Alive with Christ

Paul says that the readers were once dead in trespasses and sins, walking under the pattern of this world and the ruler of the power of the air. All alike once lived in the desires of flesh and mind and stood under wrath like the rest.

A¹nd you were dead in your trespasses and sins, ²in which you used to walk when you conformed to the ways of this world and of the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit who is now at work in the sons of disobedience. ³All of us also lived among them at one time, fulfilling the cravings of our flesh and indulging its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature children of wrath.

But because of his great love and rich mercy, God made them alive with Christ even while they were dead in trespasses. He raised and seated them with Christ in the heavenly realms so that in the ages to come he might display the surpassing riches of his grace in kindness toward them in Christ Jesus.

⁴But because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, ⁵made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in our trespasses. It is by grace you have been saved! ⁶And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, ⁷in order that in the coming ages He might display the surpassing riches of His grace, demonstrated by His kindness to us in Christ Jesus.

Paul says that this salvation is by grace through faith and not from themselves or from works, so that no one may boast. Yet grace does not leave life empty, for believers are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for the good works God prepared beforehand.

⁸For it is by grace you have been saved through faith, and this not from yourselves; it is the gift of God, ⁹not by works, so that no one can boast. ¹⁰For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance as our way of life.