Thankfulness for Spiritual Attainments

1 ^(A)Paul, ^(B)an apostle of Christ Jesus ^[a](C)by the will of God, and ^(D)Timothy ^[b]our brother,

² To the ^[c](E)saints and faithful brothers and sisters in Christ who are at Colossae: ^(F)Grace to you and peace from God our Father.

^3 (G)We ^[d]give thanks to God, ^(H)the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, ^4 (I)since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the ^(J)love which you have ^[e]for ^(K)all the ^[f]saints; ⁵ because of the ^(L)hope ^(M)reserved for you in ^[g]heaven, of which you previously ^(N)heard in the word of truth, ^[h]the gospel ⁶ which has come to you, just as ^[i](O)in all the world also it is bearing ^(P)fruit and ^[j]increasing, even as it has been doing in you also since the day you ^(Q)heard it and ^[k]understood the grace of God in truth; ⁷ just as you learned it from ^(R)Epaphras, our ^(S)beloved fellow bond-servant, who is a faithful servant of Christ on our behalf, ⁸ and he also informed us of your ^(T)love in the Spirit.

⁹ For this reason we also, ^(U)since the day we heard about it, ^(V)have not ceased praying for you and asking that you may be filled with the ^[l](W)knowledge of His will in all spiritual ^(X)wisdom and understanding, ¹⁰ so that you will ^(Y)walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, ^[m](Z)to please Him in all respects, ^(AA)bearing fruit in every good work and ^[n]increasing in the ^[o]knowledge of God; ^11 (AB)strengthened with all power, according to ^[p]His glorious might, ^[q]for the attaining of all perseverance and ^[r]patience; ^(AC)joyously ¹² giving thanks to ^(AD)the Father, who has qualified us ^[s]to share in ^(AE)the inheritance of the ^[t]saints in ^(AF)light.

¹³ In ^[a]Him, ^[b]you also, after listening to ^(A)the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also ^[c]believed, you were ^(B)sealed in ^[d]Him with ^(C)the Holy Spirit of the promise, ¹⁴ who is a ^(D)first installment of ^(E)our inheritance, in regard to the ^(F)redemption of ^(G)God’s own possession, ^(H)to the praise of His glory.

Made Alive in Christ

2 And ^[a]you ^[b]were ^(A)dead ^[c]in your offenses and sins, ² in which you ^(B)previously walked according to the ^[d]course of ^(C)this world, according to ^(D)the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in ^(E)the ^[e]sons of disobedience. ³ Among them ^[f]we too all ^(F)previously lived in ^(G)the lusts of our flesh, ^[g]indulging the desires of the flesh and of the ^[h]mind, and were ^(H)by nature ^(I)children of wrath, ^(J)just as the rest. ⁴ But God, being ^(K)rich in mercy, because of ^(L)His great love with which He loved us, ⁵ even when we were ^(M)dead ^[i]in our wrongdoings, made us alive together ^[j]with Christ (^(N)by grace you have been saved), ⁶ and ^(O)raised us up with Him, and ^(P)seated us with Him in ^(Q)the heavenly places in ^(R)Christ Jesus, ⁷ so that in the ages to come He might show the ^[k]boundless ^(S)riches of His grace in ^(T)kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. ⁸ For ^(U)by grace you have been saved ^(V)through faith; and ^[l]this is not of yourselves, it is ^(W)the gift of God; ^9 (X)not a result of works, so that ^(Y)no one may boast.

³⁴ I am giving you a ^(A)new commandment, ^(B)that you love one another; ^(C)just as I have loved you, that you also love one another. ^35 (D)By this all people will know that you are My disciples: if you have love for one another.”

^12 (A)No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God remains in us, and His ^(B)love is perfected in us.

⁹ For this reason we also, ^(A)since the day we heard about it, ^(B)have not ceased praying for you and asking that you may be filled with the ^[a](C)knowledge of His will in all spiritual ^(D)wisdom and understanding, ¹⁰ so that you will ^(E)walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, ^[b](F)to please Him in all respects, ^(G)bearing fruit in every good work and ^[c]increasing in the ^[d]knowledge of God; ^11 (H)strengthened with all power, according to ^[e]His glorious might, ^[f]for the attaining of all perseverance and ^[g]patience; ^(I)joyously ¹² giving thanks to ^(J)the Father, who has qualified us ^[h]to share in ^(K)the inheritance of the ^[i]saints in ^(L)light.