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You won’t spend the rest of your lives chasing your own desires, but you will be anxious to do the will of God.

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As a result, they do not live the rest of their earthly lives for evil human desires,(A) but rather for the will of God.

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22 throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. 23 Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. 24 Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.

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22 You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off(A) your old self,(B) which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires;(C) 23 to be made new in the attitude of your minds;(D) 24 and to put on(E) the new self,(F) created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.(G)

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14 So you must live as God’s obedient children. Don’t slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires. You didn’t know any better then.

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14 As obedient(A) children, do not conform(B) to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance.(C)

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Once we, too, were foolish and disobedient. We were misled and became slaves to many lusts and pleasures. Our lives were full of evil and envy, and we hated each other. But—

When God our Savior revealed his kindness and love, he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit.[a] He generously poured out the Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior. Because of his grace he made us right in his sight and gave us confidence that we will inherit eternal life.

This is a trustworthy saying, and I want you to insist on these teachings so that all who trust in God will devote themselves to doing good. These teachings are good and beneficial for everyone.

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Footnotes

  1. 3:5 Greek He saved us through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit.

At one time(A) we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. But when the kindness(B) and love of God our Savior(C) appeared,(D) he saved us,(E) not because of righteous things we had done,(F) but because of his mercy.(G) He saved us through the washing(H) of rebirth and renewal(I) by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us(J) generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace,(K) we might become heirs(L) having the hope(M) of eternal life.(N) This is a trustworthy saying.(O) And I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good.(P) These things are excellent and profitable for everyone.

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Try to please them all the time, not just when they are watching you. As slaves of Christ, do the will of God with all your heart.

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Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but as slaves of Christ,(A) doing the will of God from your heart.

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11 So you also should consider yourselves to be dead to the power of sin and alive to God through Christ Jesus.

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11 In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin(A) but alive to God in Christ Jesus.

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15 He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them.

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15 And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves(A) but for him who died for them(B) and was raised again.

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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.

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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.

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Footnotes

  1. Ephesians 2:3 In contexts like this, the Greek word for flesh (sarx) refers to the sinful state of human beings, often presented as a power in opposition to the Spirit.

Of course not! Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it?

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By no means! We are those who have died to sin;(A) how can we live in it any longer?

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Don’t participate in the things these people do. For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light!

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Therefore do not be partners with them.

For you were once(A) darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light(B)

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Living as Children of Light

17 With the Lord’s authority I say this: Live no longer as the Gentiles do, for they are hopelessly confused.

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Instructions for Christian Living

17 So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer(A) live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking.(B)

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So get rid of all evil behavior. Be done with all deceit, hypocrisy, jealousy, and all unkind speech.

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Therefore, rid yourselves(A) of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander(B) of every kind.

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19 For when I tried to keep the law, it condemned me. So I died to the law—I stopped trying to meet all its requirements—so that I might live for God. 20 My old self has been crucified with Christ.[a] It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

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Footnotes

  1. 2:20 Some English translations put this sentence in verse 19.

19 “For through the law I died to the law(A) so that I might live for God.(B) 20 I have been crucified with Christ(C) and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.(D) The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God,(E) who loved me(F) and gave himself for me.(G)

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