by having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, so that you may know what the hope is to which He calls you, how glorious rich God's portion in His people is,

It is not the result of what anyone can do, so that no one can boast of it.

At that time you were without any connection with Christ; you were aliens to the commonwealth of Israel, strangers to the sacred compacts made by God's promise, with no hope, and no God in the world.

But now through your union with Christ Jesus you who were once far away have through the blood of Christ been brought near.

through His human nature He has put a stop to the hostility between us, namely, the law with its commands and decrees, in order to create one new humanity out of the two parties and so make peace through union with Himself, and in one body

for it is by Him through one Spirit that both of us now have an introduction to the Father.

So you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but you are fellow-citizens of God's people and members of His family;

which in the earlier ages, so different from the present, was not made known to mankind as fully as now, but through the Spirit it has been revealed to His Holy apostles and prophets --

so that the many phases of God's wisdom may now through the church be made known to the rulers and authorities in heaven,

yes, to come at last to know the love of Christ, although it far surpasses human understanding, so that you may be filled with the perfect fullness of God.

so that we may not be babies any longer, or like sailors tossed about and driven around by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men through their cunning in inventing new methods of error.

So I mean this and now testify to it in the name of the Lord: You must now stop living as the heathen usually do, in the frivolity of their minds,

and to have a new attitude of mind

and put on the new self which has been created in the likeness of God, which fruits in right and holy living inspired by the truth.

The man who used to steal must now stop stealing; rather, he must keep on working and toiling with his own hands at some honest vocation, so as to have something to contribute to the needy.

there must be no indecency, silly talk or suggestive jesting, for they are unbecoming. There should be thanksgiving instead.

For you may be absolutely sure that no one who is sexually impure, immoral or greedy for gain (for that is idolatry) can have a part in the kingdom of Christ and God.

For at one time you were darkness itself, but now in union with the Lord you are light itself. You must live like children of light,

for no one ever hates his own physical person, but he feeds and fosters it, just as Christ does the church;

for you know that everyone, slave or free, will get his reward from the Lord for anything good he has done.

You slave-owners, too, must maintain the same attitude toward your slaves, and stop threatening them, for you know that their real Lord and yours is in heaven, and that He never shows partiality.

From now on you must grow stronger through union with the Lord and through His mighty power.

That you may also know how I am, Tychicus, our dearly loved brother and a faithful minister in the Lord's service, will give you all the information;

that is the very reason I am sending him, to let you know how I am and to cheer your hearts.