2Once 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.[1] 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.
[1]Ephesians 2:2Greek obeying the commander of the power of the air
Ashburn, VA
