Ephesians 2 How we got adopted into God’s family

Ephesians 2:1-22 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins (2) in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience-- (3) among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. (4) But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, (5) even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ--by grace you have been saved-- (6) and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, (7) so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. (8) For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, (9) not a result of works, so that no one may boast. (10) For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.     (11) Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called "the uncircumcision" by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands-- (12) remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. (13) But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.     (14) For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility (15) by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, (16) and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. (17) And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near.     (18) For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. (19) So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, (20) built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, (21) in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. (22) In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.

Before adoption into family of life and holiness, we were in the family of death and disobedience (of the spirit) obeying a massive range of physical impulses.     Out of control body functions are not pleasant. Our dead spirit meant we were, well, sorta like chickens with their heads cut off. Flapping around randomly.     But God picked us up out of our satanic anarchy and gave us a place, graciously sitting right up there with Jesus     Why? He has a lot of kindness to show us.     So we can't boast about him being so kind to us, his grace saved us from such a pathetic sub-life (certainly not because of our flapping). Now we can get focused and live out good works through Christ, our God ordained purpose.     So, REMEMBER! You used to be hopelessly outside of any claim to anything from God. Even though you were far now you are brought close through Messianic sacrifice.                     We have peace with God and the people expressing who God is because of Christ. Now we are one family when we are in Christ.                                 In Christ we are in the Spirit who grants us access to the father. He knows us and we belong to his Kingdom and family.     The temple building is made of people who were taught by Christ and now teach us. We grow together to be a committed place for God to be.