By Grace Through Faith

2 ^(A)And you were ^(B)dead in the trespasses and sins ^2 (C)in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following ^(D)the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in ^(E)the sons of disobedience— ³ among whom we all once lived in ^(F)the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body^[a] and the mind, and ^(G)were by nature ^(H)children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.^{[b] 4} But^[c] God, being ^(I)rich in mercy, ^(J)because of the great love with which he loved us, ⁵ even ^(K)when we were dead in our trespasses, ^(L)made us alive together with Christ—^(M)by grace you have been saved— ⁶ and raised us up with him and ^(N)seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, ⁷ so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable ^(O)riches of his grace in ^(P)kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. ⁸ For ^(Q)by grace you have been saved ^(R)through faith. And this is ^(S)not your own doing; ^(T)it is the gift of God, ^9 (U)not a result of works, ^(V)so that no one may boast. ¹⁰ For ^(W)we are his workmanship, ^(X)created in Christ Jesus ^(Y)for good works, ^(Z)which God prepared beforehand, ^(AA)that we should walk in them.

¹⁴ For the love of Christ ^(A)controls us, because we have concluded this: that ^(B)one has died for all, therefore all have died; ¹⁵ and he died for all, ^(C)that those who live might no longer live for themselves but ^(D)for him who for their sake died and was raised.

¹⁶ From now on, therefore, ^(E)we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. ¹⁷ Therefore, if anyone is ^(F)in Christ, he is ^(G)a new creation.^{[a] (H)}The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. ¹⁸ All this is from God, ^(I)who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us ^(J)the ministry of reconciliation; ¹⁹ that is, in Christ God was reconciling^[b] the world to himself, ^(K)not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us ^(L)the message of reconciliation. ²⁰ Therefore, ^(M)we are ambassadors for Christ, ^(N)God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. ^21 (O)For our sake he made him to be sin ^(P)who knew no sin, so that in him we might become ^(Q)the righteousness of God.