So it is with you. When you heard the true teaching—the Good News about your salvation—you believed in Christ. And in Christ, God put his special mark of ownership on you by giving you the Holy Spirit that he had promised.

Paul’s Prayer

That is why since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all God’s people,

I pray also that you will have greater understanding in your heart so you will know the hope to which he has called us and that you will know how rich and glorious are the blessings God has promised his holy people.

We Now Have Life

In the past you were spiritually dead because of your sins and the things you did against God.

I mean that you have been saved by grace through believing. You did not save yourselves; it was a gift from God.

It was not the result of your own efforts, so you cannot brag about it.

So I ask you not to become discouraged because of the sufferings I am having for you. My sufferings are for your glory.

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

You were taught to leave your old self—to stop living the evil way you lived before. That old self becomes worse, because people are fooled by the evil things they want to do.

But you were taught to be made new in your hearts,

When you talk, do not say harmful things, but say what people need—words that will help others become stronger. Then what you say will do good to those who listen to you.

Speak to each other with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making music in your hearts to the Lord.

Wives, yield to your husbands, as you do to the Lord,

As the church yields to Christ, so you wives should yield to your husbands in everything.

Husbands, love your wives as Christ loved the church and gave himself for it

to make it belong to God. Christ used the word to make the church clean by washing it with water.

Children and Parents

Children, obey your parents as the Lord wants, because this is the right thing to do.

The command says, “Honor your father and mother.” This is the first command that has a promise with it—

Fathers, do not make your children angry, but raise them with the training and teaching of the Lord.

Slaves and Masters

Slaves, obey your masters here on earth with fear and respect and from a sincere heart, just as you obey Christ.

You must do this not only while they are watching you, to please them. With all your heart you must do what God wants as people who are obeying Christ.

Do your work with enthusiasm. Work as if you were serving the Lord, not as if you were serving only men and women.

Masters, in the same way, be good to your slaves. Do not threaten them. Remember that the One who is your Master and their Master is in heaven, and he treats everyone alike.

So stand strong, with the belt of truth tied around your waist and the protection of right living on your chest.

On your feet wear the Good News of peace to help you stand strong.