Ephesians 2:8-9 / By Grace, Through Faith

Ephesians 2:8-9

Preaching on these well-known verses, Alexander MacLaren (1826-1910) begins his sermon:
"Here are three of the key-words of the New Testament — 'grace,' 'saved,' 'faith.'  Once these terms were strange and new;  now they are old and threadbare.  Once they were like lava, glowing and cast up from the central depths; but it is a long while since the eruption, and the blocks have gotten cold, and the corners have been rubbed off them.  I am afraid that some people, when they read such a text, will shrug the shoulder of weariness, and think that they are in for a dreary sermon. But the more familiar a word is, the more likely are common ideas about it to be hazy.  We substitute acquaintance with the sound for penetration into the sense."