170108 Be Imitators of God

Ephesians 5:1-2 Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. ² And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

God did not need to create man but he did! Several times in the Bible it says that we were created for God’s glory. It will help for us to have an understanding of what God’s glory really is. I’ll take a stab at it. God's glory is the manifestation of His holiness, the open presentation of His manifold, infinitely worthy and valuable perfections. Now, if we are to imitate God, we must be part of the public revelation of who He is!

We can imitate God’s love in a very limited sense. We can know about the thoughts of God because they are revealed to us in the Bible. We will never be infinitely loving as God is. Nor will we ever be able to reflect in full glory God’s attributes as revealed in the Bible. We can be good but never as he is good we can love but never as deeply as he does. We can have mercy, grace and patience with others because he has these attributes toward us. We must remember that…

Our imitation of God begins small and grows. Let’s look at Proverbs 4:18. But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, which shines brighter and brighter until full day.

The apostle Peter tells us that we are to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:18). Even Jesus, in his humanity, grew and became strong, filled with wisdom. Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man (Luke 2:40 – 52). Since he had to grow into the image that the Father had planned for him we must likewise.

I believe we’re going to continue to grow spiritually throughout eternity. Our ultimate goal is to be like Jesus and I, for one, am a long way away from that goal. Normal Christian life is one of growth in sanctification. Our growth begins at the spiritual birth of salvation and continues throughout eternity.

Ultimately when Christ comes again we will show his glory. Let’s look at Matthew 13:43. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.

Jesus is presenting a parable about sowing good seed that the devil mixes with weed seed. In this parable he tells about the end of the age and a time when he would send his angels to gather together all those who put their trust in him. When that happens those who are made righteous by the Lord Jesus Christ will join him in his glory. God’s holiness speaks of his being separated from sin and devoted to seeking his own honor.

Isaiah saw a visual representation of God in the year that King Uzziah died. He saw a reflection of God with his glory filling the Temple. When that happened…

God’s holiness is seen in His glory. Let’s look at the vision in Isaiah 6:3. And one called to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!”

The angels who are calling to one another “holy, holy, holy” apparently are always in the presence of God proclaiming God’s glory. Solomon gave us Psalm 72 where we find these words, “Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who alone does wondrous things. Blessed be his glorious name forever; May the whole earth be filled with his glory! Amen and amen!” (Psalm 72:18-19). The angels Isaiah saw are called “Seraphim” and they are examples for us. God’s angels are obedient in their worship and we should pray that we will be able to reflect that same obedience. We need to worship joyfully, and without question. We should pray daily that we would be able to be like the angels in heaven surrounding the throne of God. One day we, who are born again, will certainly be part of the massive congregation at the throne room in heaven. In the meantime, we will be able to see a dim reflection of God’s glory in the world around us. The magnificence of the mighty mountains and the rolling seas as well as the uncountable stars show us the glory of God and encourage us.

If we have come to know him — having put our faith in him and repented our sin…

We will grow in holiness. Let’s look at 1 Peter 1:14-16. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, ¹⁵ but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, ¹⁶ since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”

Life produces growth in the physical world. Archaeologists have found grain that has been stored away for thousands of years. When they were watered and warmed they began to produce a root and a stalk because they still contained life.

In the same manner, spiritual life produces spiritual growth. We can be like the long stored grain that the archaeologists found. Having life but no growth. God will push us into situations that cause us to grow spiritually. He has promised to never leave us or forsake us to the very end of the age (Matthew 28:20).

The Bible tells us that we SHALL be holy, not we SHOULD be holy! Paul, in his second letter to the Corinthians, quotes several passages found in the Old Testament then he gives us, “Since we have these promises, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion and the fear of God.” (2 Corinthians 7:1). We will come back to that in a couple of minutes. God is love and…

Our holiness will be seen in love. Let’s look at John 13:34-35. A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. ³⁵ By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Jesus is in the upper room with his disciples observing the last Passover he would see on earth. The next Passover for Jesus will be in heaven after the end of the age. He waited until Judas went out to betray him and then he gave this commandment.

