Ephesians 2:8-13

8God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God.

9Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.

10For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

11Don’t forget that you Gentiles used to be outsiders. You were called “uncircumcised heathens” by the Jews, who were proud of their circumcision, even though it affected only their bodies and not their hearts.

12In those days you were living apart from Christ. You were excluded from citizenship among the people of Israel, and you did not know the covenant promises God had made to them. You lived in this world without God and without hope.

13But now you have been united with Christ Jesus. Once you were far away from God, but now you have been brought near to him through the blood of Christ.