Eph 2 | HCSB | STEP | And you were dead in your trespasses and sins

‏ Ephesians 2

From Death to Life

1 And you were dead ^a in your trespasses and sins 2 in which you previously ^{▼▼walk: A term often used in a figurative way to mean "way of life" or "behavior"}walked according to the ways of this world, ^c according to the ruler who exercises authority over the lower heavens, ^{▼▼Lit ruler of the domain of the air
,} ^e the spirit ^f now working in the disobedient. ^{▼▼Lit sons of disobedience} 3 We too all previously lived among them in our fleshly ^h desires, carrying out the inclinations ⁱ of our flesh and thoughts, and we were by nature children under wrath ^j as the others were also. 4 But God, who is rich in mercy, ^k because of His great love ^l that He had for us, ^{▼▼Lit love with which He loved us} 5 made us alive ⁿ with the ^{▼▼Messiah: Or the Christ; the Greek word Christos means "the anointed one".}Messiah even though we were dead ^p in trespasses. You are saved by grace! 6 Together with Christ Jesus He also raised us up and seated us in the heavens, ^q 7 so that in the coming ages ^r He might display the immeasurable riches ^s of His grace through His kindness ^t to us in Christ Jesus. 8 For you are saved by grace ^u through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift – 9 not from works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are His creation, created ^v in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time ^w so that we should walk in them.

Unity in Christ

11 So then, remember that at one time you were Gentiles in the flesh – called “the uncircumcised” by those called “the circumcised,” ^x which is done in the flesh by human hands. ^y 12 At that time you were without the Messiah, excluded from the citizenship of Israel, and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, ^z without hope ^aa and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus, you who were far away have been brought near by the blood ^ab of the Messiah. 14 For He is our peace, who made both groups one ^ac and tore down the dividing wall of hostility. In His flesh, 15 He made of no effect the law consisting of commands and expressed in regulations, so that He might create ^ad in Himself one ^ae new man from the two, resulting in peace. 16 He did this so that He might reconcile both to God in one body ^af through the cross and put the hostility to death by it. ^{▼▼Or death in Himself} 17 When the Messiah came, He proclaimed the good news ^ah of peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. ^ai 18 For through Him we both have access ^aj by one Spirit to the Father. ^ak 19 So then you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with the ^{▼▼saint(s)/sanctification/sanctify/sanctified: The work of the Holy Spirit that separates believers in Jesus from the world; at the time of saving faith in Jesus, the believer is made a saint; therefore, all believers are saints. The believer participates with the Spirit in a process of transformation that continues until glorification. The goal of sanctification is progressive conformity to the image of Jesus Christ.}saints, and members of God’s household, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, ^am with Christ Jesus Himself as the cornerstone. 21 The whole building, being put together ^an by Him, grows into a holy sanctuary in the Lord. ^ao 22 You also are being built together ^ap for God’s dwelling ^aq in the Spirit.