Our Identity: Joyful Exiles

In this sermon titled 'Our Identity: Joyful Exiles,' Tim Keller explores the Christian identity as that of 'resident aliens'—not tourists, not fully assimilated citizens, but deeply engaged yet distinct members of the world. Drawing from 1 Peter, Keller unpacks the metaphor of exile to describe the Christian life as a pilgrimage toward ultimate home: heaven. He emphasizes that while believers are chosen, sanctified, and loved by God, they are not yet home, and thus their lives will always carry a sense of longing, struggle, and incompleteness. The core of the Christian life, he argues, is living in a state of joyful tension—being both offensive and attractive to the world. This paradox is tested by whether one’s life provokes both criticism and admiration, as seen in early Christians who stood out through forgiveness, generosity, sexual purity, and joyful endurance of suffering. Keller concludes by grounding this identity in the resurrection power of Christ, who was the ultimate exile, bearing our punishment so we might be brought home. True courage and compassion come only when we grasp our unconditional, grace-based identity in Christ.