And before the world was made, God decided to make us his own children through Jesus Christ. This was what God wanted, and it pleased him to do it.

It is the same with you. You heard the true message, the Good News about the way God saves you. When you heard that Good News, you believed in Christ. And in Christ, God put his special mark on you by giving you the Holy Spirit that he promised.

Yes, in the past your lives were full of those sins. You lived the way the world lives, following the ruler of the evil powers that are above the earth. That same spirit is now working in those who refuse to obey God.

We were spiritually dead because of all we had done against him. But he gave us new life together with Christ. (You have been saved by God’s grace.)

I mean that you have been saved by grace because you believed. You did not save yourselves; it was a gift from God.

You are not saved by the things you have done, so there is nothing to boast about.

One in Christ

You were not born as Jews. You are the people the Jews call “uncircumcised.” Those Jews who call you “uncircumcised” call themselves “circumcised.” (Their circumcision is only something they themselves do to their bodies.)

Christ came and brought the message of peace to you non-Jews who were far away from God. And he brought that message of peace to those who were near to God.

And this is the secret truth: that by hearing the Good News, those who are not Jews will share with the Jews in the blessings God has for his people. They are part of the same body, and they share in the promise God made through Christ Jesus.

Then we will no longer be like babies. We will not be people who are always changing like a ship that the waves carry one way and then another. We will not be influenced by every new teaching we hear from people who are trying to deceive us—those who make clever plans and use every kind of trick to fool others into following the wrong way.

The Way You Should Live

I have something from the Lord to tell you. I warn you: Don’t continue living like those who don’t believe. Their thoughts are worth nothing.

Whoever has been stealing must stop it and start working. They must use their hands for doing something good. Then they will have something to share with those who are poor.

When you talk, don’t say anything bad. But say the good things that people need—whatever will help them grow stronger. Then what you say will be a blessing to those who hear you.

You are God’s dear children, so try to be like him.

In the past you were full of darkness, but now you are full of light in the Lord. So live like children who belong to the light.

Have no part in the things that people in darkness do, which produce nothing good. Instead, tell everyone how wrong those things are.

Actually, it is shameful to even talk about the things those people do in secret.

But the light makes clear how wrong those things are.

Children and Parents

Children, obey your parents the way the Lord wants, because this is the right thing to do.

Fathers, don’t make your children angry, but raise them with the kind of teaching and training you learn from the Lord.