Alive with Christ
(Colossians 2:6–23)

1When you were in that destructive state of transgression and sin, 2in which you formerly liv'd, influenc'd by the customs of this world, and by the prince of the aerial powers, the spirits that now actuate the incredulous: 3of which number we all have formerly been, leading our dissolute lives in gratifying the desires of our sensual imaginations: and were indeed obnoxious to the divine displeasure, as other. Gentiles were: 4then it was that God, who is rich in mercy, thro' his great love, wherewith he loved us, 5did raise us all, who were in that deadly state of sin, to life by Christ, for by grace ye are saved: 6he hath raised us up together, and made us partakers of his heavenly kingdom. 7that in the ages to come, he might shew the immense riches of his gracious kindness towards us, through Christ Jesus. 8for by grace are ye saved, thro' faith (and that not from us: 9it is the gift of God) but not by works, so that no man can boast: 10for he hath made us a-new, and form'd us by Christ Jesus to do good works, for which God had before prepared us, that we might live in them.

One in Christ
(Philippians 2:1–4)

11Wherefore remember that you were heretofore Gentiles, being denominated the uncircumcised, by those who are the circumcised by a manual operation; 12that at that time ye were without all knowledge of the Messiah, being aliens from the common-wealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope, and living in the world without any true knowledge of God. 13but now you who were formerly at a distance, are brought near by the death of Christ Jesus. 14for he is our peace-maker, who hath united both Jew and Gentile, and hath by his flesh broken down the middle wall of partition 15(which kept us at variance) by abolishing the dogmatical injunctions of the law, that having made the peace, he might incorporate the two into one new body under himself; 16that he might reconcile both in one body unto God by the cross, wherefore he destroyed the enmity that was between them: 17and being come, he preached the glad tidings of peace to YOU who were afar off, and to US that were nigh. 18for thro' him both of us have access by the same spirit to the father.

Christ Our Cornerstone
(1 Corinthians 3:10–15; 1 Peter 2:1–8)

19Therefore now, you are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow-citizens with the saints, and domesticks of God's family, 20being built upon the foundation laid by the apostles and prophets, whereof Jesus Christ himself is the main stone of the angle: 21on which the whole structure rises with symmetry into a temple, consecrated by the Lord: 22who by his spirit has likewise made you a part of this divine mansion.