Alive with Christ

1Also you -- being dead in the trespasses and the sins, 2in which once ye did walk according to the age of this world, according to the ruler of the authority of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience, 3among whom also we all did walk once in the desires of our flesh, doing the wishes of the flesh and of the thoughts, and were by nature children of wrath -- as also the others, 4and God, being rich in kindness, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5even being dead in the trespasses, did make us to live together with the Christ, (by grace ye are having been saved,) 6and did raise us up together, and did seat us together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7that He might show, in the ages that are coming, the exceeding riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus, 8for by grace ye are having been saved, through faith, and this not of you -- of God the gift, 9not of works, that no one may boast; 10for of Him we are workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to good works, which God did before prepare, that in them we may walk.

One in Christ

11Wherefore, remember, that ye were once the nations in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that called Circumcision in the flesh made by hands, 12that ye were at that time apart from Christ, having been alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of the promise, having no hope, and without God, in the world; 13and now, in Christ Jesus, ye being once afar off became nigh in the blood of the Christ, 14for he is our peace, who did make both one, and the middle wall of the enclosure did break down, 15the enmity in his flesh, the law of the commands in ordinances having done away, that the two he might create in himself into one new man, making peace, 16and might reconcile both in one body to God through the cross, having slain the enmity in it, 17and having come, he did proclaim good news -- peace to you -- the far-off and the nigh, 18because through him we have the access -- we both -- in one Spirit unto the Father.

A Temple in the Lord

19Then, therefore, ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow-citizens of the saints, and of the household of God, 20being built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being chief corner -stone, 21in whom all the building fitly framed together doth increase to an holy sanctuary in the Lord, 22in whom also ye are builded together, for a habitation of God in the Spirit.