Ephesians 1:1 This letter is from Paul, chosen by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus. I am writing to God's holy people in Ephesus, who are faithful followers of Christ Jesus.
2 May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace.
3 All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ.
4 Even before He made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in His eyes.
5 God decided in advance to adopt us into His own family by bringing us to Himself through Jesus Christ. This is what He wanted to do, and it gave Him great pleasure.
6 So we praise God for the glorious grace He has poured out on us who belong to His dear Son.
7 He is so rich in kindness and grace that He purchased our freedom with the blood of His Son and forgave our sins.
8 He has showered His kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding.
9 God has now revealed to us His mysterious plan regarding Christ, a plan to fulfill His own good pleasure.
10 And this is the plan: At the right time He will bring everything together under the authority of Christ-everything in heaven and on earth.
11 Furthermore, because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for He chose us in advance, and He makes everything work out according to His plan.
12 God's purpose was that we Jews who were the first to trust in Christ would bring praise and glory to God.
13 And now you Gentiles have also heard the truth, the Good News that God saves you. And when you believed in Christ, He identified you as His own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom He promised long ago.
14 The Spirit is God's guarantee that He will give us the inheritance He promised and that He has purchased us to be His own people. He did this so we would praise and glorify Him.
15 Ever since I first heard of your strong faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for God's people everywhere,
16 I have not stopped thanking God for you. I pray for you constantly,
17 asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom and insight so that you might grow in your knowledge of God.
18 I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope He has given to those He called-His holy people who are His rich and glorious inheritance.
19 I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God's power for us who believe Him. This is the same mighty power
20 that raised Christ from the dead and seated Him in the place of honor at God's right hand in the heavenly realms.
21 Now He is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else-not only in this world but also in the world to come.
22 God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made Him head over all things for the benefit of the church.
23 And the church is His body; it is made full and complete by Christ, who fills all things everywhere with Himself.
Eph. 2:1 Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins.
2 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.
3 All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God's anger, just like everyone else.
4 But God is so rich in mercy, and He loved us so much,
5 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!)
6 For He raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus.
7 So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of His grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all He has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus.
8 God saved you by His grace when you believed. And you can't take credit for this; it is a gift from God.
9 Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.
10 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.
11 Don't forget that you Gentiles used to be outsiders. You were called "uncircumcised heathens" by the Jews, who were proud of their circumcision, even though it affected only their bodies and not their hearts.
12 In those days you were living apart from Christ. You were excluded from citizenship among the people of Israel, and you did not know the covenant promises God had made to them. You lived in this world without God and without hope.
13 But now you have been united with Christ Jesus. Once you were far away from God, but now you have been brought near to Him through the blood of Christ.
14 For Christ Himself has brought peace to us. He united Jews and Gentiles into one people when, in His own body on the cross, He broke down the wall of hostility that separated us.
15 He did this by ending the system of law with its commandments and regulations. He made peace between Jews and Gentiles by creating in Himself one new people from the two groups.
16 Together as one body, Christ reconciled both groups to God by means of His death on the cross, and our hostility toward each other was put to death.
17 He brought this Good News of peace to you Gentiles who were far away from Him, and peace to the Jews who were near.
18 Now all of us can come to the Father through the same Holy Spirit because of what Christ has done for us.
19 So now you Gentiles are no longer strangers and foreigners. You are citizens along with all of God's holy people. You are members of God's family.
20 Together, we are His house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus Himself.
21 We are carefully joined together in Him, becoming a holy temple for the Lord.
22 Through Him you Gentiles are also being made part of this dwelling where God lives by His Spirit.
Eph. 3:1 When I think of all this, I, Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus for the benefit of you Gentiles
2 assuming, by the way, that you know God gave me the special responsibility of extending His grace to you Gentiles.
3 As I briefly wrote earlier, God Himself revealed His mysterious plan to me.
4 As you read what I have written, you will understand my insight into this plan regarding Christ.
5 God did not reveal it to previous generations, but now by His Spirit He has revealed it to His holy apostles and prophets.
6 And this is God's plan: Both Gentiles and Jews who believe the Good News share equally in the riches inherited by God's children. Both are part of the same body, and both enjoy the promise of blessings because they belong to Christ Jesus.
7 By God's grace and mighty power, I have been given the privilege of serving Him by spreading this Good News.
8 Though I am the least deserving of all God's people, He graciously gave me the privilege of telling the Gentiles about the endless treasures available to them in Christ.
9 I was chosen to explain to everyone this mysterious plan that God, the Creator of all things, had kept secret from the beginning.
10 God's purpose in all this was to use the church to display His wisdom in its rich variety to all the unseen rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.
11 This was His eternal plan, which He carried out through Christ Jesus our Lord.
12 Because of Christ and our faith in Him, we can now come boldly and confidently into God's presence.
13 So please don't lose heart because of my trials here. I am suffering for you, so you should feel honored.
14 When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father,
15 the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth.
16 I pray that from His glorious, unlimited resources He will empower you with inner strength through His Spirit.
17 Then Christ will make His home in your hearts as you trust in Him. Your roots will grow down into God's love and keep you strong.
18 And may you have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep His love is.
19 May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.
20 Now all glory to God, who is able, through His mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.
21 Glory to Him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen.
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Psalms 24:1 A psalm of David. The earth is the LORD's, and everything in it. The world and all its people belong to Him.
2 For He laid the earth's foundation on the seas and built it on the ocean depths.
3 Who may climb the mountain of the LORD? Who may stand in His holy place?
4 Only those whose hands and hearts are pure, who do not worship idols and never tell lies.
5 They will receive the LORD's blessing and have a right relationship with God their savior.
6 Such people may seek You and worship in Your presence, O God of Jacob. Interlude
7 Open up, ancient gates! Open up, ancient doors, and let the King of glory enter.
8 Who is the King of glory? The LORD, strong and mighty; the LORD, invincible in battle.
9 Open up, ancient gates! Open up, ancient doors, and let the King of glory enter.
10 Who is the King of glory? The LORD of Heaven's Armies-He is the King of glory. Interlude
Ps. 25:1 A psalm of David. O LORD, I give my life to You.
2 I trust in You, my God! Do not let me be disgraced, or let my enemies rejoice in my defeat.
3 No one who trusts in You will ever be disgraced, but disgrace comes to those who try to deceive others.
4 Show me the right path, O LORD; point out the road for me to follow.
5 Lead me by Your truth and teach me, for You are the God who saves me. All day long I put my hope in You.
6 Remember, O LORD, Your compassion and unfailing love, which You have shown from long ages past.
7 Do not remember the rebellious sins of my youth. Remember me in the light of Your unfailing love, for You are merciful, O LORD.
8 The LORD is good and does what is right; He shows the proper path to those who go astray.
9 He leads the humble in doing right, teaching them His way.
10 The LORD leads with unfailing love and faithfulness all who keep His covenant and obey His demands.
11 For the honor of Your name, O LORD, forgive my many, many sins.
12 Who are those who fear the LORD? He will show them the path they should choose.
13 They will live in prosperity, and their children will inherit the land.
14 The LORD is a friend to those who fear Him. He teaches them His covenant.
15 My eyes are always on the LORD, for He rescues me from the traps of my enemies.
16 Turn to me and have mercy, for I am alone and in deep distress.
17 My problems go from bad to worse. Oh, save me from them all!
18 Feel my pain and see my trouble. Forgive all my sins.
19 See how many enemies I have and how viciously they hate me!
20 Protect me! Rescue my life from them! Do not let me be disgraced, for in You I take refuge.
21 May integrity and honesty protect me, for I put my hope in You.
22 O God, ransom Israel from all its troubles.
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