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Timothy Keller

The Freedom of Self Forgetfulness: The Path to True Christian Joy Paperback – March 27, 2012

by Timothy Keller (Author)

4.7 6,247 ratings

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What are the marks of a supernaturally changed heart?

This is one of the questions the Apostle Paul addresses as he writes to the church in Corinth. He's not after some superficial outward tinkering, but instead a deep rooted, life altering change that takes place on the inside. In an age where pleasing people, puffing up your ego and building your résumé are seen as the methods to 'make it', the Apostle Paul calls us to find true rest in blessed self forgetfulness.

In this short and punchy book, best selling author Timothy Keller, shows that gospel humility means we can stop connecting every experience, every conversation with ourselves and can thus be free from self condemnation. A truly gospel humble person is not a self-hating person or a self-loving person, but a self-forgetful person.

This freedom can be yours...

Print length

48 pages
Language

English
Publisher

10Publishing
Publication date

March 27, 2012
Dimensions

6.9 x 4.3 x 0.2 inches
ISBN-10

1906173419
ISBN-13

978-1906173418
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From the Publisher

Meet the Author

Timothy Keller is an American theologian and NYT best-selling author of several books. He is the founder of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Manhattan and chairman & co-founder of Redeemer City to City, a ministry which starts new churches in New York and other global cities. He is married to Kathy and has three adult sons.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Tim Keller knows that personal freedom is only ever found in viewing yourself from the vantage point of the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ. Read and experience that freedom yourself."
--Paul David Tripp, President of Paul Tripp Ministries

"An excellent little piece. This is a truly liberating book for anyone who's ever worried about what other think of them or been caught up in conflict. You'll find your life explained and then put on the path to freedom."
--Tim Chester, author, Enjoying God; Senior Faculty Member, Crosslands Training

"In this helpful little book, Dr. Keller paints a compelling picture of a truly gospel-humble person who is so taken up with his Lord that he is freed from the constant need to think about himself. We were challenged by it: we pray that you will be too."
--Christopher and Carolyn Ash, St. Andrew the Great Church, Cambridge, UK

About the Author

Timothy Keller is the founding pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Manhattan, which he started in 1989 with his wife, Kathy, and three young sons. He is the author of several books.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ 10Publishing; 1st Edition (March 27, 2012)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 48 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1906173419
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1906173418
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.6 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.9 x 4.3 x 0.2 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #1,064 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #9 in Self-Esteem (Books)
- #11 in Christian Self Help
- #44 in Happiness Self-Help

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4.7 6,247 ratings

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Timothy Keller

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Timothy Keller is senior pastor at Redeemer Presbyterian Church, Manhattan. He is renowned for his clear, reasoned approach to Christian apologetics and his book THE REASON FOR GOD: BELIEF IN AN AGE OF SKEPTICISM was named Book of the Year for 2008 by World Magazine.

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4.7 out of 5

6,247 global ratings

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4 star		13%
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K. L. Byles

Eye-opening look at how to achieve a life transformed in Christ

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on March 31, 2023

Verified Purchase

The basis of Dr. Keller’s book is 1 Corinthians 3:21-4:7. He gives a detailed explanation of the passage including the translation of key words from the original Greek. Through his exegesis of the passage, the reader is given a fascinating insight into the mind of the Apostle Paul as he writes to a troubled church.

From this detailed explanation, Dr. Keller goes on to explain the current misunderstanding of self-esteem and the effect of this misunderstanding on society. Dr. Keller guides the reader through an understanding of their own pride and how to free the spirit from this most destructive influence to achieve the inner peace God intends.

Everyone should read this book, study it, and learn from it.

4 people found this helpful

Helpful

Ximena Avalos

Short and powerful

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on April 8, 2023

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Keller is a brilliant communicator of the Gospel. I pray I can again the same attitude Paul did. This book is truly freeing.

One person found this helpful

Helpful

Philip H. Troutman

Great brief study about the Christian’s proper view of the self

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on March 12, 2023

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Based on 1 Corinthians 3:21–4:7, Keller show us how the key to a healthy view of ourself comes from not focusing on ourselves, forgetting our ego i much the same way we forget our toes or other parts of our body when they don’t hurt. If you’re focused on you ego, it’s because it hurts. But there is a way out of this self-obsession: Self-forgetfulness.

2 people found this helpful

Helpful

A. Murphy

Radical. Anti-Modernity.

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on September 27, 2017

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This is a tiny little pamphlet of a book that contains a powerful message. In this book Keller explains what Paul is talking about in his letter to the Corinthians with respect to the natural condition of the human ego and the transformed view of self that Paul offers us.

