Live a life filled with love,
following the example of Christ.
He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us,
a pleasing aroma to God
Let there be no sexual immorality, impurity, or greed among you.
Such sins have no place among God’s people.
Obscene stories, foolish talk, and coarse jokes–
these are not for you.
Instead, let there be thankfulness to God.
And “don’t sin by letting anger control you.”
Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry,
for anger gives a foothold to the devil.
Together, we are his house,
built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets.
And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself.
We are carefully joined together in him,
becoming a holy temple for the Lord.
For we are God’s masterpiece.
He has created us anew in Christ Jesus,
so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.
God saved you by his grace when you believed.
And you can’t take credit for this;
it is a gift from God.
Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done,
so none of us can boast about it.
Once you were dead because of your disobedience
and your many sins.
You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world,
obeying the devil—
the commander of the powers in the unseen world.
He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those
who refuse to obey God.
All of us used to live that way…
But God is so rich in mercy,
and he loved us so much,
that even though we were dead because of our sins,
he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead.
(It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!)
I also pray that you will understand
the incredible greatness of God’s power
for us who believe in him.
This is the same mighty power
that raised Christ from the dead
and seated him in the place of honor
at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms.
Even before he made the world,
God loved us and chose us in Christ
to be holy and without fault in his eyes.
He is so rich in kindness and grace
that he purchased our freedom
with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins.
Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God.
You will always harvest what you plant.
Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature
will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature.
But those who live to please the Spirit
will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit.
But when the right time came,
God sent his Son, born of a woman,
subject to the law.
God sent him to buy freedom for us
who were slaves to the law,
so that he could adopt us as his very own children.
and because we are his children,
God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts,
prompting us to call out, “Abba, Father.”
Now you are no longer a slave but God’s own child…
