Dead, and made alive
1And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, 2in which you once walked, following the age of this world, under the ruler who holds the authority of the air, the spirit now at work in the sons of disobedience, 3among whom we all once conducted ourselves, in the cravings of our flesh, doing what the flesh and the mind wanted; by nature we were children of wrath, like everyone else — 4But God, rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5made us alive together with the Christ even when we were dead in our trespasses — by grace you have been saved — 6and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7so that in the ages to come he might display the surpassing riches of his grace, in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8For by grace you have been saved, through faith; and this is not your doing — it is God’s gift, 9not from works, so that no one may boast. 10We are his handiwork, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared in advance for us to walk in.
The two made one
11So remember: you were once the Gentiles in the flesh, called “the uncircumcision” by those called “the circumcision” — done in the flesh by human hands. 12At that time you were without the Christ, shut out from the citizenship of Israel, strangers to the covenants of the promise, with no hope and without God in the world. 13But now, in Christ Jesus, you who were once far off have been brought near by the blood of the Christ. 14For he himself is our peace. He made the two one and tore down the dividing wall, the barrier of hostility, 15abolishing in his flesh the law of commandments with its decrees, so that in himself he might create the two into one new humanity, making peace, 16and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, killing the hostility in himself. 17He came and announced peace to you who were far off, and peace to those who were near; 18for through him we both have access to the Father in one Spirit. 19So then you are no longer strangers and resident aliens; you are fellow citizens with the saints, members of God’s household, 20built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone. 21In him the whole structure is fitted together and rises into a holy sanctuary in the Lord; 22in him you too are being built together into a dwelling place for God in the Spirit.
