1Therefore, be imitators of God, as dearly loved children, 2and walk in love, as Christ also loved us and gave himself for us,a a sacrificial and fragrant offering to God. 3But sexual immoralitya and any impurityb or greedc should not even be heard ofA among you, as is proper for saints. 4Obscene and foolish talking or crude joking are not suitable, but rather giving thanks. 5For know and recognize this: Every sexually immorala or impureb or greedyc person, who is an idolater, does not have an inheritance in the kingdomd of Christ and of God.

Light versus Darkness

6Let no one deceive you with empty arguments, for God’s wratha is coming on the disobedientA because of these things. 7Therefore, do not become their partners. 8For you were once darkness, but now you are lighta in the Lord. Walk as children of lightb —  9for the fruit of the lightA consists of all goodness, righteousness, and trutha —  10testinga what is pleasingb to the Lord. 11Don’t participate in the fruitlessa works of darkness, but instead expose them. 12For it is shameful even to mention what is done by them in secret. 13Everything exposed by the light is made visible,a 14for what makes everything visible is light. Therefore it is said:

Get up, sleeper,a and rise up from the dead,b

and Christ will shine on you.c

Consistency in the Christian Life

15Pay careful attention, then, to how you walk — not as unwise people but as wise —  16making the most of the time,a a because the days are evil. 17So don’t be foolish, but understanda what the Lord’s willb is. 18And don’t get drunka with wine,b which leads to reckless living, but be filled by the Spirit:c 19speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making music with your heart to the Lord, 20giving thanks always for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 21submitting to one another in the fear of Christ.a

Wives and Husbands

22Wives,a submita b to your husbandsc as to the Lord, 23because the husband is the head of the wifea as Christ is the headb of the church. He is the Savior of the body.c 24Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives are to submit to their husbands in everything. 25Husbands, love your wives,a just as Christ lovedb the church and gave himselfc for her 26to make her holy, cleansingA her with the washing of water by the word. 27He did this to present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or anything like that, but holy and blameless.a 28In the same way, husbands are to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29For no one ever hates his own flesh but provides and cares for it, just as Christ does for the church, 30since we are members of his body.A 31For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife,a and the two will become one flesh.b c 32This mysterya is profound, but I am talking about Christ and the church. 33To sum up, each one of you is to love his wife as himself, and the wife is to respect her husband.