Pastor Allan Kircher
12 May 2013
Ephesians 5:1-2
Be followers of god
As we look into the 5th chap/great book/Ephesians we are immediately confronted by a passage that demands we do the impossible.
• We are called to be like God.
• Called to love like He loves.
• Called to have passion like He has.
• It sounds like an impossible task!
How can we, sinful, human, frail, failing people ever be like Him or love like Him?
• Spend our time 1st two verses today.
• Drawing my title from verse 1
• The NIV “imitators” of God” KJV “followers of God.”
• I like the KJV, “followers”
• When we follow……we will imitate!
• Let’s look at the challenges presented to us.
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I. V. 1 THERE IS A PERSON TO IMITATE
Word “therefore” again calls attention backward chap 4….
• Reminded/saints of God have been saved/grace of God.
• Because their saved/they are to be different in….
• Way they walk/way they talk/way they think.
• They are to be different in every area of life.
v. 22…”old man” former way of life is gone. “put off”
v. 24…put on the “new man” created to be like God.
And 1 John 2:6, “whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.”
God has challenged us to bring:
• Tongues, anger,work ethic,bitterness and revenge seeking.
• Bring it under control of God
• Challenging us/be forgiving, kind/compassion toward one another
Eph. 5:1 poses the greatest challenge of all. Let’s examine this challenge.
A. There Is A Command - “Be followers of God.”
The word “followers” means to “mimic” to be an “imitator.”
• Command here/people of God to imitate God.
• We are to learn all we can about God
• We are to mimic His characteristics.
• I look at this command, and I see real problems.
• We can never imitate God in all ways.
We can never truly imitate God in His essential essence.
• God is perfect; we are flawed.
• God is omnipotent; we are weak.
• God is omniscient; we are fools.
• God is omnipresent; we are
• God is wholly good; we are wholly evil.
• God is Spirit; we are flesh.
• God is eternal; we are temporal.
• God is heavenly; we are earthly.
• God is infinitely holy; we are completely wicked.
We are to learn all we can about the Lord from His Word
• Then put into practice everything we know about Him.
• To do the things we see Him doing
• Avoid the things He avoids
• We are to be like God in every respect.
In essence, God is here commanding us to do something that is impossible within ourselves.
• If it is left up to ourselves? Never could we be imitators
• God imparts His nature to reveal itself
• It is up to us to enable that nature
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B. There Is A Condition
We are told to imitate God, but we/told/do so as “dear children.”
Natural for children to imitate their parents.
• Children often have their parent’s nature, their behavior, and their actions.
• You can be around a child and you can see their parents in the way they walk
• The way they talk, and in the things they do.
That is true in our earthly families; it is even truer in our heavenly families.
• Like beloved children God calls us to be
• We are to be learning, observing, and growing,
• Brought near to our Heavenly Father so
• So near that we become more like Him.
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When the Lord saved us, He did so with a purpose!
• God’s purpose in redemption is to make us more like Him.
“For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son.” Rom. 8:29.
• To be conformed/image/Christ is to become holy like God is holy.
“Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect,” Matt. 5:48.
• That is God’s plan for each one of His redeemed children.
“As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy” 1 Pet. 1:14–16.
• The choice is yours!
“Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brothers were righteous. 1 John 3:12.
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• We are unable to imitate God through our own power.
• While we can’t be holy on our own
• as redeemed children of God
We have been empowered to live like/act like/talk like our Heavenly Father.
• He has empowered us and enabled us to live holy lives for His glory
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Not mere slaves following/footsteps of a demanding master.
• We are the sons and daughters of God.
• Redeemed by His grace.
• Adopted into His family.
• Partakers of His very nature
2 Peter1:4 says, now you may participate/divine nature.
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We are the temples of God, indwelled by His Spirit, made able to walk in imitation of our Father.
• He is holy; we are to be holy.
• He is loving; we are to be loving.
• He forgives; we are to be forgiving.
• He is truthful; we are to be truthful.
• He is patient; we are to be patient.
• He is kind; we are to be kind.
• He is compassionate; we are to be compassionate.
• Everything God is; we are to be.
Where do we learn these things?
We learn them:
• From His Word/from observing Him.
• By watching Him work in the lives of others.
• From simply walking with Him.
Micah 6:8 “He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.
So, walk with Him. Learn from Him. Be like Him.
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II. THERE IS A PRECEPT TO INITIATE
• We have just been told to be an “imitator” of God.
• Now, we are told to live a life of love.”
• His very nature is defined by His love.
• Everything He does, He does out of love.
