Ephesians 5:2
“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.”
King James Version (KJV)
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This verse completes the thought begun in 5:1. Having called believers to imitate God, Paul names Christ's sacrificial love as the model and points forward to instructions about a life set apart for God.
What Does Ephesians 5:2 Mean?
Having called believers to imitate God, Paul now shows what that imitation looks like: "walk in love." To walk in love is to make love the steady direction of one's whole life, the path one travels day by day. And Paul does not leave love undefined; he points to the supreme example -- "as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us." The pattern of Christian love is the self-giving of Jesus, who held nothing back. Love, in this sense, is not mainly a feeling but a giving; it shows itself in sacrifice for the good of others.
Paul describes Christ's self-giving in the language of worship: "an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour." The phrase recalls the offerings of old, which rose as a pleasing aroma to God. Christ's giving of Himself was the true and perfect offering, fully pleasing to the Father. This shows that love poured out for others is not only good for them; it is an act of worship that rises to God like fragrance. For the reader, the verse sets both a direction and a model. The direction is a life that walks in love, not occasionally but continually. The model is Christ, whose love took the shape of self-sacrifice. To love as He loved -- giving ourselves for the good of others -- is to follow His path and to offer something that delights the heart of God.
In the Original Language
The Greek "peripateo" (walk) is Paul's metaphor for the conduct of life. "Prosphora" (offering) and "thusia" (sacrifice) are worship terms; "euodia" (sweetsmelling savour) means a pleasing fragrance.
Cross References
“A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.”
- John 13:34
“I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”
- Galatians 2:20
“Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.”
- 1 John 3:16
Application
Let love be the direction of your whole walk, not an occasional gesture. Follow Christ's pattern of self-giving, knowing such love is also worship that pleases God.