And
you [He made Alive],
When
you were dead [slain] by [your] trespasses and Sins
(Every
person is born dead to God and is only made Alive by being Born
Again,
Born
of the Spirit of God, Who Alone is LIFE.)
In
which at one time you walked habitually.
You
were following the course and fashion of this World--
were
under the Sway of the tendency of this Present Age--
following
the Prince of the power of the Air (Satan)
(You
were obedient to him and were under his control,)
The
[Demon] spirit that still constantly works in the sons of
Disobedience--
The
careless, the Rebellious and the Unbelieving,
Who
go Against the purposes of God.
(The
apostle Paul has just described EVERYONE who is not Born Again
And
who is not living IN and FOR Christ.
The
Whole World is under the Control of Satan [1 John 5:19].)
Among
these we as well as you once lived
And
conducted ourselves in the passions of our Flesh--
Our
behavior governed by our Corrupt and Sensual Nature;
Obeying
the Impulses of the Flesh and the thoughts of the mind--
Our
Cravings dictated by our senses and our Dark Imaginings.
We
were by Nature children of [God's] WRATH
And
heirs of [His] INDIGNATION, like the rest of mankind.
BUT
GOD! So RICH is He in His MERCY!
Because
of and in order to satisfy the Great and Wonderful and Intense Love
With
which He LOVED US.
EVEN
WHEN WE WERE DEAD [slain]
By
[our own] Shortcomings and Trespasses,
HE
MADE US ALIVE together in Fellowship and in Union with Christ.--
He
gave us the VERY LIFE OF CHRIST HIMSELF,
The
same NEW LIFE with which He Quickened Him.
[FOR]
IT IS BY GRACE—By His Favor and MERCY
Which
you did not deserve—That you are SAVED
(Delivered
from JUDGMENT and made Partakers of Christ's SALVATION).
AND
HE RAISED US UP TOGETHER WITH HIM
And
made us sit down together—Giving us joint seating with Him--
IN
THE HEAVENLY SPHERE [By virtue of our being] IN Christ Jesus,
The
Messiah, the Anointed One.
He
did this that He might clearly Demonstrate through the Ages to Come
The
IMMEASURABLE (Limitless, Surpassing) RICHES of His Free Grace
(His
Unmerited Favor) in Kindness and Goodness of heart
Toward
us IN Christ Jesus.
FOR
IT IS BY FREE GRACE (God's Unmerited Favor)
That
you are SAVED (Delivered from Judgment
And
made Partakers of Christ's SALVATION) through your Faith.
And
this [Salvation] is not of yourselves—of your own doing,
It
came not through your own Striving--
BUT
IT IS THE GIFT OF GOD;
NOT
BECAUSE OF WORKS [not the fulfillment of the Law's Demands],
Lest
any man should Boast.--
It
is not the result of what any one can possibly do,
So
NO ONE can Pride himself in it or take glory to himself.
For
we are God's [own] handiwork (His workmanship),
RECREATED
IN CHRIST JESUS, [Born Anew]
That
we may do those good works which God predestined
(Planned
before hand) for us,
(Taking
Paths which He prepared ahead of time)
That
we should walk in them--
Living
the Good LIFE which He prearranged and made ready for us to live.
Therefore
remember that at one time
You
were Gentiles [heathen] in the Flesh;
Called
Uncircumcised by those who called themselves Circumcision,
[Itself
a mere mark] in the Flesh made by human hands.
Remember
that you were at that time SEPARATED
(Living
apart) from Christ—Excluded from all part IN Him;
UTTERLY
ESTRANGED and Outlawed from the rights of Israel as a Nation,
And
Strangers with NO SHARE in the Sacred Compacts
Of
the [Messianic] PROMISE--
With
NO KNOWLEDGE of Right in God's Agreements, His Covenants,
And
you had NO HOPE—NO PROMISE;
You
were in the World WITHOUT GOD.
BUT
NOW IN CHRIST JESUS,
You
who once were [so] FAR AWAY,
Through
(by, in) the blood of Christ have been BROUGHT NEAR.
FOR
HE IS [HIMSELF] OUR PEACE--
Our
Bond of Unity and Harmony.
He
has made us both [Jew and Gentile] ONE (BODY).
And
has Broken Down (destroyed, abolished)
The
Hostile Dividing Wall between us,
By
Abolishing in His [own crucified] Flesh the Enmity [caused by] the
Law
With
its Decrees and Ordinances--Which He ANNULLED;
That
He from the TWO might Create IN Himself ONE NEW MAN--
One
New Quality of Humanity out of the TWO—so making PEACE.
And
[He designed] to Reconcile to God both [Jew and Gentile, united]
IN
A SINGLE BODY by means of HIS CROSS;
Thereby
KILLING the Mutual Enmity and bringing the Feud to and END.
And
He came and preached the Glad Tidings of PEACE
To
you who were AFAR OFF
And
[PEACE] to those who were near. [Isa 57:19]
For
it is through Him that we both [whether far of or near]
Now
have an Introduction (access) by ONE (HOLY) SPIRIT to the Father--
So
that we are able to approach Him.
Therefore
you are NO LONGER OUTSIDERS—
EXILES,
MIGRANTS and ALIENS, Excluded from the Rights of Citizens;
But
you now SHARE CITIZENSHIP with the Saints--
God's
own People, Consecrated and SET APART for Himself;
And
you BELONG to God's [own] Household.
You
are built upon the FOUNDATION of the Apostles and Prophets
With
Christ Jesus THE CHIEF CORNERSTONE.
IN
HIM the Whole Structure is joined
(Bound,
welded) together Harmoniously;
And
it continues to Rise (grow, increase) INTO A HOLY TEMPLE in the
Lord--
A
SANCTUARY dedicated, Consecrated and Sacred
To
the PRESENCE of the Lord.
IN
HIM—and in Fellowship with ONE ANOTHER--
You
yourselves also are being BUILT UP [into this structure]
With
the rest, to form a FIXED ABODE (dwelling place) of God
IN
(by and through) THE SPIRIT.
(Ephesians
2, AMP)
Be
always on the Watch,
And pray that you
will be able to Escape All that is about to happen,
And that you may be
able TO STAND before the Son of Man.
(Luke 21:36)
Today,
the World is raging against God, rushing toward Oblivion. (Psalm 2)
This
World in it's present form is passing away. (1 Corinthians 7:31)
America
is being ground to powder because of her SIN against God.
Save
yourself from this Corrupt Generation! (Acts 2:40)
As
God has written, so shall it be! Hallelujah! Maranatha!
Father,
Your Kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as in Heaven!
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