Imitating God

Psalms 127

1. Ephesians 5:1-2

1 Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children 2 and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

Paul writes to the church at Ephesus and tells them to imitate God.

Paul has been fervently writing down God’s Words for the church as the Holy Spirit has guided his pen across the page. He has been working on communicating to us how it is we can stand out as light in a darkened world. How we can be imitators of God. He sums it up with a sentence – “Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.”

Paul asks us to do the seemingly impossible: to mimic Jesus! Luckily we are given four substantial aids to accomplish this feat. All Christians need to hear this message!

Illustration

Back in the late 60’s or early 70’s, there were some commercials designed to get parents to think about how their smoking affects their children. It showed a picture of a father and son sitting under a tree. The father takes out a cigarette, lights up, and walks off. The little boy, who is maybe 4 years old, looks at the pack of cigarettes, and begins to take one out. Our children will imitate us whether we want them to or not. God WANTS us to imitate Him.

Imitating god Involves

I. Love

a. Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love. (1 John 4:7-8 NASB)

b. "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. (John 13:34 NASB)

II. Forgiveness

a. Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you. (Ephesians 4:32 NASB)

III. Holiness

a. but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written, "YOU SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY." (1 Peter 1:15-16 NASB)

1. God is always at the Center of the Family

2. Children know that they are special to God and their Parents

Yes, our children will make some mistakes, but God is not finished with you, me or them, so stay the course – don’t give up on them and the God who said that if we train them in the way that they should go – they will not depart from it is still a God who keeps promises – trust him –

Think about this, when the arrow leaves the bow, it travels in places the archer has never been before and it accomplishes things the Archer never dreamt of accomplishing himself – it’s the same with our children when we launch them responsibly – many of them will go places we have never been – accomplish things we have never accomplish – as Jesus said to his disciples, greater things would you do…we must realize that many of our children and the children in this church will go on to do so much greater than we have done – and we ought to thank God for it.

Acts 17:6

And when they found them not, they drew Jason and certain brethren unto the rulers of the city, crying, These that have turned the world upside down are come hither also;