February 28, 2018 IMATATORS OF GOD
Ephesians 5:1-2: “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you, and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.”
You may be thinking-“you are kidding!---me?---imitate God?” As shocking as it may sound, not only is it possible, but we are also instructed to imitate God. In Ephesians 4, the scriptures go in to great detail describing how believers are to live in this world and what life looks like when we imitate God. If believers were to take to heart this call to imitate God, the world would be a different place. We see in this verse that we are “beloved children” of God, our heavenly Father, and just as a child often imitates his earthly father, we have within us a desire to be like our heavenly Father. The problem is that many believers have for a long time been exposed to a ‘deficient’ gospel and have not known or experienced the blessings and freedom that come as a result of knowing that we have been made new creations with new hearts, new minds, and new hearts. As believers, it is no longer our nature to sin; bondage to sin has been broken, and now we can live as unto God. Imitating God becomes a reality when we is live under the banner of love-the kind of love that originates from God, as described in 1 Corinthians 13. It was the love of God that led Jesus to give His life for us as a sacrifice to God that we might be born again. A hallmark of love is that of preferring others over ourselves; we say we love, but all too often, we are focused on ourselves first and foremost. The attempt to prefer others first, to love others, is a frustrating experience if our love is limited to human, selfish love. The good news for the believer is that God has poured His love into our hearts, and now, we can love because our hearts are full of His love. Romans 5:5. When we experience His love, it becomes natural for us to love others-we no longer have to ‘try’ to love others. Loving others with the love of God is a sure sign that the gospel has impacted our lives. As said above, Ephesians 4 describes what imitating God actually looks like in the nitty-gritty of life. Imitating God would include, but not limited to, being gentle, patient, bearing with one another, speaking the truth in love, putting off the old man and putting on the new man, working so that we may be able to give to those in need, speaking only words that edify and build up, getting rid of all bitterness and anger, being kind to one another, and forgiving one another. Who would not like to live where this is the norm?? This is not, as they say, a ‘pipe dream’ but is a picture of the life that we have the ability to live in the here and now because Christ lives in us. We have the opportunity to actually bring some of heaven to earth-right to where we live! Don’t give in to the idea that life on earth is hopelessly miserable and difficult and that only in heaven will we find the reality of God’s love being expressed. Start this very moment, put on your new self and go about today imitating God-you will be glad you did-and so will others!
2 Corinthians 5:20b “Therefore we are ambassadors for Christ,”
1 John 2:5-6 “but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him: the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked.”
Blessings,
Buddy
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