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Timothy Keller Sermons Podcast by Gospel in Life

Sex and the End of Loneliness

Timothy Keller Sermons Podcast by Gospel in Life

Tim Keller

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

4.916.2K Ratings

🗓️ 23 January 2026

⏱️ 41 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

When Christianity burst onto the scene, the early Romans were amazed and astounded in two particulars: that Christians were radically generous, giving away large portions of income, and that Christians were radically pure, believing in no sex outside of marriage. This unique understanding transformed the Roman world. At that time, there were two major philosophies about sex. The first was the platonic view: that the soul is good, the body is bad, and sex is kind of dirty. The second was the mystery religions’ view: that sex is an appetite that is unhealthy to repress. The prudes and the pagans. And in 1 Corinthians, Paul vividly and incisively shows that Christians are neither. Instead, Christians have the most glorious and lofty possible understanding of sex that there is. Let’s look at what this passage shows us about 1) how God says sex is supposed to function in a life, and 2) in looking at how to order our lives in accord to that, we see two things: 3) the only real cure for loneliness is the thing that sex points to, and 4) when you misuse sex, it works backwards. This sermon was preached by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on December 10, 1989. Series: Ten Commandments 1989. Scripture: 1 Corinthians 6:15-7:5. 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. During January, we're inviting our listeners to consider becoming a Gospel and Life monthly partner.

0:10.7

Monthly partners are an important part in helping us to plan for how we can be the most effective in reaching people all over the world with the gospel.

0:19.1

If you'd like to become a monthly partner, just visit

0:21.7

gospelonlife.com slash partner. That's gospelonlife.com slash partner. What comes to mind when you

0:30.6

hear about the Ten Commandments? For many people, they bring up feelings of guilt and shame, or they

0:35.9

seem like a list of rules that are impossible to follow.

0:39.1

In today's sermon, Tim Keller shows us how God didn't give us the Ten Commandments to crush us

0:43.9

with unattainable moral standards, but to appoint us to Jesus Christ, the only one who perfectly

0:49.6

fulfills God's law.

0:57.3

Let me read from 1 Corinthians chapter 6,

1:01.0

and I'm going to read from verses 15 of chapter 6

1:04.7

to chapter 7, verse 5.

1:10.3

1 Corinthians 16, verse 15 to

1:14.5

chapter 7, verse 5.

1:21.0

Do you not know

1:22.6

that your bodies are members of Christ

1:24.8

himself? Shall I then take the members of Christ and unite them with a prostitute?

1:30.3

Never.

1:31.3

Do you not know that he who unites himself with a prostitute is one with her in body?

1:37.3

For it is said the two will become one flesh.

1:40.3

But he who unites himself with the Lord is one with him in spirit.

1:45.9

Flee from sexual immorality.

...

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