Ephesians 5:2

Easy To Read Version

Live a life of love. Love other people the same as Christ loved us. Christ gave himself for us—he was a sweet-smelling offering and sacrifice {\cf2\super [37]} to God.

Cross References

Genesis 8:21

The Lord smelled these sacrifices, and it pleased him. The Lord said to himself, “I will never again curse the ground as a way to punish people. People are evil from the time that they are young. So I will never again destroy every living thing on the earth like I have just done.

Exodus 29:18

Then burn everything on the altar. It is a burnt offering, an offering made by fire to the Lord. Its smell will please the Lord.

Exodus 29:25

Then take these things from Aaron and his sons and put them on the altar [272] with the ram. Then burn everything on the altar. It is a burnt offering, an offering made by fire to the Lord. Its smell will please the Lord.

Leviticus 1:13

The priest must wash the legs and inside parts of the animal with water. Then the priest must offer all the animal’s parts. He must burn the animal on the altar. It is a burnt offering, an offering made by fire. Its smell pleases the Lord.

Leviticus 1:17

Then the priest must tear the bird by its wings, but he must not divide the bird {into two parts}. The priest must burn the bird on the altar, on the wood that is on the fire. It is a burnt offering, an offering made by fire. Its smell pleases the Lord.

Leviticus 1:9

The priest must wash the legs and inside parts of the animal with water. Then the priest must burn all the animal’s parts on the altar. It is a burnt offering, an offering made by fire. Its smell pleases the Lord.

Leviticus 3:16

Then the priest must burn them on the altar. The fellowship offering is an offering made by fire. Its smell pleases the Lord. It is also food {for the people}—but the best parts [22] belong to the Lord.

Amos 5:21

“I hate your holidays!\par I will not accept them!\par I don’t enjoy your religious meetings!\par

Matthew 20:28

It is the same with the Son of Man. {\cf2\super [276]} The Son of Man did not come for other people to serve him. The Son of Man came to serve other people. The Son of Man came to give his life to save many people.”

John 13:34

“I give you a new command: Love each other. You must love each other like I loved you.

John 6:51

I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If a person eats this bread, then that person will live forever. This bread is my body. I will give my body so that the people in the world can have life.”

Romans 15:16

to be a minister of Christ Jesus. God made me a minister to help the non-Jewish people. I serve God by teaching his Good News. {\cf2\super [151]} I do this so that the non-Jewish people may be an offering that God will accept. Those people are made holy {\cf2\super [152]} for God by the Holy Spirit. {\cf2\super [153]}

Romans 4:25

Jesus was given to die for our sins. And he was raised from death to make us right with God.

Romans 8:3

The law {\cf2\super [61]} was without power because the law was made weak by our sinful selves. But God did what the law could not do. God sent his own Son to earth with the same human life that other people use for sin. God sent his Son to be an offering to pay for sin. So God used a human life to condemn (destroy) sin.

Romans 8:37

But in all these things we have full victory through God who showed his love for us.

1 Corinthians 16:14

Do everything in love.

1 Corinthians 5:7

Take out all the old yeast (sin), so that you will be a new batch of dough. You really are Passover bread {\cf2\super [30]} without yeast. Yes, Christ, our Passover lamb, {\cf2\super [31]} has already been killed.

2 Corinthians 2:14

But thanks be to God. God always leads us in victory through Christ. God uses us to spread his knowledge everywhere like a sweet-smelling perfume.

2 Corinthians 2:15

Our offering to God is this: We are the sweet smell of Christ among people who are being saved and among people who are being lost.

2 Corinthians 8:9

You know the grace (kindness) of our Lord Jesus Christ. You know that Christ was rich \{with God\}, but for you he became poor. Christ did this so that you could become rich by his becoming poor.

Galatians 1:4

Jesus gave himself for our sins. Jesus did this to free us from this evil world we live in. This is what God the Father wanted.

Galatians 2:20

So the life that I live now is not really me—it is Christ living in me. I still live in my body, but I live by faith in the Son of God (Jesus). Jesus is the One who loved me. He gave himself to save me.

Ephesians 1:4

In Christ, God chose us before the world was made. God chose us in love to be his holy people {\cf2\super [4]} —people with no wrong in us before him.

Ephesians 3:17

I pray that Christ will live in your hearts because of your faith. I pray that your life will be strong in love and be built on love.

Ephesians 3:19

Christ’s love is greater than any person can ever know. But I pray that you will be able to know that love. Then you can be filled with the fullness of God.

Ephesians 4:15

No! We will speak the truth with love. We will grow to be like Christ in every way. Christ is the head \{and we are the body\}.

Ephesians 4:2

Always be humble and gentle. Be patient and accept each other with love.

Ephesians 5:15

So be very careful how you live. Don’t live like people who are not wise. But live wisely.

Ephesians 5:25

Husbands, love your wives the same as Christ loved the church. Christ died for the church.

Deuteronomy 27:6

You must not use cut stones to build the altar for the Lord your God. Offer burnt offerings on this altar to the Lord your God.

Philippians 4:18

I have all the things I need. I have even more than I need. I have all I need because Epaphroditus brought your gift to me. Your gift is like a sweet-smelling sacrifice {\cf2\super [24]} offered to God. God accepts that sacrifice and it pleases him.

Colossians 3:14

Do all these things; but most important, love each other. Love is the thing that holds you all together in perfect unity.

1 Thessalonians 4:9

We don’t need to write to you about having love for your brothers and sisters in Christ. God has already taught you to love each other.

1 Timothy 2:6

Jesus gave himself to pay for \{the sins of\} all people. Jesus is proof \{that God wants all people to be saved\}. And he came at the right time.

1 Timothy 4:12

You are young, but don’t let any person treat you like you are not important. Be an example to show the believers how they should live. Show them with the things you say, with the way you live, with your love, with your faith, and with your pure life.

Titus 2:14

He gave himself for us. He died to free us from all evil. He died to make us pure people that belong only to him—people that are always wanting to do good things.

Hebrews 8:3

Every high priest {\cf2\super [80]} has the work of offering gifts and sacrifices {\cf2\super [81]} to God. So our high priest must also offer something to God.

Hebrews 9:14

So surely the blood of Christ can do much, much more. Christ offered himself through the eternal Spirit {\cf2\super [106]} as a perfect sacrifice {\cf2\super [107]} to God. His blood will make us fully clean from the evil things we have done. His blood will make us pure even in our hearts. We are made pure so that we can worship (serve) the living God.

Hebrews 9:23

These things are copies of the real things that are in heaven. These copies had to be made clean by animal sacrifices. {\cf2\super [115]} But the real things in heaven must have much better sacrifices.

Hebrews 9:26

If Christ had offered himself many times, then he would have needed to suffer many times since the time the world was made. But Christ came \{and offered himself\} only once. And that once is enough for all time. Christ came at a time when the world is nearing an end. Christ came to take away all sin by offering himself as a sacrifice. {\cf2\super [118]}

1 Peter 4:8

Most important, love each other deeply. Love hides many, many sins.

1 John 3:16

This is how we know what real love is: Jesus gave his life for us. So we should give our lives for our brothers and sisters \{in Christ\}.

1 John 3:23

This is what God commands: that we believe in his Son Jesus Christ and that we love each other. This is what he commanded.

Revelation 1:5

and from Jesus Christ. Jesus is the faithful witness. He was first among those to be raised from death. Jesus is the ruler of the kings of the earth.

Revelation 5:9

And they all sang a new song \{to the Lamb\}: