Imitators of God

Eph 5:1 THEREFORE BE imitators of God [copy Him and follow His example], as well-beloved children [imitate their father]. AMP

Some have called imitation "the sincerest form of flattery." In the Christian life, however, it is an important principle of discipleship. This is not surprising, since imitation is a basic component of the learning process. A child learns to speak by mimicking the sounds we hear from our parents. We learn to write by copying letters. Apprentices observe the skills of others in order to learn their craft. In the same way, those who are followers of Jesus Christ are commanded to "imitate" God.

But how, exactly, do we carry this out? We do this by following Jesus' example. Eph 5:2 explains that we are to ". . . live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God." During the Jesus movement of the '60s and '70s, many of us thought that this verse meant that we should greet one another with a warm hug. Although there was nothing wrong with this practice, it missed the real essence of this command. The essence of love is not emotion but self-sacrifice.

Christ gave us the supreme example of sacrificial love when He "gave himself up for us." The Greek term for this literally means "to hand over." Interestingly, this is the same term used to describe the action of Judas Iscariot, the one who handed Jesus over to His enemies to be crucified (Matt 10:4). The same word is used in Matt 27:26, which says that after Pontius Pilate had Jesus flogged, he "handed him over to be crucified."

Ultimately, however, Jesus gave Himself up when he surrendered Himself to death. By becoming a sacrifice, He showed us what it means to walk in love. This one-time offering on the cross was really the culmination of an entire ministry of self-sacrifice. Jesus gave Himself up for others on a daily basis. At times, this meant explaining the gospel to social outcasts, even when He was tired, hungry, and thirsty (John 4:1-42). On other occasions, it meant spending His time ministering to the crowd that had followed Him to the secluded spot where He had hoped to find some privacy (Matt 14:13-14). It meant healing the multitudes, even when He knew that they would never thank Him or follow Him as Savior (Luke 17:17-18).

If we are a part of God's family, we will follow Christ's example. We will put others first, sacrificing ourselves for them just as Christ sacrificed Himself for us. There are both negative and positive implications in this. Negatively, it means that there are certain things that we will not do. For example, we are not to be ruled by impurity or greed. No believer should have a reputation for being immoral (Eph 5:3). While there may have been instances of immorality in his past, the believer's present should be radically different (1 Cor 6:9-11). No believer should be known for having a foul mouth. The moral character of our lives should be so evident that it is reflected in our everyday speech: "Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk, or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving" (Eph 5:4). And no one should be able to point at a believer and say, "There goes a greedy person."

The problem with the actions Paul condemns in Eph 5:3-4 is not they are embarrassing but that they are a contradiction. They are a denial of our spiritual heritage in Jesus Christ: "For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person—such a man is an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God" (Eph 5:5). Everywhere the Christian goes, he or she leaves behind a trail of actions that show whether or not there is a "family resemblance" to Christ.

Positively then, the principle of imitating Christ is founded upon the knowledge that the believer's life is ruled by the power of grace. We are not expected to mimic the life of Jesus by following Him in our own strength. Paul's command to follow the example of Jesus is grounded in the fact that we have become God's offspring through Christ. There is more to this relationship than birthright; there is real spiritual power: "No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God's seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God" (1 John 3:9). Only those who have been born of God are capable of acting as "dearly loved children" (Eph 5:1).

Does this mean that the true Christian will never lapse into any of these areas of sin? This seems unlikely. If practices like these had not been a real danger for genuine Christians, Paul would not have felt compelled to warn against them. The repeated warnings of Scripture that Christians should turn away from such behavior indicate that the believers of the New Testament era struggled with these practices to the same degree that we do. It is just as clear, however, that the standard we are to measure our lives by is Jesus Christ.

J. C. Ryle, who was appointed Bishop of Liverpool by nineteenth century British Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli, noted that holiness is an essential trait for those who are bound for heaven: "I know not what others may think, but it does seem clear that heaven would be a miserable place to an unholy man." The kingdom of God will only admit a certain kind of citizen. Those who are a part of Christ's kingdom are not natural-born citizens, but those who have been supernaturally born. For this reason Ryle warns: "Boast not of Christ's work for you, unless you can show the Spirit's work in you."

Heavenly Father, I pray that my life today will give evidence of the Holy Spirit's transforming work. By His power I determine to follow Christ's example and walk as a child of God. Amen.

Thanks to John Koessler for allowing us to publish his material.www.johnkosessler.com

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John Koessler serves as chair and professor of pastoral studies at the Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, Illinois. He is married to Jane and has two sons, Drew and Jarred. John is the author of ten books and numerous articles. He also serves as a contributing editor for the Moody Bible Institute publication Today in the Word, where you can read his monthly “Theology Matters” column. You can contact John via email at John.Koessler@moody.edu or by phone at (312) 329-4077