5 You are the children that God dearly loves. So be just like him. 2Lead a life of love, just as Christ did. He loved us. He gave himself up for us. He was a sweet-smelling offering and sacrifice to God.

3There should not be even a hint of sexual sin among you. Don’t do anything unclean. And do not always want more and more. Things like that are not what God’s holy people should do.

4There must not be any unclean speech or foolish talk or dirty jokes. All of them are out of place. Instead, you should give thanks.

5Here is what you can be sure of. Those who give themselves over to sexual sins are lost. So are people whose lives are not pure. The same is true of those who always want more and more. People who do those things might as well worship statues of gods. No one who does them will receive a share in the kingdom of Christ and of God.

6Don’t let anyone fool you with words that don’t mean anything. Because of things like that, God is angry with those who don’t obey. 7So don’t go along with people like that.

8At one time you were in the dark. But now you are in the light because of what the Lord has done. Live like children of the light. 9The light produces what is completely good, right and true. 10Find out what pleases the Lord.

11Have nothing to do with the acts of darkness. They don’t produce anything good. Show what they are really like. 12It is shameful even to talk about what people who don’t obey do in secret.

13But everything the light shines on can be seen. 14Light makes everything clear. That is why it is said,

“Wake up, sleeper.

Rise from the dead.

Then Christ will shine on you.”

15So be very careful how you live. Do not live like people who aren’t wise. Live like people who are wise. 16Make the most of every opportunity. The days are evil. 17So don’t be foolish. Instead, understand what the Lord wants.

18Don’t fill yourself up with wine. Getting drunk will lead to wild living. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit.

19Speak to each other with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord. 20Always give thanks to God the Father for everything. Give thanks to him in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

21Follow the lead of one another because of your respect for Christ.

Wives and Husbands

22Wives, follow the lead of your husbands as you follow the Lord. 23The husband is the head of the wife, just as Christ is the head of the church. The church is Christ’s body. He is its Savior. 24The church follows the lead of Christ. In the same way, wives should follow the lead of their husbands in everything.

25Husbands, love your wives. Love them just as Christ loved the church. He gave himself up for her. 26He did it to make her holy. He made her clean by washing her with water and the word. 27He did it to bring her to himself as a brightly shining church. He wants a church that has no stain or wrinkle or any other flaw. He wants a church that is holy and without blame.

28In the same way, husbands should love their wives. They should love them as they love their own bodies. Any man who loves his wife loves himself. 29After all, people have never hated their own bodies. Instead, they feed and care for their bodies. And that is what Christ does for the church. 30We are parts of his body.

31Scripture says, “That’s why a man will leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife. The two will become one.” (Genesis 2:24) 32That is a deep mystery. But I’m talking about Christ and the church.

33A husband also must love his wife. He must love her just as he loves himself. And a wife must respect her husband.