1Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. 2 And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. – Ephesians 5:1-2 ESV
These two verses contain two of the most stunning and intimidating admonitions to be found in the entire Scriptures. Paul begins this chapter with the word “Therefore.” It is as if he is saying, “With all that in mind…” He is referring back to his earlier call to “walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called” (Ephesians 4:1 ESV). He is also taking into account all that he has said about putting off the old self and putting on the new self, which is “created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness” (Ephesians 4:24 ESV).
Paul has called his readers to live transformed lives, made possible by the indwelling Holy Spirit. Their attitudes and actions were to be radically different, and their interactions with one another were to be marked by gentleness, kindness, patience, selflessness, and love. He concluded chapter four by saying, “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you” (Ephesians 4:32 ESV).
Now he gives them two simple steps to help them see whether their behavior matches what they say they believe. First, they were to model their lives after God. Secondly, they were to love like Christ. Paul writes these words in such a casual manner that it is easy to miss the significance of his words. But if one stops to consider what Paul is saying, the impossibility of it all begins to sink in. He is asking the Ephesians to imitate the God of the universe and practice the same selfless, sacrificial love that Christ modeled. In other words, he was asking the impossible, and he knew it.
Paul was aware that his words would confound his audience, but he also knew that they were up to the challenge. Because of their relationship with Christ and the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit, they were no longer ordinary men and women; they were children of God who had been called, filled with the Spirit, equipped with supernatural gifts, and given new natures. They were free to do what they had never been able to do before: live godly lives that please and honor God. As children of God who were filled with the Spirit of God, it would only be natural for them to imitate their heavenly Father. They would see what He does and do likewise.
God is gracious, merciful, loving, and patient, so they should be as well. They should also share God’s hatred for sin and live lives that reflect His holiness. The apostle Peter wrote, “But now you must be holy in everything you do, just as God who chose you is holy” (1 Peter 1:15 NLT). But Peter wasn’t the first to say this; he had heard similar words from Jesus Himself.
“But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect.” – Matthew 5:48 NLT
And Jesus was quoting from Leviticus 19:2, where God said to the people of Israel, “You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy.” Neither God, Jesus, nor Peter was asking for sinless perfection; they were encouraging a life of set-apartness or distinctiveness, a life that emulated the character and heart of God rather than this world.
When God calls us, He sets us apart as His own. We become His possession, are adopted into His family, and become His children. As such, we are to live according to His terms and in obedience to His will for our lives. Paul told the believers in Corinth, “do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20 ESV).
We glorify God when we live our lives in obedience to His will and in imitation of His character. When we extend mercy and grace to those who don’t deserve it, we are imitating God. When we show kindness to those in need, we are imitating God. When we love the unlovely and unlovable, we are imitating God. When we despise sin so much that we refuse to participate in it, we are imitating God.
Not long before His crucifixion, Jesus told His disciples about the coming day of judgment for all those who come to faith during the great tribulation. They will stand before the Lord and hear the following pronouncement:
Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’
Then these righteous ones will reply, “Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?”
And the King will say, “I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!” – Matthew 25:34-40 NLT
These men and women, who will come to faith in Christ during the most horrific period in human history, will do the unthinkable and improbable. They will risk their lives to show the love and mercy of God to those who are suffering alongside them during the tribulation. Their selfless, sacrificial actions will emulate God and express love for His Son.
Which leads to the second part of Paul’s admonition: Love like Christ. Actually, Paul says, “Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ” (Ephesians 5:2 NLT). Our lives are to be characterized by the love of Christ. His love was selfless and led Him to sacrifice His life for the well-being of others. Jesus said there was no greater expression of love than for someone to lay down their life for another (John 15:13). He also said, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep” (John 10:10-11 ESV).
The apostle John took this thought one step further when he wrote, “We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters” (1 John 3:16 NLT). The amazing thing about this is that God does not require us to physically die; He simply asks us to die to self by giving up our rights. Paul put it this way to the believers in Philippi: “Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves” (Philippians 2:3 NLT). According to Paul, God expects us to “Outdo one another in showing honor” (Romans 12:10 ESV). He desires for us to exhibit “tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience” (Colossians 3:12 NLT).
Imitate God. Love like Christ. These commands sound impossible, but they're not. Peter reminds us, “By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence” (2 Peter 1:3 NLT). Paul knew his words would be met with incredulity and skepticism. The Ephesians were having difficulty staying faithful; now he was asking them to do the impossible. But he believed in the power of the indwelling Spirit. He was so confident that he wrote, “God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns” (Philippians 1:6 NLT). In a sense, Paul was asking the Ephesians to do the impossible, but he knew that, with God, all things are possible because He is the God of the impossible.
One day Jesus made the following statement to His disciples: “Dear children, it is very hard to enter the Kingdom of God. In fact, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God!” (Mark 10:24-25 NLT). Astounded by His words, the disciples asked, “Then who in the world can be saved?” (Mark 10:26 NLT). Then Jesus quietly and confidently responded, “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But not with God. Everything is possible with God” (Mark 10:27 NLT)
Paul believed in the power of God, and that is why he could confidently command the believers in Philippi, “Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people” (Philippians 2:15 NLT).
As improbable as it may sound, we can live like God and love like Christ because with God, all things are possible.
Father, it is so easy to read these verses and gloss over their significance. Paul’s words have become so familiar that they no longer hold any weight. I can read them and no longer understand the staggering implications of what he is saying. He is asking me to do the impossible. But this was Your idea, not his. You have made me Your son and You expect me to model my behavior after Yours. You have given me Your nature and You desire that I reflect my new identity to the world around me. You have placed Your Spirit within me and equipped me with power beyond my wildest imagination. With Paul, I can say, “It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20 ESV). I am a new creation, a son of God, and a joint-heir with Christ. I have everything I need for life and godliness and that means I can imitate You and love like Jesus. Thank You for making the impossible achievable. Amen
English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.