Counterfeit Gods by Timothy Keller
Week 8: Chapter 7 — The End of Counterfeit Gods
Read Chapter 7 of Counterfeit Gods. Key passages: Romans 1:21–25; Colossians 3:1–5; Revelation 21–22.
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In his concluding chapter, Keller moves from diagnosis to transformation — asking not just how we identify our idols but how we are actually freed from them, and what it looks like to replace them with the real thing.
Discussion Questions
7 questions1.Keller argues that the fundamental problem with idolatry is not that we want too much but that we settle for too little — we exchange the infinite God for finite substitutes. Does that reframing change how you think about your desires? What does it suggest about how God views our longings?
2.Keller insists that you cannot simply remove an idol — you must replace it with something better, something that actually satisfies the desire the idol was trying to meet. Why is "just stop doing it" insufficient as a strategy for defeating idolatry?
3.Keller describes several "diagnostic questions" for identifying idols: What do you daydream about? What makes you most angry when threatened? What makes you most anxious? What do you look to for comfort when hurt? Work through these questions honestly for yourself.
a.What did you discover? What surprised you?
b.How do these diagnostic questions function differently from simply asking, "What are your sins?"
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