Tumefanywa Kuwa Hai Ndani Ya Kristo
12:1 Kol 2:13; Yn 5:24; Kol 2:13; Efe 2:5; 4:18Kwa habari zenu, mlikuwa wafu katika makosa na dhambi zenu, 22:2 Tit 3:3; Yn 12:31; Efe 5:6ambazo mlizitenda mlipofuatisha namna ya ulimwengu huu na za yule mtawala wa ufalme wa anga, yule roho atendaye kazi sasa ndani ya wale wasiotii. 32:3 Gal 5:16-24; Kol 3:6; Tit 3:3; 1Pet 4:3; Gal 5:16; Za 51:5; Rum 5:12, 14Sisi sote pia tuliishi katikati yao hapo zamani, tukitimiza tamaa za asili yetu ya dhambi na kufuata tamaa zake na mawazo yake. Nasi kwa asili tulikuwa wana wa ghadhabu, kama mtu mwingine yeyote. 42:4 Yn 3:16; Rum 10:12; Efe 1:7; 2:7Lakini Mungu kwa upendo wake mwingi kwetu sisi, ambaye ni mwingi wa rehema, 52:5 Efe 2:1; 2:8; Za 103:12; Yn 5:24; Mdo 15:11hata tulipokuwa wafu kwa ajili ya makosa yetu, alitufanya tuwe hai pamoja na Kristo Yesu, yaani, mmeokolewa kwa neema. 62:6 Efe 1:3, 20; Rum 8:10; Flp 3:20Mungu alitufufua pamoja na Kristo na kutuketisha pamoja naye katika ulimwengu wa roho katika Kristo Yesu, 72:7 Tit 3:4; Efe 1:7; Rum 2:4ili katika ule ulimwengu ujao apate kuonyesha wingi wa neema yake isiyopimika, iliyodhihirishwa kwetu kwa wema wake ndani ya Kristo Yesu. 82:8 Rum 4:2; 2Tim 1:9; Tit 3:5Kwa maana mmeokolewa kwa neema, kwa njia ya imani, wala si kwa matendo yenu mema. Hii ni zawadi kutoka kwa Mungu, 92:9 Kum 9:5; 1Kor 1:29si kwa matendo, ili mtu yeyote asije akajisifu. 102:10 Efe 4:24; Tit 2:14; Isa 29:23; 43:7; 60:21; Tit 2:14Kwa maana sisi ni kazi ya mikono ya Mungu, tulioumbwa katika Kristo Yesu, ili tupate kutenda matendo mema, ambayo Mungu alitangulia kuyaandaa tupate kuishi katika hayo.
Wamoja Katika Kristo
112:11 Kol 2:11; Efe 5:8; 2:2Kwa hiyo kumbukeni kwamba ninyi ambao hapo awali mlikuwa watu wa Mataifa kwa kuzaliwa na kuitwa “wasiotahiriwa” na wale wanaojiita “waliotahiriwa” (yaani tohara ifanyikayo katika mwili kwa mikono ya wanadamu), 122:12 Gal 3:17; 1The 4:13kumbukeni kwamba wakati ule mlikuwa mbali na Kristo, mkiwa mmetengwa kutoka jumuiya ya Israeli, na mkiwa wageni katika yale maagano ya ahadi, nanyi mkiwa hamna tumaini wala Mungu duniani. 132:13 Mdo 2:39; Kol 1:20Lakini sasa katika Kristo Yesu, ninyi ambao hapo kwanza mlikuwa mbali na Mungu, sasa mmeletwa karibu kwa njia ya damu ya Kristo.
