1 A t one time you were dead because of your sins.

A ustedes, él les dio vida cuando aún estaban muertos en sus delitos y pecados,

2 Y ou followed the sinful ways of the world and obeyed the leader of the power of darkness. He is the devil who is now working in the people who do not obey God.

los cuales en otro tiempo practicaron, pues vivían de acuerdo a la corriente de este mundo y en conformidad con el príncipe del poder del aire, que es el espíritu que ahora opera en los hijos de desobediencia.

3 A t one time all of us lived to please our old selves. We gave in to what our bodies and minds wanted. We were sinful from birth like all other people and would suffer from the anger of God.

Entre ellos todos nosotros también vivimos en otro tiempo. Seguíamos los deseos de nuestra naturaleza humana y hacíamos lo que nuestra naturaleza y nuestros pensamientos nos llevaban a hacer. Éramos por naturaleza objetos de ira, como los demás.

4 B ut God had so much loving-kindness. He loved us with such a great love.

Pero Dios, cuya misericordia es abundante, por el gran amor con que nos amó,

5 E ven when we were dead because of our sins, He made us alive by what Christ did for us. You have been saved from the punishment of sin by His loving-favor.

nos dio vida junto con Cristo, aun cuando estábamos muertos en nuestros pecados (la gracia de Dios los ha salvado),

6 G od raised us up from death when He raised up Christ Jesus. He has given us a place with Christ in the heavens.

y también junto con él nos resucitó, y asimismo nos sentó al lado de Cristo Jesús en los lugares celestiales,

7 H e did this to show us through all the time to come the great riches of His loving-favor. He has shown us His kindness through Christ Jesus.

para mostrar en los tiempos venideros las abundantes riquezas de su gracia y su bondad para con nosotros en Cristo Jesús.

8 F or by His loving-favor you have been saved from the punishment of sin through faith. It is not by anything you have done. It is a gift of God.

Ciertamente la gracia de Dios los ha salvado por medio de la fe. Ésta no nació de ustedes, sino que es un don de Dios;

9 I t is not given to you because you worked for it. If you could work for it, you would be proud.

ni es resultado de las obras, para que nadie se vanaglorie.

10 W e are His work. He has made us to belong to Christ Jesus so we can work for Him. He planned that we should do this. Followers Now Become the Body of Christ

Nosotros somos hechura suya; hemos sido creados en Cristo Jesús para realizar buenas obras, las cuales Dios preparó de antemano para que vivamos de acuerdo con ellas. Reconciliación por medio de la cruz

11 D o not forget that at one time you did not know God. The Jews, who had gone through the religious act of becoming a Jew by man’s hands, said you were people who do not know God.

Por lo tanto ustedes, que por nacimiento no son judíos, y que son llamados «incircuncisos» por los que desde su nacimiento han sido físicamente circuncidados, deben recordar esto:

12 Y ou were living without Christ then. The Jewish people who belonged to God had nothing to do with you. The promises He gave to them were not for you. You had nothing in this world to hope for. You were without God.

En aquel tiempo ustedes estaban sin Cristo, vivían alejados de la ciudadanía de Israel y eran ajenos a los pactos de la promesa; vivían en este mundo sin Dios y sin esperanza.

13 B ut now you belong to Christ Jesus. At one time you were far away from God. Now you have been brought close to Him. Christ did this for you when He gave His blood on the cross.

Pero ahora, en Cristo Jesús, ustedes, que en otro tiempo estaban lejos, han sido acercados por la sangre de Cristo.

14 W e have peace because of Christ. He has made the Jews and those who are not Jews one people. He broke down the wall that divided them.

Porque él es nuestra paz. De dos pueblos hizo uno solo, al derribar la pared intermedia de separación

15 H e stopped the fighting between them by His death on the cross. He put an end to the Law. Then He made of the two people one new kind of people like Himself. In this way, He made peace.

y al abolir en su propio cuerpo las enemistades. Él puso fin a la ley de los mandamientos expresados en ordenanzas, para crear en sí mismo, de los dos pueblos, una nueva humanidad, haciendo la paz,

16 H e brought both groups together to God. Christ finished the fighting between them by His death on the cross.

y para reconciliar con Dios a los dos en un solo cuerpo mediante la cruz, sobre la cual puso fin a las enemistades.

17 T hen Christ came and preached the Good News of peace to you who were far away from God. And He preached it to us who were near God.

Él vino y a ustedes, que estaban lejos, les anunció las buenas nuevas de paz, lo mismo que a los que estaban cerca.

18 N ow all of us can go to the Father through Christ by way of the one Holy Spirit.

Por medio de él, unos y otros tenemos acceso al Padre en un mismo Espíritu.

19 F rom now on you are not strangers and people who are not citizens. You are citizens together with those who belong to God. You belong in God’s family.

Por lo tanto, ustedes ya no son extranjeros ni advenedizos, sino conciudadanos de los santos y miembros de la familia de Dios,

20 T his family is built on the teachings of the missionaries and the early preachers. Jesus Christ Himself is the cornerstone, which is the most important part of the building.

y están edificados sobre el fundamento de los apóstoles y profetas, cuya principal piedra angular es Jesucristo mismo.

21 C hrist keeps this building together and it is growing into a holy building for the Lord.

En Cristo, todo el edificio, bien coordinado, va creciendo para llegar a ser un templo santo en el Señor;

22 Y ou are also being put together as a part of this building because God lives in you by His Spirit.

en Cristo, también ustedes son edificados en unión con él, para que allí habite Dios en el Espíritu.