Ephesians 2:1-13 ▼

1 When you were in that destructive state of transgression and sin,

2 in which you formerly liv'd, influenc'd by the customs of this world, and by the prince of the aerial powers, the spirits that now actuate the incredulous:

3 of which number we all have formerly been, leading our dissolute lives in gratifying the desires of our sensual imaginations: and were indeed obnoxious to the divine displeasure, as other. Gentiles were:

4 then it was that God, who is rich in mercy, thro' his great love, wherewith he loved us,

5 did raise us all, who were in that deadly state of sin, to life by Christ, for by grace ye are saved:

6 he hath raised us up together, and made us partakers of his heavenly kingdom.

7 that in the ages to come, he might shew the immense riches of his gracious kindness towards us, through Christ Jesus.

8 for by grace are ye saved, thro' faith (and that not from us:

9 it is the gift of God) but not by works, so that no man can boast:

10 for he hath made us a-new, and form'd us by Christ Jesus to do good works, for which God had before prepared us, that we might live in them.

11 Wherefore remember that you were heretofore Gentiles, being denominated the uncircumcised, by those who are the circumcised by a manual operation;

12 that at that time ye were without all knowledge of the Messiah, being aliens from the common-wealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope, and living in the world without any true knowledge of God.

13 but now you who were formerly at a distance, are brought near by the death of Christ Jesus.