>>>

Ephesians 5:1 - Righteous, Holy, And New.

TRANSLATIONS AND PARAPHRASES

Ephesians 5:1 (NIV) Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children

Ephesians 5:1 (NLT) Follow God's example in everything you do, because you are his dear children.

Ephesians 5:1 (ESV) Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children.

Ephesians 5:1 (MSG) Watch what God does, and then you do it, like children who learn proper behavior from their parents.

INTRODUCTION

Just as children imitate their parents, we should imitate God. We do that by modeling our lives after Jesus, who, as the Son of God, was the incarnation of God on earth. His great love for us led him to sacrifice himself so that we might live. Our love for others should be of the same kind - a love that goes beyond affection to self-sacrificing service. [Life Application SB 2019]

COMMENTARY PEARL

   God's ideal for His children is higher than the highest human thought can reach. "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect." This command is a promise. The plan of redemption contemplates our complete recovery from the power of Satan. Christ always separates the contrite soul from sin. He came to destroy the works of the devil, and He has made provision that the Holy Spirit shall be imparted to every repentant soul, to keep him from sinning.
   The tempter's agency is not to be accounted an excuse for one wrong act. Satan is jubilant when he hears the professed followers of Christ making excuses for their deformity of character. It is these excuses that lead to sin. There is no excuse for sinning. A holy temper, a Christlike life, is accessible to every repenting, believing child of God.
   The ideal of Christian character is Christlikeness. As the Son of man was perfect in His life, so His followers are to be perfect in their life. Jesus was in all things made like unto His brethren. He became flesh, even as we are. He was hungry and thirsty and weary. He was sustained by food and refreshed by sleep. He shared the lot of man; yet He was the blameless Son of God. He was God in the flesh. His character is to be ours. The Lord says of those who believe in Him, "I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people." 2 Corinthians 6:16. DA311

COMMENTARY

   You might have had a hard journey growing up. Maybe your family circumstances were a challenge, and you don't want to grow up to look like your parents. But when it comes to being a child of God, growing up like your perfect Father is the most natural thing you can do. Because of Jesus, you have the access to become more godly, in true righteousness and holiness.
   Sadly, there is a strain of teaching in Christianity that goes like this: We're all sinners, and sinners are going to sin. It's who we are and what we do.
   Now, while it is true that we all still have the capacity to sin (no one needs to be convinced of that!), we also have the capacity to follow in the footsteps of our Father. We are God's children, and in Christ we are made righteous, holy, and new.
   As such, your Father is leading you to change the way you think. As you put off the old and put on the new, you imitate God and His goodness to the world around you.
   Dear God, because of Your salvation, I can grow up in faith by imitating You. Empower me today to live as Your dearly loved child. [Grace and Glory by Louie Giglio]

Dearly Loved
   The more deeply we believe that we are God's dearly loved children, the more able we will be to walk in the way of love. Christ loved us so much that he gave himself up for us. We need to ponder that so we can see our identity as the Beloved.
   Henri Nouwen said, "Every time you feel hurt, offended, or rejected, you have to dare to say to yourself: 'These feelings, strong as they may be, are not telling me the truth about myself. The truth, even though I cannot feel it right now, is that I am the chosen child of God, precious in God's eyes, called the Beloved from all eternity, and held safe in an everlasting embrace.' "
   If we truly believe the truth that we are the Beloved, we will find it more and more natural to treat others with love and live the way we were designed to live.
   We are dearly loved children of the best Father there can be. Nothing can separate us from his love. [The Daniel Plan 365-Day Devotional]

Exemplary Friend
   If we want to know how to treat our friends, we can simply look to the way God has treated us. Christ sacrificed his very life on our behalf. While we won't be called upon to die for our friends, we will have opportunities to sacrifice our own agenda when a friend is in need. We'll sacrifice time and energy to listen to a friend and do practical acts of service.
   Often we're so busy with our assigned work and home life that relationships get our leftover energy, if we have any. However, Christ invites us to carve out time to care for each other. This may mean simply slowing down and sacrificing our time, money, or assistance to a co-worker or family member who needs more than our productivity.
   How can you walk in the way of love today?
   We have the privilege of doing for others what God has done for us: love sacrificially. [The Daniel Plan 365-Day Devotional]

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS

Things we can do to be more like Christ; do the things he did:
   He taught the truth
   He healed the sick
   He feed the hungry
   He was fervent in prayer
   He took up the cross for us; have we taken up our cross to live for him
   He died on the cross for us; have we died to sin for him
   He was resurrected from the grave; are we living for resurrection. 11/26/05
   SS Comments:

LINKS FOR FURTHER STUDY

Matthew 5:48 - Be Perfect As Your Father In Heaven Is Perfect.
https://www.abible.com/devotions/2024/20240808-1225.html

1 Peter 1:14-16 - Be Holy for I Am Holy!
https://www.abible.com/devotions/2004/20040909-0902.html

LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT

https://abible.com/links/