Absent in Body, Present in Spirit
(Revelation 3:14–22)

1FOR I wish you to know how great a struggle I sustain for you, and those at Laodicea, and as many as have not seen my face in the flesh; 2that their hearts may be comforted, firmly united together in love, and unto all riches of full assurance of understanding, in the knowledge of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ; 3in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. 4Now this I say, lest any man pervert you with specious discourse. 5For though I am absent from you in person, yet I am present with you in spirit, rejoicing and beholding your regular order, and the stedfastness of your faith in Christ.

Alive with Christ
(Ephesians 2:1–10)

6As therefore ye have received Christ Jesus the Lord, walk in him: 7rooted and built up on him, and confirmed in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.

8Beware that no man make a prey of you by means of philosophy and vain delusion, after the tradition of men, after the principles of the world, and not after Christ: 9for in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily; 10and ye are complete in him, who is the head of all principality and power: 11in whom also ye have been circumcised with the circumcision not made with hands, by the putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, through the circumcision of Christ: 12buried with him in baptism, in which also ye have been raised up together with him by faith, the energy of God, who raised him from the dead. 13And you, who were dead in sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened with him, freely forgiving you all trespasses; 14and hath blotted out the handwriting in ordinances that was against us, which was the obstacle to us, and took it from the midst, nailing it to the cross; 15spoiling principalities and powers, he exposed them to view openly, triumphing over them on it.

16Let no man therefore judge you concerning what you eat, or what you drink, or the observance of a feast, or new moon, or the sabbaths; 17which are merely shadows of things to come: but the body is Christ?s. 18Let no man juggle you out of your prize, voluntary in his humility and the worship of angels, intruding into things which he never saw, vainly puffed up by his carnal imagination; 19and not firmly attached to the head, from which the whole body, by joints and ligaments, harmoniously adjusted and closely compacted, increaseth with increase from God.

20If then ye have been dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye dogmatically taught, 21eat not, nor talk, nor touch, 22(all which things tend to corruption by abuse) according to the injunctions and doctrines of men? 23Which things indeed hold forth an appearance of wisdom in will-worship, and humility, and bodily mortification, though not of any value, but a gratification to the flesh.