Ephesians 2
2
Made Alive with Christ
1Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. 2You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world.#2:2 Greek obeying the commander of the power of the air. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. 3All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else.
4But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, 5that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) 6For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus. 7So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus.
8God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. 9Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. 10For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.
Oneness and Peace in Christ
11Don’t forget that you Gentiles used to be outsiders. You were called “uncircumcised heathens” by the Jews, who were proud of their circumcision, even though it affected only their bodies and not their hearts. 12In those days you were living apart from Christ. You were excluded from citizenship among the people of Israel, and you did not know the covenant promises God had made to them. You lived in this world without God and without hope. 13But now you have been united with Christ Jesus. Once you were far away from God, but now you have been brought near to him through the blood of Christ.
14For Christ himself has brought peace to us. He united Jews and Gentiles into one people when, in his own body on the cross, he broke down the wall of hostility that separated us. 15He did this by ending the system of law with its commandments and regulations. He made peace between Jews and Gentiles by creating in himself one new people from the two groups. 16Together as one body, Christ reconciled both groups to God by means of his death on the cross, and our hostility toward each other was put to death.
17He brought this Good News of peace to you Gentiles who were far away from him, and peace to the Jews who were near. 18Now all of us can come to the Father through the same Holy Spirit because of what Christ has done for us.
A Temple for the Lord
19So now you Gentiles are no longer strangers and foreigners. You are citizens along with all of God’s holy people. You are members of God’s family. 20Together, we are his house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself. 21We are carefully joined together in him, becoming a holy temple for the Lord. 22Through him you Gentiles are also being made part of this dwelling where God lives by his Spirit.
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Holy Bible, New Living Translation copyright 1996, 2004, 2007, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation.
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Ephesians 2
2
By Grace Through Faith
1And #Eph. 2:5; Col. 2:13you He made alive, #Eph. 4:18who were dead in trespasses and sins, 2#Col. 1:21in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to #(John 12:31); Eph. 6:12the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in #Col. 3:6the sons of disobedience, 3#1 Pet. 4:3among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in #Gal. 5:16the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and #(Ps. 51:5)were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.
4But God, #Ps. 103:8–11; Rom. 10:12who is rich in mercy, because of His #John 3:16; 1 John 4:9, 10great love with which He loved us, 5#Rom. 5:6, 8even when we were dead in trespasses, #(Rom. 6:4, 5)made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6and raised us up together, and made us sit together #Eph. 1:20in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in #Titus 3:4His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8#(2 Tim. 1:9)For by grace you have been saved #Rom. 4:16through faith, and that not of yourselves; #(John 1:12, 13)it is the gift of God, 9not of #Rom. 4:4, 5; 11:6works, lest anyone should #Rom. 3:27boast. 10For we are #Is. 19:25His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
Brought Near by His Blood
11Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh—who are called Uncircumcision by what is called #(Rom. 2:28; Col. 2:11)the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands— 12that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
Christ Our Peace
14For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, 15having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one #Gal. 6:15new man from the two, thus making peace, 16and that He might #2 Cor. 5:18; (Col. 1:20–22)reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby #(Rom. 6:6)putting to death the enmity. 17And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near. 18For #John 10:9through Him we both have access #1 Cor. 12:13; Eph. 4:4by one Spirit to the Father.
Christ Our Cornerstone
19Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20having been #1 Pet. 2:4built #Matt. 16:18; 1 Cor. 3:10, 11; Rev. 21:14on the foundation of the #1 Cor. 12:28; Eph. 3:5apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being #Ps. 118:22; Luke 20:17the chief cornerstone, 21in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into #1 Cor. 3:16, 17a holy temple in the Lord, 22#1 Pet. 2:5in whom you also are being built together for a #John 17:23dwelling place of God in the Spirit.
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