we achieve. Our worth rises and falls on our latest gold star or on our latest failure.

But Christianity teaches us that our identity is not achieved, it’s received. That means our sense of self doesn’t have to float along or hit rock bottom at the whim of our daily performance. With Christ, our identity is a unique gift that is strengthened and enriched day-by-day in His care.

Christianity also offers meaning to suffering. With Christ, we can live with a purpose that transcends our circumstances.

In his book, “Man’s Search for Meaning,” Viktor Frankl reached a similar conclusion after surviving the horrors of a German concentration camp. He observed that those with a higher system of beliefs lived longer and experienced more peace than those whose identities were built on less transcendent concepts like prestige or money. In a death camp – the personification of suffering in many ways – faith is the only possession that can never be taken away.

First John 5:20 says, “And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding so that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son, Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life (ESV).”

That’s a powerful statement. And it’s an important reason why Christians believe that Jesus Christ is the answer to questions about identity, suffering, and other profound questions about life.

I hope you’ll join me today and tomorrow for my conversation with Dr. Timothy Keller, “Addressing Skeptics, Sharing Christ.” He’s lived and ministered in the “city that never sleeps” for almost 30 years and has written a number of books, the latest of which is called “Making Sense of God: An Invitation to the Skeptical.”

You can hear the program on your local radio station, online, or on our free phone app. We also have an online store that offers many other helpful digital and print resources related to issues of faith.