Walk in the Light

5 Therefore be imitators of God, as dearly loved children; ² and walk in love, just as Messiah also loved us^[a] and gave Himself up for us as an offering and sacrifice to God for a fragrant aroma. ³ But sexual immorality and any impurity or greed—don’t even let these be mentioned among you, as is proper for kedoshim. ⁴ Obscene, coarse, and stupid talk are also out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving. ⁵ Know for certain that no immoral, indecent, or greedy person—who is really an idol worshipper at heart—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Messiah and God.

⁶ Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s judgment comes on the children of disobedience. ⁷ Therefore do not be partners with them. ⁸ For once you were darkness, but now in union with the Lord you are light. Walk as children of light ⁹ (for the fruit of light is in all goodness and righteousness and truth), ¹⁰ trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord. ¹¹ Take no part in the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them— ¹² for it is disgraceful even to mention the things that are done by them in secret. ¹³ Yet everything exposed by the light is being made visible, ¹⁴ for everything made visible is light. This is why it says,

¹⁵ So pay close attention to how you walk—not as unwise people but as wise. ¹⁶ Make the most of your time because the days are evil. ¹⁷ For this reason do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. ¹⁸ And do not get drunk on wine, for that is recklessness.^[c] Instead, be filled with the Ruach, ¹⁹ speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making music in your heart to the Lord— ²⁰ always giving thanks for everything to God the Father, in the name of the Lord Yeshua the Messiah.

Orderly Relationships: Marriage

²¹ Also submit yourselves to one another out of reverence for Messiah— ²² wives to your own husbands as to the Lord. ²³ For the husband is head of the wife, as Messiah also is head of His community—Himself the Savior of the body. ²⁴ But as Messiah’s community is submitted to Messiah, so also the wives to their husbands in everything.

²⁵ Husbands, love your wives just as Messiah also loved His community and gave Himself up for her ²⁶ to make her holy, having cleansed her by immersion^[d] in the word. ²⁷ Messiah did this so that He might present to Himself His glorious community—not having stain or wrinkle or any such thing, but in order that she might be holy and blameless. ²⁸ In the same way, husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.

²⁹ For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it—just as Messiah also does His community, ³⁰ because we are members of His body. ³¹ “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” ^{[e] 32} This mystery is great—but I am talking about Messiah and His community. ³³ In any case, let each of you love his own wife as himself, and let the wife respect her husband.