The best evidence that unbelievers have for recognizing us as disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ is that we love one another. Not some kind of namby-pamby human love but instead the robust courageous love that Jesus had for us when he went to the cross. “Just as I have loved you” shows us the measure we are to use in loving one another. How much did he love us? The Father loved the world enough to send his son to die on the cross. The Son loved the world enough to come to earth, laying aside his divine equality with the Father, and took our sin into his own body and died the death that we deserved to give us life eternal.

Since he paid such a price for us…

We must live like His children. Let’s look at 2 Corinthians 7:1 again. Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God.

Abraham began the process of believing God and by that faith receiving the promise connected to it. We are told that, it is impossible as it seems, Abraham and Sarah conceived a child decades after their bodies had ceased to have the ability.

We should look at the promises and God’s word that are directed toward us and believe them. The Bible speaks of “God, who never lies” (Titus 1:2). Another way of translating that would be “the unlying God ”. Since it is impossible for God to lie we should believe his word and operate on the strength of every promise. How do we know that these promises are for us? The Bible tells us so! “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree”— ¹⁴ so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith.” (Galatians 3:13-14)

Having received the promises of God we should gladly cleanse ourselves of everything that dishonors God. When we repent and turn to God in faith he will do the work of cleansing in our life. We have no ability to cleanse ourselves and since that is true God, according to his own mercy, poured out on us the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit (Titus 3:5). Remember…

We are to offer ourselves to God. Let’s look at Romans 6:19. I am speaking in human terms, because of your natural limitations. For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification. And Romans 12:1. I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.

We have a responsibility to recognize our limitations and turn away from everything that’s displeasing to God. Before salvation we willingly offered ourselves up to the way of the world. Unbelievers are surrounded by the evidence of God’s existence and his loving kindness. But rather than turn to him in faith people sell themselves in slavery to impurity or self-righteous independence of God. Having come to repentance and faith we need to offer ourselves to God. As long as we live on this earth we are to submit our wills to God as slaves to righteousness that will lead us to sanctification.

The church of the living God is made up of people who have come to Christ and begin to imitate him as prophet, priest and king! Whenever we speak the truth about Christ we are fulfilling the prophetic role. We recognize that we have been called “a royal priesthood” (1 Peter 2:9). Therefore we are able to present our bodies as a living sacrifice.

Even now we share in his kingly role because we have been raised to sit with him in the heavenly places (Ephesians 2:6). And when he returns we will come with him and join with him to rule over the creation even to the point of sitting in judgment over the angels (1 Corinthians 6:3; Psalm 8:6-8).

We have no ability of our own to cleanse ourselves we must depend on Jesus who died on the cross for us. Since he has paid the price of our sin…

Jesus does the work of sanctification. Let’s look at Hebrews 10:9-10. Then he added, “Behold, I have come to do your will.” He does away with the first in order to establish the second. ¹⁰ And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

All of the Old Testament sacrifices looked forward to Christ and his sacrifice once for all. When Jesus came into the world promises of the Old Testament began to unfold. When he came to bring an end to the blood sacrifices he did so according to God’s will. He did away with the old so that he could establish the reality that they pointed to. Therefore, by the offering of the body of Jesus Christ we have been sanctified. We can now imitate him in life because his Spirit has come to live in us! Jesus has paid the price for our sin.

The letter to the Ephesians is filled with instruction as to how we are to live our daily lives and what the result will be. In the next few weeks we will be looking at how to imitate Christ. This is one of the reasons we need the church fellowship. We need examples of how to live out the godly life. Paul called on the Corinthians to imitate him because he was imitating Christ. Not in imitation of Christ but following the example of Christ. In order to do this it is necessary to know Jesus through salvation. We are to repent of our sin and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. That faith will enable us to rise above our earthly condition. Have you placed your faith in him? Today could be your day.

All scriptures quotes are from: The Holy Bible: English standard version. 2001. Wheaton: Standard Bible Society