Imitate God

February 20, 2018

Imitate God

Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God.

Ephesians 5:2

Read: Ephesians 4:25- 5:2

If the Apostle Paul were living in our times, I suspect he would be a best-selling author. He had the capacity to provide simple, straight-forward practical advice on life, and in the same letter offer eloquent prose containing deep theological truth. Our passage for today is such an example.

Advice:

v. 25: So stop telling lies.. .

v. 26: Don’t sin by letting anger control you . . .  Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry

v. 28: If you are a thief, quit stealing. . .

v. 29: Don’t use foul or abusive language. . .

v. 31: Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander . . .

v. 32: Be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another . . .

Prose:

v. 24: Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.

v. 30: And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption.

The first two verses of Chapter 5 are a crown to Paul’s advice and prose, as well as a benediction for Paul’s call to live a life worthy of our calling. I believe Eugene Peterson captures Paul’s heart with his translation:

“Watch what God does, and then you do it, like children who learn proper behavior from their parents. Mostly what God does is love you. Keep company with him and learn a life of love. Observe how Christ loved us. His love was not cautious but extravagant. He didn't love in order to get something from us but to give everything of himself to us. Love like that” (Ephesians 5:1-2 The Message).

My Takeaway: I needed to hear today’s passage. I have been stunned lately about how easily I lose my temper, and even more stunned about the coarseness of the words I can let fly. I am way too caught up in the political mood of the country. Paul provides all the wisdom I need: “Keep company with (God) and learn a life of love. Observe how Christ loved us.” Oh Lord, may this be so in my life!

Sē’lah

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com. The BLOG is also available on Amazon Kindle, by subscription.

Copyright © 2018 by Alex M. Knight

Publications by Alex M. Knight:

·        Seeking the Life in Christ, Meditations on the New Testament and Psalms has been published and is now available at Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle.

·        The second edition of  First Think – Then Pray is available on Amazon Kindle.

·        Meditations on The Story of My Life as told by Jesus Christ has been released as an e-book on Amazon Kindle.

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188.