Thanksgiving and Prayer

15 For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus(A) and your love for all God’s people,(B) 16 I have not stopped giving thanks for you,(C) remembering you in my prayers.(D) 17 I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father,(E) may give you the Spirit[a] of wisdom(F) and revelation, so that you may know him better. 18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened(G) in order that you may know the hope to which he has called(H) you, the riches(I) of his glorious inheritance(J) in his holy people,(K) 19 and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power(L) is the same as the mighty strength(M) 20 he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead(N) and seated him at his right hand(O) in the heavenly realms,(P) 21 far above all rule and authority, power and dominion,(Q) and every name(R) that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come.(S) 22 And God placed all things under his feet(T) and appointed him to be head(U) over everything for the church, 23 which is his body,(V) the fullness of him(W) who fills everything in every way.(X)

Made Alive in Christ

As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins,(Y) in which you used to live(Z) when you followed the ways of this world(AA) and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air,(AB) the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.(AC) All of us also lived among them at one time,(AD) gratifying the cravings of our flesh[b](AE) and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. But because of his great love for us,(AF) God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions(AG)—it is by grace you have been saved.(AH) And God raised us up with Christ(AI) and seated us with him(AJ) in the heavenly realms(AK) in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace,(AL) expressed in his kindness(AM) to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace(AN) you have been saved,(AO) through faith(AP)—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works,(AQ) so that no one can boast.(AR) 10 For we are God’s handiwork,(AS) created(AT) in Christ Jesus to do good works,(AU) which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Footnotes

  1. Ephesians 1:17 Or a spirit
  2. Ephesians 2:3 In contexts like this, the Greek word for flesh (sarx) refers to the sinful state of human beings, often presented as a power in opposition to the Spirit.

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