Imitators of God

-
By David Guzik on Dec 31, 2023
Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.
(Ephesians 5:1-2)
The thought in these lines from Ephesians 5:1-2 continue the thought from the end of Ephesians 4, where he described how Christians should relate to one another. The believer has an example for how they should treat other believers: God Himself. Christians are to be imitators of God.

The idea is simple – that believers are to make God their example and model. It does not say here, “Think about God” or “Admire God” or “Adore God,” though those are all important Christian duties. This is a call to practical action, going beyond our inner life with God.

We could say this is a continuation of the same idea Paul mentioned in Ephesians 4:13 regarding the extent of Christian growth: to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. We could also say that this is a continuation of the idea from Ephesians 4:32, where we were commanded to be forgiving one another, just as God in Christ also forgave you. God’s behavior towards us becomes our measure for our behavior towards one another.

It is important to see that God is far more than our example. Many errors come into the church when Jesus is presented only as an example of behavior. We are not saved by the example of Jesus, but once we are set in right relation with God by the work of Jesus, then His example is meaningful...
...

We are to imitate God as dear children: Children are natural imitators. They often do just what they see their parents or other adults do. When we act according to our nature as children of God, we will imitate Him.
...

We all imitate someone or something. We meet a person and are impressed by them – and unconsciously want to be like them. We see a video of someone we admire and want to be like them. Christians should make the conscious choice to let God be their example, God as He is displayed in the person and work of Jesus Christ.

Therefore, believers should walk in love, as Christ also has loved them. As in all things, Jesus is our example. As He has loved us and has given Himself for us, we are to display the same kind of self-giving* love.
...

*agape

David Guzik – Enduring Word


- The 1Pt 2:9
- Filia Storge Agape
- "Love" in the Scriptures (recommended)
- Fragrance
- "learned. received, heard, seen"

Popular posts from this blog

War and hatred?

-
Image
Our enemy, satan, tries to make us hate our fellow humans. The apostolic teaching warns: we do not have war on a physical and visible level, but in the invisible, heavenly world. {Eph 6:10} At work, in the marketplace, among rivals, on the battlefield: The "enemy" almost doesn't matter. War always starts with condemning-judging others. But who am I to do so? {Mt 7:1-2} Whoever proclaims a war {by the secular power of any religion/trend} lives in a carnal way, under a battle psychosis. Under judgement. Why? Because it is the means /tools, not just the end that counts. If the fight is physical, the person eventually begins to follow the path of satan and serves it with physical warfare. And he dies. {Jesus warns in Mt 26:52} Since life and death are basically spiritual things, it would make sense to keep all of these in God's power. He gives us grace to have life. {Jn 10:10} He is the way, the truth, the life. {Jn 14:6} The good news is that believers have de...
Read more

From Guilt to the Throne

-
Image
Guilt or Throne? spiritual, mental hygiene, mutual need, purification, confidence, etc. This article is part of the "Vitalize" pack Dear saints and beloved! I recently visited a church which has a beautiful family life but suffers from a typical 21 century sickness. The guilt. Interestingly, leaders have told me that members are not as eager to come and get their lives back on track when they commit sins. They simply do not confess them openly. Since it is pastoral responsibility first - I really don't understand, why... The place we came from I believe that guilt is one of the most serious attacks on the humankind. People, nations can do "amazing" things to get rid of guilt. They walk thousands of miles, they squeeze themselves, they oppress themselves and unfortunately they oppress others just to see their own lives as superior and better. In fact, we see whole networks promising "grace" without any chanc...
Read more

Filia, Storge and Agape

-
Image
God is Love – 2/3 ..how the three connect a study about divine love and interlocking Christian characters This article is part of the "Vitalize" pack “His divine power has given us everything needed for life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness..” 2Pt 1:3.. Pre In this very beginning I must say that there are a lot of ideas floating around about what the apostles teach about love. On the one hand, this is quite scary (knowing that there are theories about love) but it also gives us a great opportunity to investigate the original viewpoint. From the New Covenant perspective, it is important to note that God's love is much brighter for us than it was in the time of the Old Testament. I'm pro classical musician , learned to interpret the original concept and composition . My wife was a linguist so in such cases {and always} I go to the source rather than the traditional di...
Read more