Facing Doubt

Timothy Keller Sermons Podcast by Gospel in Life

Tim Keller

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

4.8 • 15K Ratings

🗓️ 8 August 2025

⏱️ 48 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

To become a mature society in which we’re able to talk about faith, we also have to be able to talk about doubt. We don’t get much help here from either religious people or secular people. Religious people tend to see doubt as a bad thing. And secular people tend to think perennial doubt is the only sophisticated position. However, what the Bible says about doubt is unique, nuanced, and multidimensional. The Bible sees doubt as something that’s not all good and not all bad. Only when you begin to see it in a nuanced way can it be something through which we make progress. Let’s look at doubt in this famous psalm of Asaph: 1) what is it? 2) what causes it? and 3) what transforms it? This sermon was preached by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on October 13, 2013. Series: A Public Faith. Scripture: Psalm 73:1-3, 12-26. 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.
0:05.5	How comfortable are you when it comes to being open about your faith?
0:09.3	This month on the podcast, Tim Keller looks at what the Bible says about having a public faith.
0:14.7	He shows us what it looks like to be open about our faith in a pluralistic society
0:18.8	in a way that creates civility and peace and meaningful
0:22.3	dialogue with our neighbors.
0:30.6	The scripture reading is from Psalm chapter 73, verses 1 through 3 and 12 through 26.
0:37.2	Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart.
0:40.9	But as for me, my feet had almost slipped.
0:43.8	I had nearly lost my foothold.
0:46.2	For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
0:50.3	This is what the wicked are like.
0:52.1	Always free of care, they go on amassing wealth. Surely in vain I have kept my heart pure and have washed my hands and innocence. All day long I have been afflicted and every morning brings new punishments. If I had spoken out like that, I would have betrayed your children. When I tried to understand all this, it troubled me deeply
1:11.6	till I entered the sanctuary of God.
1:14.6	Then I understood their final destiny.
1:17.3	Surely you place them on slippery ground.
1:19.7	You cast them down to ruin.
1:21.9	How suddenly are they destroyed, completely swept away by terrors?
1:26.2	They are like a dream when one awakes.
1:28.3	When you arise, Lord, you will despise them as fantasies.
1:32.0	When my heart was grieved and my spirit embittered,
1:35.0	I was senseless and ignorant.
	...

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