Alive with Christ
(Colossians 2:6–23)

1You, who were dead in trespasses and in your sins, 2in which at one time you walked about according to the age of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit which is now working in the sons of disobedience; 3among whom we all indeed at one time lived in the lusts of our flesh, doing the will of the flesh and of the thoughts, and we were by nature the children of wrath, like the rest also: 4but God, being rich in mercy, on account of his great love with which he loved us, 5created life in us in Christ, who were dead in trespasses, by grace you have been saved, 6and he has raised you up, and caused you to sit in the heavenlies, in Christ Jesus: 7in order that he may show in coming ages the superabounding riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9not of works, in order that no one may boast: 10for we are his workmanship, having been created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God before prepared that we should walk in them.

One in Christ
(Philippians 2:1–4)

11Therefore remember, that when you were Gentiles in the flesh, called Uncircumcision by that which is called Circumcision, made in the flesh with hands; 12because you were at that time without Christ, being alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers of the covenants of the promise, having no hope and being atheists in the world. 13But now you are in Christ Jesus, who being at one time far off have been made nigh by the blood of Christ. 14For he is our peace, the one having made both one, and having broken down the middle wall of partition, 15having destroyed the law of commandments in ordinances, through his flesh, the enmity, in order that He might create the two in himself into one new man, making peace; 16and that he may reconcile both in one body to God through the cross, having slain the enmity on in. 17And having come he preached the gospel of peace to you, who were far away, and peace to them who were nigh: 18because through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.

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

19Then therefore you are no longer strangers and sojourners, but fellow-citizens of the saints, and members of the household of God, 20having been built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone, 21in whom the entire edifice, being assimilated, increases into a holy temple in the Lord; 22in whom also you are built together into a habitation of God in the Spirit.