The message is powerful because of its simplicity. The natural condition of our ego is one of pride. Keller distills for us what Paul meant in Corinthians when he used the specific word physioo for pride. He shows us that as people we are empty, painful, busy and fragile. Whether we admit it or not we all care to varying degrees what people think of us. Paul offers us a radically different approach in his letter to the Corinthians. Paul doesn’t care what the people of Corinth think, or any people for that matter and he doesn’t even care to judge himself. As Keller says, “Paul is saying that he has reached a place where his ego draws no more attention to itself than any other part of his body.”

In the modern world there is a lot of talk about self-esteem and self-help and your personal truth and at the other end of the spectrum there is thinking a little too much of yourself. Paul is giving us something radically different and Keller describes this as a person with gospel-humility, the essence of which is, “not thinking more of myself or thinking less of myself, it is thinking of myself less.” Keller goes on, “True gospel-humility means I stop connecting every experience, every conversation with myself. In fact, I stop thinking about myself. The freedom of self-forgetfulness. The blessed rest that only self-forgetfulness brings.”

But how do we get to this blessed state of rest? It definitely feels like we live in a “me-first” culture. We are surrounded by tireless self-promoters and performers of every stripe looking to be praised and lauded for what seems like very superficial things like the way you look or who you associate with. This is a problem that is exacerbated by social media where so many are trying to project an image that is essentially false. This is because we are all looking for “an ultimate verdict that we are important and valuable.” We are all trying to prove this, day in and day out, and it’s exhausting. But Paul tells us that we need to remember that ultimate verdict is already in. There is no need to perform to get there because in Christianity we already have the verdict in Jesus Christ. It also means that the equation is reversed – in Christianity, the verdict leads to performance. We are loved and counted and more valuable than rare jewels. Knowing this simple truth frees us from pursuing the verdict, it frees us from self, it gives us the freedom of self-forgetfulness.

Reading Keller’s distillation of Paul’s radical words I was reminded again why Rod Dreher’s book, “The Benedict Option,” is so important. Dreher posits that liquid modernity is a threat to Christianity and that the church needs to undertake a strategic retreat from modern forces to remain strong. Looking at the world through Paul’s lens on ego, this seems more important than ever. The modern world sends us so many wrong messages about consumerism, freedom, materialism and self-governance. As I look around I see people jumping, jumping trying to bounce above the crowd to be noticed. Me. Me. Me. How very different the world would look without all the clamoring to put “me” first. Paul gives us a way to get there.

11 people found this helpful

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Lisa

Short but Full of Wisdom

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on February 22, 2023

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It's about 50 pages, so a quick read in less than 30 minutes, but it captures a main theme for Christians: how does the gospel free us to have the right view of ourselves and others? What is the right view of ourselves? The answer is not a higher or lower self esteem, but to think of ourselves less because we know how fully and sufficiently we are loved by our Heavenly Father and Savior.

2 people found this helpful

Helpful

Fred W. Anson (aka "12th Fret" Anson)

Freedom From Self Tyranny

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on September 7, 2015

Verified Purchase

This short (48-page) book contains a truly transformative message based on the following text:

"Therefore let no one boast in men. For all things are yours: whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas, or the world or life or death, or things present or things to come—all are yours. 23 And you are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s.

Let a man so consider us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful. 3 But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by a human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself. For I know of nothing against myself, yet I am not justified by this; but He who judges me is the Lord. Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the counsels of the hearts. Then each one’s praise will come from God.

Now these things, brethren, I have figuratively transferred to myself and Apollos for your sakes, that you may learn in us not to think beyond what is written, that none of you may be puffed up on behalf of one against the other. 7 For who makes you differ from another? And what do you have that you did not receive? Now if you did indeed receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?"
-- 1 Corinthians 3:21-4:7New King James Version (NKJV)

From this text Keller expounds on the biblical truth that we are only truly free when freed from the tyranny of how we assess and value we ourselves, as well as others do. While this truth is simple in concept it's far more complex in practice because it requires dying to self and living for God just as Christ said:

"I tell you truly that unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains a single grain of wheat; but if it does, it brings a good harvest. The man who loves his own life will destroy it, and the man who hates his life in this world will preserve it for eternal life. If a man wants to enter my service, he must follow my way; and where I am, my servant will also be. And my Father will honour every man who enters my service."
-- John 12:24-26 (JB Phillips)

I have heard this message in many ways over the years but never like this. And, I dare say, that as many times as I've been blessed to hear it I have yet to apply in a way that's truly freeing in the way described in this fine book. As I listened (I "read" the audiobook edition) I was gently prodded and convicted over how far I still have to go. It was quite impacting and most certainly the beginning of many conversations and much reflection regarding the "How to" part.

Though it's a cliche' I really DO think that this is a book that every Christian should read. I give it my highest recommendation.

