Tag Archives: imitate

Following His Example – Ephesians 5:1-17

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1Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children 2and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. (NIV)

Just as we inherit characteristics in how we look (and possibly act) from our parents and family, when we become children of God, we should look to resemble Him by what we do, how we live etc. God sent His son

to die so that those who believe will not die, and so that we can become children of God. As part of the family we should look to our father for the example of how to live.

I am surprised that in nearly 3 months of regular Bible reading the word imitate has been one of the most regular subjects. I would be tempted to think I have covered this subject and can move onto something else, but I remember many mature Christians who have said to me that they continue to learn even 30 years later after reading the very same portion of scripture. The Bible really can speak something different into different situations of our lives all the time. I don’t know of any other book that can really cover all of life like the Bible does!

Moving back to imitation. I am reminded of days at school when a friend would decide to mimic ever action I made. If I scratched my head they would do so. I would get extremely annoyed by it in the end and start saying things like “I am silly” to get the person to say that! OK, perhaps a poor example, but we are called to copy Christ’s example.

Ephesians 4:32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. (NIV)

It’s all very well being told to imitate, however how are we to do this? Well above is one clear example; we are to forgive as Christ forgave us. Note “just as Christ”, we see this also in the first 2 verses of this reading (Ephesians :1-2).

Moving through the passage, there is advice on what to and what not to do to help us keep true to our walk with the Lord. Vers 3 talks of sexual sin. Check out yesterdays reading I did on living in Darkness (Out of Darkness), it talks about sexual sin being something we need to flee from as it is different from all other sin. It is a sin inside the body, and our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit. Indulging in sexual sin or any other sin for that matter keeps us hidden in the darkness, and disconnects us from the help and support our Lord wants to give us. Remember he can’t look upon sin, but as soon as you ask forgiveness he is there in a shot!

Verse 4 talks of watching what you say and talk about. Filthy language never left Jesus mouth. He only spoke truth and love. We are likewise only to speak the truth, and not to use coarse, or vile words even if they emphasise a point! Mind you, you can still talk about unsavoury things without using bad language so we should also avoid “course talking”, for example joking where the subject has sexual connotations, or an unsavoury hidden (or at times not so hidden) meaning. Foolish talk is also mentioned, and this can mean swearing again, and also talking without thinking! If we babble we can sometimes say things that perhaps we didn’t mean and cause offence to someone. (Guilty as charged!)

Verses 5 & 6 rounds up the previous statements and emphasise the fact that those indulging in this behaviour will be subject to Gods wrath. That sounds scary, and yes God does punish sin. For those who do not believe their actions will lead to death! Why are these verses worded so harshly? I think to really drive the point home that living in darkness does not glorify our Father in Heaven and does not please Him. He will deal with things justly for he is a God of Justice. We have been warned!

Looking in more detail at verse 6, we are warned about being deceived by others words. One thing I am struck by watching some ministries on TV, is how they have used God’s word and Truths out of context. Changing God’s word to suit ourselves is to lie! As Christians we are to adjust our walk to reflect the truth, not to adjust the word to suit how we walk!

Verses 8-10 are a glorious reminder that we were once lost but are now found, we were once in darkness and are now in the light.

As believers we should adjust our actions to imitate our Lord so as to remain in the light, and to glorify Him. Glorifying the Lord acts as a “thank you” for what He did for us, and also offers a living example to those around us of how His saving grace has changed our lives, and that He can do the same for them!

Verses 11 & 12 emphasise the importance of not “going along” with evil deeds.  By going along with them, your silence could act as an endorsement!  We should always be clear and communicate where and when appropriate the Lords view on things using the Bible as our source of truth.  The Bible is Gods Word.  Gods Word is Truth.  Making assumptions of the Lords stance on a situation can be dangerous, we need to make sure we always have Biblical backup to anything we say!

Verses 13 & 14  is an encouragement to those caught up in darkness!  When you are deadlocked in/captive to Sin, you are in darkness and there is no means of escape.  Repent and the light of the Lord will shine on you.  Sin exposed can no longer have a hold on your life for you can now see!  Wake up O sleeper, and rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you! 

Verse 15.  A call to live wisely.  Something we cannot do on our own.  Living not as others of this world live, but by following the Lords example and by using Gods Word as our source of wisdom.

Verse 16 tells us not to waste opportunities.  We only have a limited time on this earth, thus we should make sure we jump at every opportunity we have to serve the Lord.  Be it sharing our faith, helping someone who is needy, contributing our skills to a ministry etc.

And finally verse 17.  We have advised over the last few verses firstly of what we must do: Imitate, and then we are given examples and warnings to help us in our walk.  Verse 17 offers a “nutshell conclusion” (do not be foolish), and it then tells us we must understand what the Lord’s will is.  We can only do this by feasting on His word as often as we can, communicating with Him in prayer, fellowship with other Christians and regular Worship.

This passage has been an encouragement and an eye opener for me giving me more insight into how I should act, and what I can do to please and glorify the Lord.  Having been captive to sin and lost in the darkness for many years, I don’t want to return to that wilderness.  This passage is invaluable in offering wisdom for the walk.

