From Death to Life

1And you were deada in your trespasses and sins 2in which you previously •walked according to the ways of this world,b according to the ruler who exercises authority over the lower heavens,c, d the spirite now working in the disobedient.f 3We too all previously lived among them in our fleshlyg desires, carrying out the inclinationsh of our flesh and thoughts, and we were by nature children under wrathi as the others were also. 4But God, who is rich in mercy,j because of His great lovek that He had for us,l 5made us alivem with the •Messiah even though we were deadn in trespasses. You are saved by grace! 6Together with Christ Jesus He also raised us up and seated us in the heavens,o 7so that in the coming agesp He might display the immeasurable richesq of His grace through His kindnessr to us in Christ Jesus. 8For you are saved by graces through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift — 9not from works, so that no one can boast. 10For we are His creation, createdt in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of timeu so that we should walk in them.

Unity in Christ

11So then, remember that at one time you were Gentiles in the flesh — called “the uncircumcised” by those called “the circumcised,”v which is done in the flesh by human hands.w 12At that time you were without the Messiah, excluded from the citizenship of Israel, and foreigners to the covenants of the promise,x without hopey and without God in the world. 13But now in Christ Jesus, you who were far away have been brought near by the bloodz of the Messiah. 14For He is our peace, who made both groups oneaa and tore down the dividing wall of hostility. In His flesh, 15He made of no effect the law consisting of commands and expressed in regulations, so that He might createab in Himself oneac new man from the two, resulting in peace. 16He did this so that He might reconcile both to God in one bodyad through the cross and put the hostility to death by it.ae 17When the Messiah came, He proclaimed the good newsaf of peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near.ag 18For through Him we both have accessah by one Spirit to the Father.ai 19So then you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with the •saints, and members of God’s household, 20built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets,aj with Christ Jesus Himself as the cornerstone. 21The whole building, being put togetherak by Him, grows into a holy sanctuary in the Lord.al 22You also are being built togetheram for God’s dwellingan in the Spirit.