and walk in love, just as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us as a fragrant sacrificial offering to God.Walk in love, even as Christ also loved us and gave himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling fragrance.And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.and walk in love, even as Christ also loved you, and gave himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for an odor of a sweet smell.
3 sermons cite this verse
… And I'm going to invite you to read these out loud with me too. This is from Ephesians chapter five, verse two. Let's read them together. Live your life with love, following the example of Christ who loved us and gave himself for us. Let's do this. Let's be a church that loves boldly, that fosters community, that welcomes everybody, that goes out of our way to look around and see who needs to be cared for, who needs to be loved, who needs just a smile or a welcome. Let's love. Let's be engaged in building community together in our buildings. And then let's be committed to every day when we leave the building, living a life of love, loving boldly in Jesus' name, amen. Would you pray with me? and I'm going to invite you to put your hands on your lap. Look at me right now for just a moment. Just put your hands on your lap like this, like you're offering yourself to Christ, and if you feel comfortable, you might just whisper this prayer into your breath, so we'll close our eyes. …
… Let me read them to you. Therefore, be imitators of God as beloved children, and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma. But immorality or any impurity or greed must not even be named among you as is proper among saints. There must be no filthiness and silly talk or coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. For this you know with certainty, that no immoral or impure person or covetous man who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore, do not be partakers with them." As we saw last time in looking at verses 1 and 2, this chapter begins on a beautiful high note, Be imitators of God as beloved children. We are the children of God. …
… You notice this? when Jesus Christ, and I put this in after Ephesians 5, though we're not actually studying it, when Jesus Christ says, I'm your friends, he gives the same two elements. What makes him our friend? One is, you're not a servant, you're a friend, because I tell you my business. I tell you what's going on inside. I let you in. And secondly, I give my life for you. I don't let you down. Same two elements. Have you ever encountered somebody who gave you befriending grace in that didn't just brush you off and didn't just sort of do their duty, but were really kind. What is befriending grace? Well, I've experienced this, what it means. First of all, it's the same two things that you've got to have to be a truly spiritually kind person. There's a humility, and yet there's a confidence. On the one hand, befriending grace happens when this person I'm talking to, that there's a humility and therefore there's a transparency. …