• The overriding characteristic of God’s Person is His love.
• Since He is love, and since He has placed His love within us
• We are to walk in love as well.
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The word “walk” means “to regulate one’s life.”
Our very lives are to be controlled/driven, to be defined by love.
• Word “love” translates the word “agape.”
• We are all familiar with that word.
• It is the word that is used to speak of God’s love
• The NT takes this common word and it elevates it.
• The NT takes this word and redeems it
• Using it to speak of the love of Almighty God.
Love that is “unconditional/undeserved/unending/self-sacrificing.”
• Today, we have thrown/word out the window!
• Abused it, misused it, and blaspheme God with it.
• It is not just mere fondness.
• Not just the kind of love that one would find/family setting.
• certainly not the love the world knows
• Not the love that is tied to the passions.
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This kind of love arises out of God grace.
It is a love that:
• Sets itself toward the underserving.
• Cannot be bought or turned away.
• is powerful, eternal, redemptive, and undeserved
• Has no counterpart in the universe.
• We are commanded to imitate.
• That is a tall order!
The “Law of Love”, or God’s expectation of His people, is laid out in Matt. 22:37-40. Jesus replied:
“‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
Let’s take a look at that important text.
We are to love God supremely
• Told to love Him with all out “heart…soul…and mind.”
• The “heart” refers to “the core of our beings.”
• The “soul” to “the emotions.”
• The “mind” to “our intelligence, our will, our determination.”
To love Him with our whole person!
• Should be all-consuming and complete/emotional.
• Love based/knowledge of Who God is.
• a willful love
• Determined to love Him no matter what.
How do we know that we are walking in love? The Bible is clear about this too.
“If you love me, keep my commands” John 14:15.
“Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.” John 14:21.
• When I love Him, I will be like Him.
• When I am like Him, I will love like He loves
It involves thought, sensitivity, intent and appropriate action.
• Every act/every thought/every attitude, everything
• Is to be a response of our love for Him.
• If we love God, that love will demonstrate itself in every area of our lives.
We are to love others as much as we love ourselves
• We love ourselves, don’t we?
• Do everything we can to meet our own needs.
• When we are hungry, we eat.
• When we are thirsty, we drink.
• When we are sick, we go to the doctor.
• When we want something, we find a way to get it.
• We take care of self.
In the same manner, we are commanded to actively seek the good of others.
We are called to be/embodiment/love of God in our interactions with others.
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III. V. 2b THERE IS A PROVISION THAT ILLUSTRATES
To illustrate what genuine love looks like, Paul calls upon the sacrifice of Jesus for His people on the cross.
• greatest expression of love ever witnessed
The Lord’s love for us was not just a deep affection.
• It was not an emotional attachment.
• He didn’t give Himself because we deserved anything.
• He did what He did because He set gracious love on us.
God’s love for us caused Jesus to leave Heaven above to come to this world to live and die for us
He is called an “offering.”
• His life was poured out on the cross that we might have life in Him.
God’s love for us:
• caused Jesus to bear our sins on the cross
• caused Him to suffer unspeakable cruelty for us
• He is called a “sacrifice.”
• Like a sacrifice, He was slaughtered for our sins.
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If you want to know what love looks like, go the Calvary and behold the Lamb of God dying for sinners, Rom. 5:8.
Verse 2 says Christ, “… gave Himself for us…”
• He did that because He loved us.
We are to manifest that same kind of selfless, self-sacrificing love toward others.
• “Give ourselves” out of love for God.
• Practicing unconditional, sacrificial love.
When we practice His kind of love
• It is a statement of our faith.
• It is a sacrifice that pleases Him!
We are never more like the Father than we love like He loves;
• Forgive like He forgives/blesses like He blesses
• walk like He walked/think like He thinks
We need to remember this: Genuine love is always measured by what it gives, not by what it gains.
Conc: In all honesty, can others see the Father in you?
We are challenged to be so surrendered the Father that we become like Him.
When we imitate the Father, we will love like He loves, and that kind of love has the power to change your life, your home, our church, our city, your notion and your world.
That kind of love:
• advertises the Father like nothing else can
• Is unstoppable as it assails the hearts of lost sinners.
• Is essential in maintaining human relationships.
• Is necessary if we are to live holy lives.
• Is priceless in our world.
• Is available to all who will “imitate” the Father.
Are you His child?
• If you are, strive to be like Him.
• Learn to live like Him. Learn to love like Him.
If you aren’t, come to Jesus so that He can change your life and so that you can experience His wonderful love.
