Be Imitators of God

“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. But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving. For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.” (Ephesians 5:1-5 ESV)

When this says here for us to be imitators of God, this is not talking about us just mimicking (simulating or parodying) the Lord as someone might do in a play or in a skit or in some sort of presentation that is either dramatically portraying the Lord or is mocking and ridiculing the Lord. For that is how the word “imitate” is more often used than not in our culture today in America. 

But what this means is that we are to be followers of God – Father, Son Jesus Christ, and Holy Spirit. We are to emulate the Lord and his character and values and standards in all that we are and do and say, although not one of us will do this perfectly, for we are not God. And we are to obey his commands and follow in Jesus’ footsteps, becoming like Jesus day by day.

But this is not fakery. This is not acting. This is real, it is honest, and it is sincere. This means that we are true followers of Jesus Christ who have died with him to sin and who are living to him and to his righteousness. We are no longer those who are enslaved to sin, for Jesus set us free, so we are now slaves to God and to his righteousness. So sin is no longer to be what we obey, in practice, but the Lord and his commands (New Covenant) are to be what we are obeying, in practice (see Romans 6:1-23; Luke 9:23-26).

And to walk in love is to conduct our lives, in practice, as those who prefer what God prefers – who prefer living through Christ, choosing his choices, and obeying his commands and his will in his power, strength, and wisdom. It means we prefer all that is holy, just, upright, godly, morally pure, honest, faithful, and obedient to our Lord and to his commands. And so we also reject all that is immoral, impure, unrighteous, vain, dishonest, unfaithful, ungodly and disobedient and rebellious against the Lord and his commands.

So this involves us surrendering our lives to the Lord Jesus Christ to do his will, according to his word, by his grace. And it means that we deny self, we die daily to sin and to self, and we follow our Lord in obedience to his commands as a matter of life course (practice). This doesn’t mean that we are perfect people but that sin is no longer what we practice. Obedience to our Lord and holy living are what we now practice, by the grace of God. For our lives are to be given over to the Lord as living sacrifices to him.

And to be “in church” has nothing to do with entering into a building called “church” and participating in what they call a “worship service.” For you can go to a building called “church,” and you can sing songs of praise and worship of God, and you can sit and listen to preachers’ sermons, and that still does not mean that you are “in church.” For the church is the body of Christ which is made up of all who are followers of God who are walking in this kind of love, which follows Christ in obedience to his commands.

And true worship of God is not just about singing songs of praise and worship or the lifting of hands, for we can do that and not worship God at all. For true worship of our Lord is in giving our lives to our Lord as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to him, which is our acceptable worship of him. And we must no longer be conformed to the ways of this sinful world, but now we are to be transformed in heart and mind of the Spirit of God away from living in sin to now walking in obedience to God and in holy living.

Therefore, sexual immorality, impurity, covetousness, moral filth, foolish talk, crude joking, idolatry, and the like, are to have no part in our lives, either as lived out by us in practice and/or via what entertains us. For if sin is what we practice, by habit (what is repeated over again), and if obedience to God and holy living are not what we practice, then we have no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God, regardless of what our lips confess. For it is not lip service that matters, but it is lifestyle that matters to God.

[Matt 7:21-23; Lu 9:23-26; Jn 6:35-58; Jn 15:1-11; Acts 26:18; Rom 1:18-32; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14; Rom 12:1-2; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 1 Co 10:1-22; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; Gal 5:16-24; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-32; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:1-17; Titus 2:11-14; 1 Jn 1:5-10; 1 Jn 2:3-6,24-25; 1 Jn 3:4-10; 1 Pet 2:24; Heb 3:1-19; Heb 4:1-13; Heb 10:23-31; Heb 12:1-29; Rev 21:8,27; Rev 22:14-15] 

As the Deer 

By Martin J. Nystrom

Based off Psalm 42:1

As the deer panteth for the water

 So my soul longeth after You

 You alone are my heart's desire

 And I long to worship You

You alone are my strength, my shield

 To You alone may my spirit yield

 You alone are my heart's desire

 And I long to worship You

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZv3jzOTE70

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