Imitators of God

¹ Be imitators of God, therefore, as beloved children, ² and walk in love, just as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us as a fragrant sacrificial offering to God.

³ But among you, as is proper among the saints, there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed.^{* 4} Nor should there be obscenity,^* foolish talk, or crude joking, which are out of character, but rather thanksgiving. ⁵ For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure, or greedy person (that is, an idolater) has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.

⁶ Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things the wrath of God is coming on the sons of disobedience. ⁷ Therefore do not be partakers with them.

Children of Light

⁸ For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light, ⁹ for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness,^* righteousness, and truth. ¹⁰ Test and prove what pleases the Lord.

¹¹ Have no fellowship with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.^{* 12} For it is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. ¹³ But everything exposed by the light becomes visible, for everything that is illuminated becomes a light itself. ¹⁴ So it is said:

“Wake up, O sleeper,

rise up^* from the dead,

and Christ will shine on you.”

¹⁵ Pay careful attention, then, to how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, ¹⁶ redeeming the time, because the days are evil. ¹⁷ Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. ¹⁸ Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to reckless indiscretion. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.

¹⁹ Speak to one another with psalms,^* hymns, and spiritual songs. Sing and make music^* in your hearts to the Lord, ²⁰ always giving thanks to God the Father for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Wives and Husbands

²¹ Submit^* to one another^* out of reverence for Christ.

²² Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. ²³ For the husband is the head^* of the wife as Christ^* is the head^* of the church, His body, of which He is the Savior. ²⁴ Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.

²⁵ Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her ²⁶ to sanctify her, cleansing her by the washing^* with water through the word,^{* 27} and to present her to Himself as a glorious^* church, without stain or wrinkle or any such blemish, but holy and blameless.

²⁸ In the same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. ²⁹ Indeed, no one ever hated his own body, but he nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church. ³⁰ For we are members of His body.

³¹ “For this reason a man will leave^* his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.”³² This mystery^* is profound, but I am speaking about Christ^* and the church. ³³ Nevertheless, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect^* her husband.