Eph 5 | Mont | STEP | Learn then to imitate God as his beloved children,

‏ Ephesians 5

1 Learn then to imitate God as his beloved children, 2 and to lead lives of love, just as Christ also loved you and gave himself up for you, an offering and sacrifice unto God, for you, an offering and sacrifice unto God, for "an odor of sweetness."

3 As for sexual vice and every kind of impurity or lust, it is unbecoming for you as Christians even to mention them; 4 so too with vulgarity and buffoonery and foolish jesting. Such words become you not, but rather thanksgiving. 5 For be well assured that no one guilty of fornication or impurity or covetousness which is idolatry, has any heritage in the kingdom of Christ and of God. 6 Let no man deceive you with empty arguments, for it is these vices that bring down the wrath of God upon the sons of disobedience; 7 therefore do not become sharers with them. 8 For you were once darkness, but are now in the Lord. 9 Lead the life of children of light, for the fruit of the light consists in every kind of goodness and uprightness and truth. 10 Examine carefully what is well pleasing to the Lord, 11 and have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of the darkness, but rather expose them. 12 For it is a shame even to speak of the things that are done by such men in secret; 13 but all these things, when exposed, are by the light made manifest, and what is made manifest is light. 14 For this reason it is said, "Awake, thou sleeper! Arise from the dead; And Christ shall shine upon thee!" 15 See to it, then, that you carry on your life carefully; not as foolish, but as wise men. 16 Buy up opportunity, for the times are evil. 17 For this reason do not be thoughtless, but learn to know what the Lord’s will is. 18 Do not be drunk with wine, in which is riotous living, but drink deep in the Spirit, 19 when you talk together; with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and with all your hearts making music unto the Lord; 20 and at all times for all things give thanks to God, the Father, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

21 Submit yourselves one to another out of reverence for Christ. 22 Wives likewise to their husbands as to the Lord, 23 because a husband is the head of his wife even as Christ is head of the church, his body, which he saves. 24 But as the church submits itself to Christ, so also wives to their husbands in everything. 25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself for her, 26 in order that after cleansing her in the bath of baptism, he might sanctify her by his word, 27 so as to present her to himself, the church glorified, without spot or wrinkle or any such blemish; but on the contrary holy and faultless. 28 That is how husbands ought to love their wives, as they love their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 For no man ever yet hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it as Christ does the church; 30 for we are members of his body. 31 For this cause shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. 32 There is a deep mystery here - I am speaking of Christ and his church. 33 But as for you individually, you must each one of you love his own wife exactly as if she were yourself; and the wife, on her part, should reverence her husband.