Imitators

“Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” Ephesians 4:1-2

It has been said that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. The question is, who do we imitate? Imitating God is a tall order. Yet Paul here in his letter to the Ephesian church calls for just that. Be imitators of God. This comes right after a section that speaks of putting away falsehood and not walking as the Gentiles do. As believers in Christ we have been transformed and our lives should reflect that change.

And yet the reality is imitating God is difficult. We are prone to sin. We struggle. We don’t always react in the right way. We have the example Christ set before us. We have the promise of the Holy Spirit within us, helping to mold us into the image of the Son of God.

But notice the next command in these verses, ‘and walk in love’. Walk in love. I may not always reflect or imitate God perfectly, but I press on and strive toward that goal in my sanctification. Walking in love seems just a little bit more manageable. I don’t always act in a loving manner even to those who are the closest to me in life. But I always have that choice. Will I choose love? And as I do so I have to remember how much Christ loved us and gave himself up for us. He is our example.

I encourage you to read further in Ephesians 5 as Paul speaks of not engaging in all sorts of sinful behavior. But it is not just a call to stop the bad behavior that we see in this chapter but also a call to walk in good behavior.

“for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the LORD. Walk as children of light” Ephesians 5:8

As we continue walking in this week that God has given to us, I encourage you to remember how you and I were called out of darkness and into light. We have been redeemed. Let us walk as children of light.