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19 The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you.

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19 If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you(A) out of the world. That is why the world hates you.(B)

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But you belong to God, my dear children. You have already won a victory over those people, because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world. Those people belong to this world, so they speak from the world’s viewpoint, and the world listens to them.

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You, dear children,(A) are from God and have overcome them,(B) because the one who is in you(C) is greater than the one who is in the world.(D) They are from the world(E) and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them.

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14 I have given them your word. And the world hates them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. 15 I’m not asking you to take them out of the world, but to keep them safe from the evil one. 16 They do not belong to this world any more than I do.

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14 I have given them your word and the world has hated them,(A) for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world.(B) 15 My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one.(C) 16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of it.(D)

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Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son.[a] He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins. He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding.

God has now revealed to us his mysterious will regarding Christ—which is to fulfill his own good plan. 10 And this is the plan: At the right time he will bring everything together under the authority of Christ—everything in heaven and on earth. 11 Furthermore, because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God,[b] for he chose us in advance, and he makes everything work out according to his plan.

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Footnotes

  1. 1:6 Greek to us in the beloved.
  2. 1:11 Or we have become God’s inheritance.

For he chose us(A) in him before the creation of the world(B) to be holy and blameless(C) in his sight. In love(D) he[a] predestined(E) us for adoption to sonship[b](F) through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure(G) and will— to the praise of his glorious grace,(H) which he has freely given us in the One he loves.(I) In him we have redemption(J) through his blood,(K) the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches(L) of God’s grace that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding, he[c] made known to us the mystery(M) of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed(N) in Christ, 10 to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment(O)—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.(P)

11 In him we were also chosen,[d] having been predestined(Q) according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose(R) of his will,

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Footnotes

  1. Ephesians 1:5 Or sight in love. He
  2. Ephesians 1:5 The Greek word for adoption to sonship is a legal term referring to the full legal standing of an adopted male heir in Roman culture.
  3. Ephesians 1:9 Or us with all wisdom and understanding. And he
  4. Ephesians 1:11 Or were made heirs

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.

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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)

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You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world.[a] He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. 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.

But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!)

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Footnotes

  1. 2:2 Greek obeying the commander of the power of the air.

in which you used to live(A) when you followed the ways of this world(B) and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air,(C) the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.(D) All of us also lived among them at one time,(E) gratifying the cravings of our flesh[a](F) and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. But because of his great love for us,(G) God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions(H)—it is by grace you have been saved.(I)

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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.

16 You didn’t choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using my name.

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16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you(A) so that you might go and bear fruit(B)—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.(C)

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19 We know that we are children of God and that the world around us is under the control of the evil one.

20 And we know that the Son of God has come, and he has given us understanding so that we can know the true God.[a] And now we live in fellowship with the true God because we live in fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ. He is the only true God, and he is eternal life.

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Footnotes

  1. 5:20 Greek the one who is true.

19 We know that we are children of God,(A) and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one.(B) 20 We know also that the Son of God has come(C) and has given us understanding,(D) so that we may know him who is true.(E) And we are in him who is true by being in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.(F)

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But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests,[a] a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.

10 “Once you had no identity as a people;
    now you are God’s people.
Once you received no mercy;
    now you have received God’s mercy.”[b]

11 Dear friends, I warn you as “temporary residents and foreigners” to keep away from worldly desires that wage war against your very souls. 12 Be careful to live properly among your unbelieving neighbors. Then even if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see your honorable behavior, and they will give honor to God when he judges the world.[c]

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Footnotes

  1. 2:9 Greek a royal priesthood.
  2. 2:10 Hos 1:6, 9; 2:23.
  3. 2:12 Or on the day of visitation.

But you are a chosen people,(A) a royal priesthood,(B) a holy nation,(C) God’s special possession,(D) that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.(E) 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God;(F) once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

Living Godly Lives in a Pagan Society

11 Dear friends,(G) I urge you, as foreigners and exiles,(H) to abstain from sinful desires,(I) which wage war against your soul.(J) 12 Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds(K) and glorify God(L) on the day he visits us.

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12 We must not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and killed his brother. And why did he kill him? Because Cain had been doing what was evil, and his brother had been doing what was righteous.

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12 Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one(A) and murdered his brother.(B) And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother’s were righteous.(C)

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32 “If you love only those who love you, why should you get credit for that? Even sinners love those who love them!

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32 “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you?(A) Even sinners love those who love them.

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You have had enough in the past of the evil things that godless people enjoy—their immorality and lust, their feasting and drunkenness and wild parties, and their terrible worship of idols.

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For you have spent enough time in the past(A) doing what pagans choose to do—living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry.(B)

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The Defeat of Satan

When the thousand years come to an end, Satan will be let out of his prison. He will go out to deceive the nations—called Gog and Magog—in every corner of the earth. He will gather them together for battle—a mighty army, as numberless as sand along the seashore. And I saw them as they went up on the broad plain of the earth and surrounded God’s people and the beloved city. But fire from heaven came down on the attacking armies and consumed them.

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The Judgment of Satan

When the thousand years are over,(A) Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations(B) in the four corners of the earth(C)—Gog and Magog(D)—and to gather them for battle.(E) In number they are like the sand on the seashore.(F) They marched across the breadth of the earth and surrounded(G) the camp of God’s people, the city he loves.(H) But fire came down from heaven(I) and devoured them.

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