Ephesians 5:2

New International Reader's Version

Lead 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.

Cross References

Genesis 8:21

The smell of the offerings pleased the Lord. He said to himself, “I will never put a curse on the ground again because of human beings. I will not do it even though their hearts are always directed toward evil. Their thoughts are evil from the time they are young. I will never destroy all living things again, as I have just done.

Exodus 29:18

Then burn the whole ram on the altar. It is a burnt offering to me. It has a pleasant smell. It is a food offering presented to the Lord.

Exodus 29:25

Then take all these things from their hands. Burn them on the altar along with the burnt offering. Its smell pleases the Lord. It is a food offering presented to the Lord.

Leviticus 1:13

They must wash the inside parts with water. The legs must also be washed. The priest must bring all the parts to the altar. He must burn them there. It is a burnt offering. It is a food offering. Its smell pleases the Lord.

Leviticus 1:17

He must take hold of the wings of the bird and tear it open. But he must not tear it in two. Then the priest will burn it on the wood burning on the altar. It is a burnt offering. It is a food offering. Its smell pleases the Lord.

Leviticus 1:9

The inside parts of the animal must be washed with water. The legs must also be washed. The priest must burn all of it on the altar. It is a burnt offering. It is a food offering. Its smell pleases the Lord.

Leviticus 3:16

Then the priest must burn the offering on the altar as food. It is a food offering. It has a pleasant smell. All the fat belongs to the Lord.

Amos 5:21

The Lord says, “I hate your holy feasts. I can’t stand them. Your gatherings stink.

Numbers 7:21

Nethanel brought one young bull, one ram, and one male lamb a year old. They would be sacrificed as a burnt offering.

Matthew 20:28

Be like the Son of Man. He did not come to be served. Instead, he came to serve others. He came to give his life as the price for setting many people free.”

John 13:34

“I give you a new command. Love one another. You must love one another, just as I have loved you.

John 6:51

I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Everyone who eats some of this bread will live forever. This bread is my body. I will give it for the life of the world.”

Romans 15:16

to serve Christ Jesus among the Gentiles. I have the duty of a priest to preach God’s good news. Then the Gentiles will become an offering that pleases God. The Holy Spirit will make the offering holy.

Romans 4:25

Jesus was handed over to die for our sins. He was raised to life in order to make us right with God.

Romans 8:3

The written law was made weak by the power of sin. But God did what the written law could not do. He made his Son to be like those who live under the power of sin. God sent him to be an offering for sin. Jesus suffered God’s judgment against our sin.

Romans 8:37

No! In all these things we are more than winners! We owe it all to Christ, who has loved us.

1 Corinthians 16:14

Be loving in everything you do.

1 Corinthians 5:7

Get rid of the old yeast. Then you can be like a new batch of dough without yeast. That is what you really are. That’s because Christ, our Passover Lamb, has been offered up for us.

2 Corinthians 2:14

Give thanks to God! He always leads us as if we were prisoners in Christ’s victory parade. Through us, God spreads the knowledge of Christ everywhere like perfume.

2 Corinthians 2:15

God considers us to be the pleasing smell that Christ is spreading. He is spreading it among people who are being saved and people who are dying.

2 Corinthians 8:9

You know the grace shown by our Lord Jesus Christ. Even though he was rich, he became poor to help you. Because he became poor, you can become rich.

Galatians 1:4

Jesus gave his life for our sins. He set us free from this evil world. That was what our God and Father wanted.

Galatians 2:20

I have been crucified with Christ. I don’t live any longer, but Christ lives in me. Now I live my life in my body by faith in the Son of God. He loved me and gave himself for me.

Ephesians 1:4

God chose us to belong to Christ before the world was created. He chose us to be holy and without blame in his eyes. He loved us.

Ephesians 3:17

Then Christ will live in your hearts because you believe in him. And I pray that your love will have deep roots. I pray that it will have a strong foundation.

Ephesians 3:19

And may you know his love, even though it can’t be known completely. Then you will be filled with everything God has for you.

Ephesians 4:15

Instead, we will speak the truth in love. So we will grow up in every way to become the body of Christ. Christ is the head of the body.

Ephesians 4:2

Don’t be proud at all. Be completely gentle. Be patient. Put up with one another in love.

Ephesians 5:15

So be very careful how you live. Do not live like people who aren’t wise. Live like people who are wise.

Ephesians 5:25

Husbands, love your wives. Love them just as Christ loved the church. He gave himself up for her.

Deuteronomy 27:6

Use stones you find in the fields to build his altar. Then offer burnt offerings on it to the Lord your God.

Philippians 4:18

I have received my full pay and have more than enough. I have everything I need. That’s because Epaphroditus brought me the gifts you sent. They are a sweet-smelling offering. They are a gift that God accepts. He is pleased with it.

Colossians 3:14

And over all these good things put on love. Love holds them all together perfectly as if they were one.

1 Thessalonians 4:9

We don’t need to write to you about your love for one another. God himself has taught you to love one another.

1 Timothy 2:6

He gave himself to pay for the sins of all people. We have been told this message at just the right time.

1 Timothy 4:12

Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young. Set an example for the believers in what you say and in how you live. Also set an example in how you love and in what you believe. Show the believers how to be pure.

Titus 2:14

He gave himself for us. By doing that, he set us free from all evil. He wanted to make us pure. He wanted us to be his very own people. He wanted us to desire to do what is good.

Hebrews 8:3

Every high priest is appointed to offer gifts and sacrifices. So this priest also had to have something to offer.

Hebrews 9:14

But Christ offered himself to God without any flaw. He did this through the power of the eternal Holy Spirit. So how much cleaner will the blood of Christ make us! It washes away our feelings of guilt for committing sin. Sin always leads to death. But now we can serve the living God.

Hebrews 9:23

So the copies of the heavenly things had to be made pure with these sacrifices. But the heavenly things themselves had to be made pure with better sacrifices.

Hebrews 9:26

If he had, he would have had to suffer many times since the world was created. But he has appeared once and for all time. He has come at the time when God’s work is being completed. He has come to do away with sin by offering himself.

1 Peter 4:8

Most of all, love one another deeply. Love erases many sins by forgiving them.

1 John 3:16

We know what love is because Jesus Christ gave his life for us. So we should give our lives for our brothers and sisters.

1 John 3:23

God has commanded us to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ. He has also commanded us to love one another.

Revelation 1:5

May grace and peace come to you from Jesus Christ. He is the faithful witness, so what he has shown can be trusted. He was the first to rise from the dead. He rules over the kings of the earth. Glory and power belong to Jesus Christ who loves us! He has set us free from our sins by pouring out his blood for us.

Revelation 5:9

Here is the new song they sang. “You are worthy to take the scroll and break open its seals. You are worthy because you were put to death. With your blood you bought people for God. They come from every tribe, people and nation, no matter what language they speak.