Salvation in Christ a free gift

And you were dead, through the crimes and the sins in which you used to live
when you were following the way of this world, obeying the ruler who governs
the air,a the spirit who is at work in the rebellious. We all were among them
too in the past, living sensual lives, ruled entirely by our own physical desires
and our own ideas; so that by nature we were as much under God’s anger as the
rest of the world. But God loved us with so much love that he was generous
with his mercy: when we were dead through our sins, he brought us to life
with Christ it is through grace that you have been saved and raised us up
with him and gave us a place with him in heaven, in Christ Jesus.
This was to show for all ages to come, through his goodness toward us in
Christ Jesus, how infinitely rich he is in grace. Because it is by grace that you
have been saved, through faith; not by anything of your own, but by a gift from
God; not by anything that you have done, so that nobody can claim the credit.
We are God’s work of art, created in Christ Jesus to live the good life as from the
beginning he had meant us to live it.

Ephesians 2:1-10