Discoveries Bible - Ephesians 5
5:1
In fact, acting just like God is your whole lifestyle. You are His children, dearly loved. And we know how children imitate their parents.
5:2
In this way we can live a life of love, just like Christ loved us. Remember the beautiful sacrifice He made as an act of love for us.
5:3-4
We are the people of God, set apart for the best life possible. That is why every kind of impurity – in word and in deed – are totally out of place for us. And why would we want to hoard the trinkets of this world when there's no way we could run out of gratitude for the real wealth that is already ours? Let our words reflect this reality.
5:5-7
Do you see someone who is at their core immoral, impure or greedy? That person has rejected God in order to set up their own solution, their own little idol. Since they reject God's rule, how can they have any part of God's life? Don't let anybody fast talk you with lies about this. These are the kinds of sins that bring God's wrath upon those who reject Him. Don't join hands with such people.
5:8-14
Let's talk about this in terms of light and darkness. On your own, you were darkness. But now, connected to the Lord, you are light. How does light live? How does darkness live? In darkness, men hide their deeds of shame. But when light comes into our lives, there is no place to hide and no need to hide. We face and live the truth. The outcome is integrity, goodness and righteousness. This is why people say: “Wake up! Quit sleeping. Rise from the dead! And Christ (the real Light) will shine on you.”
5:15-17
Choose, then, your lifestyle with utmost care. Be smart. Don't be a fool. We're here for a short time, make the most of every minute. Understand what God wants for you.
5:18
Don't get drunk. That leads to further trouble, excesses of impurity that can ruin your life. And besides, why would you need to get drunk? Let the Spirit fill every hurting place in your soul. That's better than any buzz you could get from anywhere else.
5:19-20
When the Spirit fills you, your life overflows with expressions of praise, gratitude and celebration. Even as you talk to each other, your words will encourage. Let the music in your heart flow out. And give thanks to God the Father for everything, because Jesus is turning it all around for good.
5:21
This is why we can each give the other the place of honor in our lives, because we are really honoring Christ.
5:22-24
Wives, respect your husbands and follow their leadership, just like you would respect the Lord. For God has put the husband in a place of leadership in the marriage, just like He put Christ in the place of leadership in the church. Jesus considers the church His body. We are the people He died to save. So, just like the church follows Christ, so also wives should follow their husbands.
5:25-33
But hang on, husbands! Your job is to treasure your wives, just like Christ treasured the church, so much so, that He gave up everything for “her,” so that the church could be set apart for everything good. Jesus washed “her” with His cleansing word. The result? The church is like a beautiful bride, without any blemish – radiant, blameless, holy. This is how husbands are to treasure, love and care for their wives, just like they would care for their own bodies. Husband, if you love your wife, you love yourself. Let's get real: No sane person hates his own body, but feeds and cares for it. Christ takes care of the church the same way, because He treats us just like we were His own body. Genesis 2:24 says, “This is the reason a man leaves his own parents so that he can unite with his wife, and the two become one body.” This is a deep truth. Christ is connected to the church. A husband is connected to his wife. So husband, love your wife like you love yourself. And wife, respect your husband.
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