From Death to Life

2 ^(A) In the past you were dead because you sinned and fought against God. ² You followed the ways of this world and obeyed the devil. He rules the world, and his spirit has power over everyone who doesn't obey God. ³ Once we were also ruled by the selfish desires of our bodies and minds. We had made God angry, and we were going to be punished like everyone else.

^4-5 But God was merciful! We were dead because of our sins, but God loved us so much he made us alive with Christ, and God's gift of undeserved grace is what saves you. ⁶ God raised us from death to life with Christ Jesus, and he has given us a place beside Christ in heaven. ⁷ God did this so in the future world he could show how truly good and kind he is to us because of what Christ Jesus has done. ⁸ You were saved by faith in God, who treats us much better than we deserve.^[a] This is God's gift to you, and not anything you have done on your own. ⁹ It isn't something you have earned, so there is nothing you can brag about. ¹⁰ God planned for us to do good things and to live as he has always wanted us to live. This is why he sent Christ to make us what we are.

^14 (A) And the Son of Man must be lifted up, just as the metal snake was lifted up by Moses in the desert.^{[a] 15} Then everyone who has faith in the Son of Man will have eternal life.

¹⁶ God loved the people of this world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who has faith in him will have eternal life and never really die. ¹⁷ God did not send his Son into the world to condemn its people. He sent him to save them! ¹⁸ No one who has faith in God's Son will be condemned. But everyone who doesn't have faith in him has already been condemned for not having faith in God's only Son.

¹⁹ The light has come into the world, and people who do evil things are judged guilty because they love the dark more than the light. ²⁰ People who do evil hate the light and won't come to the light, because it clearly shows what they have done. ²¹ But everyone who lives by the truth will come to the light, because they want others to know that God is really the one doing what they do.