Second Sunday after Christmas Ephesians 1:3-14

Preaching Commentary

One of the things I’ve (Stu) noticed when talking about spiritual growth with Christians of all backgrounds, is a consistent desire to “do better,” to “keep fighting the good fight” against sin and temptation. And while of course, we are supposed to fight sin and temptation, or better yet, “flee” them, there is a sense that growth happens when we choose to make the right decisions. But this text, among others, speaks of a different kind of transformation.

It is not a transformation that occurs when we “do better” or “try harder,” but a transformation that occurs when we are able to lay hold of the “spiritual blessings” (vs.3) that God has already given us. These blessings are first and foremost the “free gift”…