And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Christ's sacrifice is presented not just as a bloody atonement, but as a complete offering— encompassing His whole life and obedience, culminating in His death—all for our sake. This multifaceted gift, pleasing to God, becomes the model for our own self-giving love toward one another.
And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Paul urges believers to live out God's forgiveness by imitating Him, specifically by following Christ's example of selfless love. Christ's ultimate act of love was giving himself up as a sacrificial offering for humanity, a deed so pleasing to God that it secured redemption. This profound sacrifice is the model for Christians to exhibit a similar, willing self-devotion in their own lives towards one another.
The Bible doesn't just call us to feel love; it calls us to live it. But what does that look like in practice?
The verse commands us to 'walk in love.' This isn't about a fleeting emotion, but a deliberate, ongoing way of life. Think of 'walking' as the pattern of your steps, your daily journey.
Living Out Love:
Christ's love for us wasn't just a feeling; it was a decisive, costly act. How does this sacrifice define His love?
The core of Christ's love, as highlighted here, is His willingness to give Himself up. This wasn't a minor inconvenience; it was the ultimate sacrifice.
The Dual Nature of Christ's Offering:
Ask a follow-up
Why does Paul mention a 'fragrant offering and sacrifice' that is 'sweet-smelling' to God? What does this imagery reveal about God's perspective?
The expression 'a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God' (literally, 'a smell of sweet-smelling fragrance') draws from Old Testament imagery where the aroma of sacrifices ascended to God, signifying His acceptance and pleasure.
God's Gracious Acceptance:
Understand the original words
peripateite · Greek Verb
To live, conduct oneself, or behave in a specific manner; in Scripture, it often refers to the entirety of a person’s moral and spiritual life path.
prosphoran · Greek Noun
A sacrificial gift or presentation offered to God; in this context, it emphasizes the sacrificial nature of Christ’s death as an act of obedience and atonement.
thysian · Greek Noun
The act of offering something valuable (or a life) to God; historically involved the shedding of blood to provide atonement for sin, which Christ fulfilled perfectly.
The immense significance of Christ's sacrifice, presented here as the ultimate example of love, is rooted in a specific historical event—His crucifixion. This verse calls believers to mirror that self-giving love in their daily lives, a call made more potent by Paul's own ministry of selfless devotion.
c. AD 30-33— this verse
Crucifixion of Jesus Christ
Jesus is crucified in Jerusalem, fulfilling prophecies and establishing the basis for the Christian atonement.
c. AD 42-58
Apostolic Ministry of Paul
Paul undertakes extensive missionary journeys, establishing churches and writing letters, including Ephesians, to guide their spiritual development.
c. AD 60-62
Writing of the Epistle to the Ephesians
Paul, likely imprisoned in Rome, writes Ephesians, offering profound theological insights and practical instruction for the church in Ephesus and beyond.
This passage directly parallels the call to walk in love by presenting Jesus' command to love one another as He loved us, even to the point of laying down His life.
1 John 3:16This verse echoes Ephesians 5:2 by explaining that love is demonstrated through laying down one's life for others, highlighting the sacrificial nature of Christ's love as the ultimate example.
Philippians 2:5-8This passage shows Christ's humility and self-emptying love, mirroring the idea in Ephesians 5:2 of Christ giving Himself up, providing a profound example of the self-sacrificing love believers are called to emulate.
Hebrews 10:10-14This section speaks to Christ's perfect and final sacrifice for sins, which fulfills the sacrificial system and offers believers eternal redemption, beautifully expanding on the concept of Christ's offering and sacrifice mentioned in Ephesians 5:2.
Genesis 8:20-21This Old Testament passage introduces the concept of a 'sweet-smelling aroma' offered to God after the flood, which Paul draws upon to describe the acceptability and pleasing nature of Christ's sacrifice in Ephesians 5:2.
barnesEphesians 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."
And walk in love - That is, let your lives be characterized by love; let that be evinced in all your deportment and conversation; see notes on John 13:34 . As Christ also hath loved us - We are to evince the same love for one another which he has done for us. He showed his love by giving himself to die for us, and we should evince similar…
clarkeEphesians 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."
And walk in love - Let every act of life be dictated by love to God and man. As Christ - hath loved us - Laying down your lives for your brethren if necessary; counting nothing too difficult to be done in order to promote their eternal salvation. Hath given himself for us - Christ hath died in our stead, and become thereby a sacrifice for…
Christ's sacrifice is presented not just as a bloody atonement, but as a complete offering— encompassing His whole life and obedience, culminating in His death—all for our sake. This multifaceted gift, pleasing to God, becomes the model for our own self-giving love toward one another.
Paul urges believers to live out God's forgiveness by imitating Him, specifically by following Christ's example of selfless love. Christ's ultimate act of love was giving himself up as a sacrificial offering for humanity, a deed so pleasing to God that it secured redemption. This profound sacrifice is the model for Christians to exhibit a similar, willing self-devotion in their own lives towards one another.
Paul urges believers to live out God's forgiveness by imitating Him, specifically by following Christ's example of selfless love. Christ's ultimate act of love was giving himself up as a sacrificial offering for humanity, a deed so pleasing to God that it secured redemption. This profound sacrifice is the model for Christians to exhibit a similar, willing self-devotion in their own lives towards one another.
"And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God." — Christ's sacrifice is presented not just as a bloody atonement, but as a complete offering— encompassing His whole life and obedience, culminating in His death—all for our sake. This multifaceted gif…
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Last reviewed October 2026