Ephesians 2

Saved from sin to life

1 At one time you were like a dead person because of the things you did wrong and your offenses against God.2 You used to act like most people in our world do. You followed the rule of a destructive spiritual power. This is the spirit of disobedience to God’s will that is now at work in persons whose lives are characterized by disobedience.

3 At one time you were like those persons. All of you used to do whatever felt good and whatever you thought you wanted so that you were children headed for punishment just like everyone else.
4 ^-5 However, God is rich in mercy. He brought us to life with Christ while we were dead as a result of those things that we did wrong. He did this because of the great love that he has for us. You are saved by God’s grace!6 And God raised us up and seated us in the heavens with Christ Jesus.

7 God did this to show future generations the greatness of his grace by the goodness that God has shown us in Christ Jesus.
8 You are saved by God’s grace because of your faith.t This salvation is God’s gift. It’s not something you possessed.9 It’s not something you did that you can be proud of.

10 Instead, we are God’s accomplishment, created in Christ Jesus to do good things. God planned for these good things to be the way that we live our lives.

The reconciliation of God’s people

11 So remember that once you were Gentiles by physical descent, who were called "uncircumcised" by Jews who are physically circumcised.12 At that time you were without Christ. You were aliens rather than citizens of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of God’s promise. In this world you had no hope and no God.

13 But now, thanks to Christ Jesus, you who once were so far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
14 Christ is our peace. He made both Jews and Gentiles into one group. With his body, he broke down the barrier of hatred that divided us.15 He canceled the detailed rules of the Law so that he could create one new person out of the two groups, making peace.

16 He reconciled them both as one body to God by the cross, which ended the hostility to God.
17 When he came, he announced the good news of peace to you who were far away from God and to those who were near.18 We both have access to the Father through Christ by the one Spirit.19 So now you are no longer strangers and aliens. Rather, you are fellow citizens with God’s people, and you belong to God’s household.20 As God’s household, you are built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone.21 The whole building is joined together in him, and it grows up into a temple that is dedicated to the Lord.

22 Christ is building you into a place where God lives through the Spirit.

Ephesians 2

New Life Individually

1 And although you weret deads in your transgressions and sins,2 in whichs you formerly livedts according to this world’s present path,ts according to the ruler of the kingdomt of the air, the ruler oft the spirits that is now energizingt the sons of disobedience,s

3 among whoms all of ust alsot formerly lived out our lives in the cravings of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and the mind, and were by nature children of wraths even as the rest…s
4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of his great love with which he loved us,5 even though we were dead in transgressions, made us alive together with Christ – by grace you are saved!t –6 and he raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus,7 to demonstrate in the coming agest the surpassing wealth of his grace in kindness towardt us in Christ Jesus.8 For by grace you are savedt through faith,s and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God;9 it is not fromt works, so that no one can boast.t

10 For we are his workmanship, having been created in Christ Jesus for good works that God prepared beforehand so we may do them.ts

New Life Corporately

11 Therefore remember that formerly you, the Gentiles in the flesh – who are called “uncircumcision” by the so-called “circumcision” that is performed on the bodyt by human hands –12 that you were at that time without the Messiah,t alienated from the citizenship of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise,t having no hope and without God in the world.13 But now in Christ Jesus you who used to be far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.ts14 For he is our peace, the one who made both groups into onet and who destroyed the middle wall of partition, the hostility,15 when he nullifiedt in his flesh the law of commandments in decrees. He did this to create in himself one new mant out of two,t thus making peace,16 and to reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by which the hostility has been killed.t17 And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near,18 so thatt through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.19 So then you are no longer foreigners and noncitizens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of God’s household,20 because you have been builtt on the foundation of the apostles and prophets,s with Christ Jesus himself ast the cornerstone.t21 In himt the whole building,st being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord,

22 in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.