Tim Keller | April 4, 2004
I think I can say without fear of contradiction that no matter who you are, there’s a lot of death in your future.
If you look around, you look at your loved ones, you look at your family, you look at your friends. Either you will face death yourself because you will be dying younger than is our want, or you will live a long time and face the death of the other people around you. Christian hope gives you something to deal with that, gives you something remarkable.
Let’s look at 1) what Christianity gives us so we can handle death, and 2) how we get it.
The concept of Christian hope, especially when dealing with death and developing personal character, is deep and powerful. It provides a different way to look at life and death, encouraging us to grieve but with hope. This kind of hope is special. It guarantees a future filled with endless love, satisfied longings, and a real, physical life after death through resurrection. This makes Christianity stand out from other faiths.
This Month's Featured Book
In Shaped by the Gospel, Dr. Keller shows how gospel-centered ministry is more theologically driven than program-driven. As you read, you’ll discover how reflecting on the essence, the truths, and the patterns of the gospel leads to renewal in your lives, churches and ministries.