Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

Paul shows them what manner of people they were before their conversion, and what they are now in Christ. We are ordained for good works.

2 And you he has quickened to life also, who were dead in trespass and sin, ² in which you walked in time past according to the course of this world, and followed the prince that rules in the air – the spirit that now works in the children of unbelief, ³ among whom we also had our living in time past, in the lusts of our flesh, and fulfilled the will of the flesh and of the mind, and were naturally the children of wrath fully as well as others.

⁴ But God, who is rich in mercy, through his great love that he loved us with ⁵ even when we were dead by sin, has quickened us to life together in Christ (for by grace you are saved), ⁶ and has raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly things through Christ Jesus, ⁷ in order to show in times to come the exceeding riches of his grace, in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. ⁸ For by grace you are saved, through faith – and that not of yourselves. For it is the gift of God, ⁹ and does not come by works, lest any man should boast. ¹⁰ For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, to which God ordained us before, that we should walk in them.

¹⁴ And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up, ¹⁵ so that no one who believes in him will perish, but will have eternal life.

¹⁶ For God so loves the world that he has given his only Son, so that none who believe in him should perish, but should have everlasting life. ¹⁷ For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but so that the world through him could be saved. ¹⁸ Whoever believes on him shall not be condemned. But whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he does not believe in the name of the only Son of God. ¹⁹ And this is the condemnation: that light has come into the world, and men loved darkness more than light, because their deeds were evil. ²⁰ For everyone who does evil hates the light, and does not come to the light lest his deeds should be reproved. ²¹ But whoever does truth comes to the light, so that his deeds may be known, that they are wrought in God.