AUV(i)
1 And you [Gentiles] were once [spiritually] dead because of your shortcomings and sins.
2 You practiced such things when you lived according to the evil ways of this world, and according to the ruler of the [spiritual] powers of the air. [Note: This refers to Satan, whose influence permeates life around us]. He is the [evil] spirit who is now at work in people who are disobedient [to God].
3 All of us [Jews] also once lived among such people, fulfilling the improper cravings of our physical being and doing what our bodies and minds desired. In this natural [unconverted] state we were deserving of [God’s] wrath, just like the rest [of mankind].
4 But God, who has great love for us and abundant mercy [toward us],
5 restored [spiritual] life to us with Christ, even though we were [spiritually] dead because of our sins --- it is by God’s unearned favor that you have been saved.
6 God raised us up with Christ [See Col. 2:12] and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms [i.e., in the church. See 1:3] in [fellowship with] Christ Jesus.
7 This was so that, to future ages [of people on earth and in heaven], God could demonstrate the tremendous abundance of His unearned favor, expressed by His kindness to us in [fellowship with] Christ Jesus.
8 For you have been saved by God’s unearned favor, through [your] faith, and that [salvation] was not the result of your own doing; it was the gift from God.
9 It was not the result of your own [good] deeds [See Titus 3:5], so that no one could boast [about it].
10 For we [Christians] are the product of God’s workmanship, [re-] created in [fellowship with] Christ Jesus for [the purpose of] doing good deeds. God had previously determined that this should be our practice.