142:14 1Kor 12:13; Isa 9:5; Gal 3:28; Kol 2:14Kwa maana yeye mwenyewe ndiye amani yetu, aliyetufanya sisi tuliokuwa wawili, yaani, Wayahudi na watu wa Mataifa, tuwe wamoja kwa kuvunja kizuizi na kubomoa ule ukuta wa uadui uliokuwa kati yetu, 152:15 Kol 1:21-22; 2:14; Gal 3:28kwa kuibatilisha ile sheria pamoja na amri zake na maagizo yake alipoutoa mwili wake, ili apate kufanya ndani yake mtu mmoja mpya badala ya hao wawili, hivyo akifanya amani, 162:16 Kol 1:20, 22; Rum 6:6; 8:3; Kol 2:14naye katika mwili huu mmoja awapatanishe wote wawili na Mungu kupitia msalaba, ili kwa huo msalaba akaangamiza uadui wao. 172:17 Za 148:14; Isa 57:19Alikuja na kuhubiri amani kwenu ninyi mliokuwa mbali na pia akahubiri amani kwao waliokuwa karibu. 182:18 Efe 3:12; Kol 1:12; 1Kor 12:13Kwa maana kwa kupitia kwake, sisi sote tunaweza kumkaribia Baba katika Roho mmoja.
192:19 Flp 3:20; Gal 6:10Hivyo basi, ninyi sasa si wageni tena wala wapitaji, bali mmekuwa wenyeji pamoja na watakatifu na pia jamaa wa nyumbani mwake Mungu. 202:20 Mt 16:18; 1Kor 3:10; 1Pet 2:4-8Mmejengwa juu ya msingi wa mitume na manabii, naye Kristo Yesu mwenyewe ndiye jiwe kuu la pembeni. 212:21 1Kor 3:16-17Ndani yake jengo lote limeshikamanishwa pamoja na kusimamishwa ili kuwa Hekalu takatifu katika Bwana. 22Katika yeye ninyi nanyi mnajengwa pamoja ili mpate kuwa makao ambayo Mungu anaishi ndani yake kwa njia ya Roho wake.
God Has Given Us New Life Through Christ
1You were living in your sins and lawless ways. But in fact you were dead. 2You used to live as sinners when you followed the ways of this world. You served the one who rules over the spiritual forces of evil. He is the spirit who is now at work in those who don’t obey God. 3At one time we all lived among them. Our desires were controlled by sin. We tried to satisfy what they wanted us to do. We followed our desires and thoughts. God was angry with us like he was with everyone else. That’s because of the kind of people we all were. 4But God loves us deeply. He is full of mercy. 5So he gave us new life because of what Christ has done. He gave us life even when we were dead in sin. God’s grace has saved you. 6God raised us up with Christ. He has seated us with him in his heavenly kingdom. That’s because we belong to Christ Jesus. 7He has done it to show the riches of his grace for all time to come. His grace can’t be compared with anything else. He has shown it by being kind to us. He was kind to us because of what Christ Jesus has done. 8God’s grace has saved you because of your faith in Christ. Your salvation doesn’t come from anything you do. It is God’s gift. 9It is not based on anything you have done. No one can brag about earning it. 10We are God’s creation. He created us to belong to Christ Jesus. Now we can do good works. Long ago God prepared these works for us to do.
God’s New Family of Jews and Gentiles
11You who are not Jews by birth, here is what I want you to remember. You are called “uncircumcised” by those who call themselves “circumcised.” But they have only been circumcised in their bodies by human hands. 12Before you believed in Christ, you were separated from him. You were not considered to be citizens of Israel. You were not included in what the covenants promised. You were without hope and without God in the world. 13At one time you were far away from God. But now you belong to Christ Jesus. He spilled his blood for you. This has brought you near to God.
14Christ himself is our peace. He has made Jews and Gentiles into one group of people. He has destroyed the hatred that was like a wall between us. 15Through his body on the cross, Christ set aside the law with all its commands and rules. He planned to create one new people out of Jews and Gentiles. He wanted to make peace between them. 16He planned to bring both Jews and Gentiles back to God as one body. He planned to do this through the cross. On that cross, Christ put to death their hatred toward one another. 17He came and preached peace to you who were far away. He also preached peace to those who were near. 18Through Christ we both come to the Father by the power of one Holy Spirit.
19So you are no longer outsiders and strangers. You are citizens together with God’s people. You are also members of God’s family. 20You are a building that is built on the apostles and prophets. They are the foundation. Christ Jesus himself is the most important stone in the building. 21The whole building is held together by him. It rises to become a holy temple because it belongs to the Lord. 22And because you belong to him, you too are being built together. You are being made into a house where God lives through his Spirit.
