Be Imitators of God

Ephesians 5

Therefore, y’all must become imitators of God, as beloved children. Y’all walk in love, even as Christ also loved us and gave himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling fragrance.

But sexual immorality, and any impurity or greed, let it not even be mentioned among y’all, as is proper among saints; nor filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not appropriate, but rather thanksgiving. Y’all should know this with certainty, that no sexually immoral, impure, or covetous person who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the empire of Christ and God.

Let no one deceive y’all with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes on the children of disobedience. Therefore y’all must not become partners with them. For y’all were once in darkness, but now y’all are light in the Lord. So y’all should walk as children of light, for the fruit of the light is in all goodness and righteousness and truth, testing what is well pleasing to the Lord. Y’all must have no fellowship with the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead y’all should expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret. But all things, when they are reproved, are revealed by the light, for everything that reveals is light. Therefore he says,

“Awake, you sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”

Therefore y’all must watch carefully how you* walk, not as unwise, but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore, y’all must not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. Y’all must not get drunk with wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead y’all should be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and playing instruments in y’all’s heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God the Father.

Instructions for Christian Relationships

Y’all are to submit+5:21 The verb here is a participle that picks up its plural imperative force from 5:18. to one another out of reverence for Christ.

Wives, do this to your husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ is the head of the church, as the savior of the body. But as the church is subject to Christ, so also wives should be to their own husbands in everything.

Husbands, y’all are to love your wives as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, so that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, that he might present the church to himself gloriously, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without defect. In the same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself. For no man ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, even as the Lord also does the church, because we are members of his body. “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and will be joined to his wife. Then the two will become one flesh.”+Gen 2:24 This mystery is great, but I speak concerning Christ and the church. Nevertheless each of y’all must also love his own wife even as himself, and the wife must respect her husband.