²⁴ for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found.’ So the party began.

⁵ 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!)

¹⁶ I will search for my lost ones who strayed away, and I will bring them safely home again. I will bandage the injured and strengthen the weak. But I will destroy those who are fat and powerful. I will feed them, yes—feed them justice!

¹³ You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins.

¹⁰ For the Son of Man^[a] came to seek and save those who are lost.”

⁴ “If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them gets lost, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others in the wilderness and go to search for the one that is lost until he finds it?

Made Alive with Christ

2 Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins.

³² We had to celebrate this happy day. For your brother was dead and has come back to life! He was lost, but now he is found!’”

² And because you belong to him, the power^[a] of the life-giving Spirit has freed you^[b] from the power of sin that leads to death.

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