GOD'S WORD Translation GW
New International Version NIV
8 God saved you through faith as an act of kindness. You had nothing to do with it. Being saved is a gift from God.
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For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—
9 It's not the result of anything you've done, so no one can brag about it.
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not by works, so that no one can boast.
10 God has made us what we are. He has created us in Christ Jesus to live lives filled with good works that he has prepared for us to do.
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For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
11 Remember that once you were not Jewish physically. Those who called themselves "the circumcised" because of what they had done to their bodies called you "the uncircumcised."
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Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called “uncircumcised” by those who call themselves “the circumcision” (which is done in the body by human hands)—
12 Also, at that time you were without Christ. You were excluded from citizenship in Israel, and the pledges [God made in his] promise were foreign to you. You had no hope and were in the world without God.
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remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world.
13 But now through Christ Jesus you, who were once far away, have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
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But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
14 So he is our peace. In his body he has made Jewish and non-Jewish people one by breaking down the wall of hostility that kept them apart.
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For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility,
15 He brought an end to the commandments and demands found in Moses' Teachings so that he could take Jewish and non-Jewish people and create one new humanity in himself. So he made peace.
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by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace,
16 He also brought them back to God in one body by his cross, on which he killed the hostility.
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and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility.
17 He came with the Good News of peace for you who were far away and for those who were near.
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He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near.
18 So Jewish and non-Jewish people can go to the Father in one Spirit.
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For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.
GOD'S WORD® is a copyrighted work of God's Word to the Nations. Copyright © 1995 by God's Word to the Nations. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NIV) are from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica. All rights reserved worldwide.