In Gratitude for the Life of Tim Keller

5/19/2023

Today we lost one of the my great heroes, Tim Keller. I met him just once in the hallway of a Gospel Coalition conference, and he was very gracious and kind. But of course his books and sermons made the biggest impact on me, my faith, my marriage, my preaching. I’m by no means the most qualified person to talk about his life, but as I consider what his death means to me and to us as a church, there are just a few brief thoughts I’d like to share.

Mourning is part of our experience as Christians.

We’re not exempt from grief and death, no matter how faithful we are. Jesus modeled not only resurrection from the dead but grieving for the death of a friend. The world is still broken, and our citizenship is in heaven. Once in a while I need to remember to loosen my grip on this life a little bit and put my hope not in what is seen but in what is unseen, because what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

Tim Keller finished well.

It’s tragic to see public leaders in the church buckle under the pressure and have some sort of moral lapse, doctrinal compromise, or worldly bickering. I understand we’re all only human, but when Paul tells Timothy to watch his life and doctrine closely, he’s reflecting how important it is to pay attention to our own spiritual health as well as the spiritual health of those we lead. Tim Keller is an example to me of that kind of humble spiritual circumspection. It has been an incredible gift to read Pastor Tim’s realistic thoughts about cancer and the finitude of his own life. I want to finish like he did, faithful to the end.

No one is replaceable in God’s kingdom, but no one is indispensable.

As I think about the church today in light of Keller’s death, my fears flare up: What will we do without him? At the same time, my hopes suggest, Maybe there is someone ready to stand up and take his place. The truth is, there will never be another Tim Keller, just like there has never been another Jonathan Edwards or Charles Spurgeon or Martin Luther King, and in some ways the world will be impoverished as a result. The work and character of each person is unique. But the same God is God over all, and the same Christ is still building his church. There won’t be another Tim Keller, but Christ is not done yet, and he will continue to raise up voices that are faithful to his gospel.

Thank you, God, for the work you have done through our brother Tim. Thank you for the work you’re going to do.