Ephesians 2

1And you were dead in your trespasses and sins,

2in which you once walked, according to the age of this world, according to the ruler of the authority of the air, the spirit now at work in the sons of disobedience.

3among whom we all also once lived in the desires of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and we were by nature children of wrath, just as the rest were.

4But God, being rich in mercy, because of his great love with which he loved us,

5even when we were dead in our trespasses, he made us alive together with Messiah—by grace you have been saved—

6and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Messiah Jesus,

7so that in the coming ages he might display the surpassing riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Messiah Jesus.

8For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is the gift of God.

9not from works, so that no one may boast.

10For we are his workmanship, created in Messiah Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we might walk in them.

11Therefore remember that formerly you, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called “uncircumcision” by what is called “circumcision,” made by hands in the flesh—

12that at that time you were without Messiah, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of the promise, having no hope and without God in the world.

13But now in Messiah Jesus, you who once were far away have become near by the blood of the Messiah.

14For he himself is our peace, who made both one and broke down the dividing wall of the barrier—the hostility—in his flesh,

15having abolished the law of commandments expressed in decrees, so that he might create the two into one new man in himself, making peace,

16and might reconcile both to God in one body through the cross, having put the hostility to death by it.

17And he came and proclaimed peace to you who were far away, and peace to those who were near.

18For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.

19So then, you are no longer strangers and resident foreigners, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of God's household,

20having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Messiah Jesus himself being the cornerstone,

21in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord,

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