To Live By – Ephesians 4:25-5:1

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There is so much in these verses, I hardly know where to start, so I am going to break it up into chunks. There are many truths we can live by contained here.

25 Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbour, for we are all members of one body

Not only do we need to ensure we are honest with people, but we should also be honest with ourselves, and not try to portray an image of ourselves to others that is not accurate. Acting like someone your not will not enable others to guide and encourage you correctly for the person you really are.

26“In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27 and do not give the devil a foothold.

Sin is something that will always bring us down. I think I have quoted my friend before when she said, “becoming a Christian takes the fun out of sinning!” We know that there really is no fun in sinning as it never satisfies, however I think she is referring to the feeling we as Christians get afterwards and even during! Guilt! Guilt does not help to build us up, or encourage us to do great things for the Lord. It acts to dampen our spirits and loose confidence in ourselves and His great purpose. In this state, as a result it can also lead to more sin, be it of the same nature, or a catalogue of issues, the devil will use anything to bring us crashing to a halt!

28 He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need.

Once we become Christians, we shouldn’t look to continue in our old ways.

Be it in this case stealing, or in other cases alcohol, pornography, sex, gambling, drugs, whatever the compulsion or addiction. These things build barriers between us and the Lord. Be become consumed by them, and loose focus on the Living Word of God that edifies us and bursts for Living Water and fulfils our lives.

29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.

Sometimes a bad word against somebody, an ill placed joke or offensive word can discourage another brother or sister. We need to encourage one another, enabling us all to grow in the Lord, and prompting

us to action.

30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

When you become a Christian, the Holy Spirit enters your life. The Holy Spirit gives us strength to live by, wisdom, comfort, in fact check out all the wonderful gifts of the Holy Spirit in 1 Corinthians 12:4-11. Grieving Him through sin, neglect, doubt etc starves us of the amazing gifts He has to bestow in our lives.

31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.

Again, use of words can discourage others and is not a good witness to the lost who look to us as examples of the Love of God.

32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

With a list of “what not to do’s”, these two verses guide us in the right direction. You will have heard me use the word imitate many times in my reading journals, and I am amazed at how many times it crops up. It’s a healthy reminder to us hungry to get it right for Jesus! The reason I wear a WWJD wrist band, is to remind me of one of my main principles to live by. What would Jesus do in this situation? Would Jesus forgive this person? Would Jesus do this? Would Jesus go and pray with that person?

This verse sums it up:

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

Others Feelings – Matthew 5:21-26

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22 But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment.

This challenged me this morning as I too have been guilty in the past of name calling, and teasing.  One step we can take is to really think about the words we use with people.  Sometimes, without thinking, we can use words that put others down, or can even be offensive.

As Christians, we should be imitating Christ, and building each other up (encouraging on another).  I think it has become culturally acceptable to tease a person “in jest”.  We use the excuse that we are saying these things “as a friends” and “just joking with you!”.  And although people laugh, and the person who is on the receiving end may laugh, they could actually be hurting inside.  Plus the fact you are making fun, even in a “friendly” way, you are still possibly pointing out flaws, or simply putting that person down.

I myself often “poke fun” in a friendly way with friends, but am now challenged to reconsider my approach and to think about what it is I am saying, and how that could affect my brother or sisters feelings.

We can also apply this teaching in situations where someone says something nasty to you.  It is so tempting to want to reply back with something equally as nasty!  Remember all sin is sin.  There is no sin that is more sinful than another.  Of course in human terms we assign categories and levels to Sin and pat ourselves on the back for not committing the “really bad” sins, however this scripture points out that God does not categorise sin in this way.

Romans 6:23
23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. 

I have learnt 2 lessons today.  Firstly, no matter how much I am “joking” I need to really consider what I say to people, and continue to imitate Christ.  Secondly not to categorise sin into “good sin” and “bad sin” buckets.  We will be standing before the almighty Father and Judge, who is perfect.  If we go before him without Jesus, we don’t stand a chance!

Turn to Him, seek forgiveness of your sins, and continue to live for Him.

As a result of this reading, I need to go apologise to a few people!

Kindness – Philippians 2:1-8

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5 Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus…

Yet another confirmation of our responsibility as Christians to imitate Christ.  His humility, love, compassion as well as kindness toward others.  There is no better way of expressing the Love of Jesus that through action.  In this self centred world, a lost person is more likely to be touched and challenged by a kind and selfless act.

Hebrews 13:2 - Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it.

Our Daily Bread today also focuses on kindness to others.  We live in a society where it is natural to make decisions and to act upon things that are in our own best interests.  Things that benefit us, in status, wealth, position, relationships or power.  Our Lord was completely selfless and gave up His life utterly and completely for our sins.  When he rose again he commanded us to make disciples of all nations.  It is therefore our responsibility to act as he did, being selfless and humble, showing the love of Jesus that others may see, experience and be saved.

And of course, don’t forget the above verse (Hebrews 13:2), you could be unwittingly caring for an angel!  How awesome would that be?!

Be Imitators of Christ – John 13:3-15

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This is so apt given my current walk with the Lord.

Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ. —1 Corinthians 11:1

Jesus Chr ist

is our role model, he is t

he way we should live, we should comport ourselves. There is no better witness than by our actions and the way we live our lives.