8 people found this helpful

Helpful

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JR

Theology in the guise of pop psychology

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on July 5, 2020

Verified Purchase

Keller uses the terms ego and self as interchangeable in many instances without really defining them, neither in psychological nor theological terms. Whilst his basic premise that we are to find our true value of self in Christ not in the trappings of social hubris is sound his use of Madonna as an example signals a very mixed metaphor! Are we really not to discern in her grandiose behaviour a state of moral turpitude?
He misses several textual clues in the letter which point to a specific context for his letter who b is important for the application in general terms to the Christian life. Our self evaluation is faulty, the final evaluation is that of Jesus and how we respond to his gospel. To abandon self evaluation which seems to be the thrust of his argument here, seems counterproductive if we are to adopt the paradigmatic life of Christ. A yardstick implies a measurement even if the yardstick is the life and death of Christ. Missed opportunities to answer deep questions

Mr. T. E. Rochester

Helpful Sermon on How to View the Self

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on April 20, 2014

Verified Purchase

Keller's "book" The Freedom of Self-Forgetfulness is a short, 3 chapter work looking at what it means to have real freedom in Christ.

The first chapter lays out our issue: We think too much about our own self-esteem - too much and we're selfish or proud, too little and we're miserable.
The second chapter lays out a Christian response.
The third chapter actually tells you how to have that freedom. Essentially it boils down to CS Lewis' suggestion that self-forgetfulness is not thinking less of ourselves (self-deprecation) but thinking of ourselves less. Instead, we should be thinking more of Christ. Its not about our self-esteem, but how much do we esteem Him.

Some issues though:
The whole work reads as a good published sermon. This isn't a bad thing, but he often refers to verses, yet the passage he's preaching from (contained at the front) doesn't have verse numbers. Without a Bible handy, its sometimes hard to follow.

Secondly, its almost like he spends too much time building up to the solution of "How might I achieve such self-forgetfulness?". Its a good book, but I wish he'd have gotten to this part sooner and expanded it, rather than spend so much time on the first 2 chapters. I was reading them thinking "Yep, gotya, I agree... now what?".

7 people found this helpful

J.

Great, but not that detailed!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on June 6, 2017

Verified Purchase

First, I wouldn't really call this a book because it's so short (the main content is only 46 pages in large print, and the book is smaller than your average book). I would say this is more of a pamphlet than a book.

Nonetheless, I would definitely reccomend this 'book' to those who are struggling with pride or low self esteem, as well as those who want to know more about what it's like to truly be humble in the Biblical way. Timothy Keller provides great insight into how the Bible deals with such issues.

The only reason why I won't give this a 5 star rating is because I feel like the book could have been much longer so that Timothy Keller could have elaborated on his main points in more detail. I watch a lot of Keller's sermons, and I feel like the content of this book mirrored one of the sermons I watched, and funnily enough, Keller went into much more detail about the topics in the sermon compared to this book!

Yet despite that, I would still reccomend this book. Timothy Keller is one of my favourite pastors/authors, he has so much wisdom and his take on certain passages of scripture is so refreshing. He also provides ways to for practical application which is so crucial for the Christian walk.

So to sum up, this book is really short and not much detailed (which is a great shame). But I still reccomend it because it provides great insight to the topic which can be of great help to those struggling with pride and low self esteem.

One person found this helpful

Kindle Customer

Crystal Clear!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on April 5, 2014

Verified Purchase

I've been pondering issues of humility versus pride; humility or self-abasement ... how to remain humble yet confident and bold ... I've been studying the humility of Jesus - reading Andrew Murray (which I highly recommend!) - mulling things over; and then - quite by chance (NOT!) I came across this short book by Timothy Keller. He uses 1 Corinthians 3: 21 - 4:7 as a foundation and proceeds to explain the 'Freedom of Self Forgetfulness' logically and in such a way that my ponderings and mullings settled into a rational understanding with a huge sigh of relief. Basically, I see it this way: the opinions of others concerning me really do not matter to me. My own opinion of me doesn't matter to me; it's God's opinion (or verdict) of me that matters, and His only. And because I believe and accept that Jesus sacrificed Himself for me, that verdict is 'not guilty', and 'accepted' and 'beloved'. I don't have to concern myself with myself anymore - I can trust all that to Him - and in this, I will stop fretting and fussing over my roller-coaster successes and failures, popularity or isolation, respect or ridicule - and be able to focus my attention on Him and on others. FREEDOM INDEED.

3 people found this helpful

Amazon Customer

Convicting

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on January 15, 2023

Verified Purchase

Without Christ, such an aim would be unattainable. For those weary of Keller, trust that this book is one of his good ones - as gospel and biblically focused as his other good ones. The bondage of being self-focused is so simply yet powerfully revealed in this short book. Thank the Lord that through Christ alone, this sinful bondage can be broken through faithful confession and repentance.

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