your sins and wickedness,
when you followed the evil ways
of this present age,
when you obeyed the commander of
the spiritual powers of the air,
the spirit now at work among God's rebel subjects.
We too were once of their number: we all
lived our lives in sensuality,
and obeyed the promptings of our
own instincts and notions.
In our natural condition we, like the rest, ~
lay under the dreadful judgement of God.
But God, rich in mercy,
for the great love he bore us,
brought us to life with Christ
even when we were dead in our sins;
it is by his grace you are saved.
And in union with Christ Jesus he raised us up
and enthroned us with him in the heavenly realms,
so that he might display in the ages to come
how immense are the resources of his grace,
and how great his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.
For it is by his grace you are saved,
through trusting him;
it is not your own doing.
It is God's gift,
not a reward for work done.
There is nothing for anyone to boast of.
For we are God's handiwork,
created in Christ Jesus to devote ourselves
to the good deeds for which God has designed us.
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