Formerly we were all spiritually dead and were certain to be punished by God, but he acted very kindly toward us and saved us freely as a result of our faith in Christ.

Ephesians 2:1-10

2 Formerly, because you were habitually sinning [DOU], you were ◄spiritually dead/as unable to please God as a corpse [MET] is►. 2 You were acting in the same evil way as those who oppose Christ [MTY] act. That is, you were behaving in the evil ways that Satan wanted you to behave. He rules over evil spiritual beings that no person can see [MTY]. He is the spirit who now powerfully controls the people who disobey God. 3 Formerly, we all used to disobey God as they do. We did the things that our self-centered nature wanted us to do. We habitually did those evil deeds that our bodies and our minds wanted to do. When we were acting like that, it was certain that God would punish [MTY] us, just like he will certainly punish all other evil people.

4 But God always acts very mercifully, and he loves us very much. 5 As a result, even when we were ◄spiritually dead/as unable to please God as a corpse [MET] is► because we were habitually sinning, he enabled us to receive spiritual/eternal life because of our relationship with Christ. Do not forget this: It is only because God has acted so kindly toward you, in a way that you did not deserve, that you are saved {that he saved you} from the guilt of your sin 6 And it is as though God gave us spiritual life when he caused Christ Jesus to be alive again after he died [MET]. And it is as though God caused us to sit and rule [MTY] with him in heaven, 7 in order that he might show to everyone at all times in the future that he has acted toward us in an extremely kind way because of what Christ Jesus did for us.

8 It is only by God acting [PRS] toward you in a way that you did not deserve that you have been saved {that he has saved you} as a result of your trusting in Christ. You did not save yourselves. His saving you was his gift to you. 9 He did not save any of you because of anything you yourselves did. Because you have done nothing to save yourselves, you cannot be proud of your efforts to save yourselves. 10 It is God who has made us what we are now. Because of our relationship with Christ Jesus, he has enabled us to receive spiritual/eternal life in order that we should conduct our lives habitually doing the good deeds that God previously planned for us to do.