Shortly before graduating seminary and moving cross-country, I scoured the school library to photocopy every resource referenced in Tim Keller’s books. At that time, Keller was primarily known for successfully planting Redeemer Presbyterian and fostering the planting of other city-center churches. I was captivated by his preaching, which revealed insights from Scripture and the human heart that I hadn’t heard from others. Keller connected the wonders of the gospel with the most profound struggles of both believers and nonbelievers as he taught on the Christian life. In Tim Keller on the Christian Life: The Transforming Power of the Gospel, Matt Smethurst, lead pastor of River City Baptist Church and longtime editor for The Gospel Coalition, synthesizes and distills Keller’s “best teaching on the Christian life” (6). One danger of writing a book like this is that it could have become a highlight reel of Keller’s best quotes. But Smethurst offers more than a survey or mere repackaging of Keller’s teaching. This book is constructive—it explains key themes from Keller’s teaching, proves the themes from Scripture, and then expounds the implications of these themes. Along the way, Smethurst debunks some popular critiques of Keller’s ministry. Keller wrote, preached, and taught prolifically. He produced thousands of sermons and lectures, more than 30 books, and dozens of articles. Within the wider current of Keller’s teaching on practical discipleship, Smethurst covers eight major themes with chapters on a Christ-centered hermeneutic, the integration of faith and work, theologies of prayer and suffering, and more. All of them are important and helpful. Two themes of Keller’s teaching that stood out to me are his teaching on three ways to live and the importance of friendship. Three Ways to Live Critics sometimes complain that Keller’s preaching was soft on sin. Smethurst shows that simply wasn’t so: “Keller’s sermons regularly feature­—far more than one may assume, given his gentle demeanor—this kind of in-your-face, choose-ye-this-day directness” (47–48). This is evident to those who have listened to many of Keller’s sermons, especially the ones where he explains the three ways to live. The “three ways to live” theme comes up often in his preaching as he refers to passages like Romans 1:18–32, the Sermon on the Mount, and the parable of the prodigal son. Borrowing from his mentor, Ed Clowney, Keller frequently shows that “there are three ways to live: one way to be reconciled to God, but two ways to reject him” (49). Keller offers regular reminders that we must trust that Jesus delivers us from both our bad deeds and our damnable good works—works we think gain us favor, standing, or blessing. As Keller outlines these two ways to reject God, he ends up preaching against legalism as much as against overt rebellion. Smethurst muses on Keller’s approach to ministry: Why did Keller preach so forcefully against legalism in New York City? It’s not exactly known for attracting elder-brother types. There are two answers. First, he was convinced that self-justification, commonly associated with legalism, is the default mode of every human heart. But the second reason was simple: he wanted younger brothers to grasp the gospel. (56) Keller’s church, Redeemer, has been reaching both elder and younger brothers since. Though the perspective seems obvious to many now, Keller’s “three ways” approach had a profound influence beyond his local church, even on pastors like John Piper. Significantly, Keller taught younger pastors like me that the gospel, and all it rescues us from, is a truth that non-Christians and Christians need to hear and believe repeatedly. Thus Keller helped many of us see the gospel in a new light. Importance of Friendship Keller helped many of us see the gospel in a new light. Friendship was another central theme in Keller’s life and ministry. Though he never wrote a book on friendship, this topic frequently appears in his teaching because it reflects a pressing cultural problem. Our society is drowning in an epidemic of loneliness. Many Christians (especially pastors) don’t have true friends. Keller’s lifelong friendships helped sustain his ministry despite the dangers of success. One of Keller’s common explanations of the concept is that a true friend “always lets you in and never lets you down” (67). Jesus always lets us in. He calls us friends. He invites us to the throne of grace. He tells us the insider knowledge of what the Father has made known to him (see John 15:13–16). More significantly, Jesus never lets us down. As Smethurst observes, “The cross is the ultimate act of burden bearing—and the burden crushed him to death because he’s the ultimate Friend” (72). Jesus has borne our griefs, carried our sorrows, and paid the debt of our sins. Knowing Jesus and being known by him as a friend frees us to have true friendships. The gospel has afforded me a few precious friendships where we share common passions, Spirit-enabled transparency, and constancy through life’s travails. These relationships are deeper than what I share with good non-Christian friends. As I was reading this chapter, I realized I’d switched from analytical reading to reflecting on the ways the gospel has transformed my own relationships. And that’s the heart of Keller’s ministry: The gospel shapes everything. Encouraging Introduction This book isn’t exhaustive. It doesn’t examine Keller’s views on how Christians should regard the city, engage the culture, or do church. Whereas Collin Hansen’s book Timothy Keller traces Keller’s intellectual and spiritual formation, Smethurst introduces Keller’s teaching on the daily dynamics of the Christian life. Knowing Jesus and being known by him as friends frees us to have true friendships. The excerpts from Keller’s teaching, explanations by Smethurst, and stories from Keller’s life are captivating. The extensive endnotes, which Smethurst no doubt modeled after Keller’s practice, amplify the text and point toward future research. I wrote my dissertation on Keller’s preaching. Yet in this book, I discovered new facets of his teaching. Smethurst provides an on-ramp for those who hadn’t experienced Keller’s ministry personally. But even those substantially shaped by Keller’s ministry won’t walk away unchanged. Tim Keller on the Christian Life is a feast for weary Christians. Pastors, church leaders, and faithful Christians should read it to be encouraged toward a deeper faith.