³⁰ It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus,^(A) who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness,^(B) holiness^(C) and redemption.^(D)

¹⁶ Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple^(A) and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst?^(B)

¹¹ And that is what some of you were.^(A) But you were washed,^(B) you were sanctified,^(C) you were justified^(D) in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

¹⁹ Do you not know that your bodies are temples^(A) of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;^(B)

³ All of us also lived among them at one time,^(A) gratifying the cravings of our flesh^[a](B) and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. ⁴ But because of his great love for us,^(C) God, who is rich in mercy, ⁵ made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions^(D)—it is by grace you have been saved.^{(E) 6} And God raised us up with Christ^(F) and seated us with him^(G) in the heavenly realms^(H) in Christ Jesus, ⁷ in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace,^(I) expressed in his kindness^(J) to us in Christ Jesus. ⁸ For it is by grace^(K) you have been saved,^(L) through faith^(M)—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—

⁴ But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness^(A) so that this day should surprise you like a thief.^{(B) 5} You are all children of the light^(C) and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness.

Stand Firm

¹³ But we ought always to thank God for you,^(A) brothers and sisters loved by the Lord, because God chose you as firstfruits^[a](B) to be saved^(C) through the sanctifying work of the Spirit^(D) and through belief in the truth.

²¹ Once you were alienated from God and were enemies^(A) in your minds^(B) because of^[a] your evil behavior.

¹⁰ and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head^(A) over every power and authority.^(B)