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Ephesians 5.2 (NIV)
Live a life of love, just as
Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice
to God.
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| He exemplified the things that He taught.* |
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Paul never lets us off the hook. He could have stopped at “live a life of love” and we could think it is enough for us to just be nice people. Law-abiding citizens who don’t hurt anybody. But the love of Christ isn’t about feeling good about ourselves. It’s a lifestyle of offering and sacrifice.
“Offering” refers to an act of gratitude, without blood, while “sacrifice” requires the shedding of blood to atone for sin. By describing Christ’s death as both an offering and a sacrifice, Paul expresses the completeness of the act.* And we are expected to love just like that.
Jesus taught us to love God, to love our neighbors, to love our enemies. Living like this requires us to serve and act in ways contrary to a life devoted to self, whether we feel like it or not. A life of love is not necessarily a life of suffering. We probably won’t be required to die for him but we must live a life surrendered to him.
Sin stinks, and it offends God’s nostrils. But when we live the loving, sacrificial life as exemplified by our Savior, we smell sweet.
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| Jesus does not ask me to die for Him but to lay down my life for Him.* |
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