When we consider what it means to be “close to God,” it’s likely we think of the religious as near to him and non-churchgoers as far away. But Paul tells us that no matter how close we seem, we are all equally estranged from God until we call Christ our Savior.
As the Book of Ephesians points out, the real question of whether we are Christians or not is not how good we are or how often we pray. The real question is: have we been brought near by the blood of Christ?
Let’s look at how 1) those far from God tend to avoid him, 2) how those near to him do the same in different ways, and 3) how the blood of Christ reconciles both with the Lord.
This sermon was preached by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on February 28, 1993. Series: Salvation From the Outside In. Scripture: Ephesians 2:11-18.
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Released on 2 Sep 2026