Ephesians 5:1 Part 1

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

We are told by the Holy Spirit here that we are to be imitators of God, now how cool is that command? While this may be a very cool command, in all reality this could be a pretty big challenge for us. I mean our Father has set the bar pretty high. Once again, the Truth comes to our rescue. The Truth for us is that our yoke is easy and our burden is light, Matthew 11:30. So while this is a huge command, Jesus told us that it has to be easy and light. 

Think about what we are told to be like here, actually think about how our Father is for a minute, and then think that we are told to imitate it. Then remember that it has to be easy. Think about how our Father came from nowhere, stood on nothing, spoke, and here it all is. Our Father took clay, molded it into the form of a man, breathed into the dirts nose, and Adam was born. Our Father birthed Himself from a virgin, allowed Himself to be killed by those who He created, and then raised Himself up from the dead, so that now we can be one with Him. When our Father was here as a man, He healed the sick, raised the dead, fed thousands from table scraps, told the weather to do what He wanted, and never required anyone to bow before Him and acknowledge Him as God. This is just some of what we know about our Father, now think of imitating it!

We also know that God has removed our sins from us as far as the East is from the West into the sea of His forgetfulness, Psalm 103:12. We know that He would that all men be saved, 1 Timothy 2:4. We know that He is in control of everything. We know that He knows the beginning and the end. We know that He cannot lie and that He is love, now imitate it. 

Honestly, how can we ever really imitate God and how could it be easy? Well, through Christ we will and it is easy. We will imitate God because we are now one with Him. Through Christ we have been perfectly united with our Father and now He can do all of this through us, John 17:19-22. Because our Father allowed Himself to be sacrificed for us, He can now use us just as He uses Himself, John 14:12. We are now one with Him, just as Jesus is one with Him. The two of us are now one flesh, Ephesians 5:30-32. So we should expect Christians to be walking as our Father walks. We should have His faith, His hope, His love, His confidence, His compassion, His forgiveness, His wisdom, and His knowledge. The Truth is that as He is, so are we in this world.

In this [union and communion with Him] love is brought to completion and attains perfection with us, that we may have confidence for the day of judgment [with assurance and boldness to face Him], because as He is, so are we in this world. 1 John 4:17