Monday, May 10

WARNING! The chapter we will be reflecting on this week, Ephesians 5, is very direct and challenging when it comes to how we are to live as Christians. Actually, Ephesians 4:25 –5:20 is one long description of how Christians are to live out the truth of Christ in their lives. Paul addresses just about every area of life - from honesty, to harsh language and obscenity, to bitterness and anger, to sexuality, to drunkenness, to greed, etc.

In fact, it is tempting to read through this section and feel guilty, overwhelmed, and even a little bit discouraged by all of the areas in which you are failing to measure up to God’s holy standard. But before you get too depressed, you must stop and focus on one little verse right at the beginning of chapter 5.

Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. ¬- Ephesians 5:1-2

These two verses contain the secret of how we can possibly live the kind of life that Paul is describing. Do you see it? It is right there in the very first sentence. Look closely. How does Paul describe us? He calls us “dearly loved children”; this is the key to the whole passage! Paul says that we are to imitate God as little children imitate their parents who love them dearly. Paul does not say that we must live holy lives of perfect obedience in order to become dearly loved children. He tells us that because we already are dearly loved children, we should try to imitate the one who so dearly loves us! This sounds simple, but it is absolutely critical to understanding the Christian life. Until we grasp this truth, Christianity will be nothing more than just another moral and ethical code that is impossible for us to keep.

Have you ever watched a little girl pretending to be grown up? Have you ever observed a little boy imitating his father? I remember when my oldest son was very young and he wanted to mow the grass like Daddy (or as he called it “bow da gass”). He used to follow behind me with his little plastic toy lawn mower as I mowed the lawn. He would try to keep his little wheels right in line with mine. He would go around the trees and shrubs in our yard just like I did. He would even pretend to put gas in his toy mower just like I did in the real one. Why? Because he wanted to be like his Daddy.

This is essentially what Paul is telling us here in Ephesians 5. You should be like your (Abba) Daddy in heaven, not because you have to or because He forces you to, but because you know that He loves you and you want to be like Him! All of the passages in Scripture that deal with the specifics of our lives - language, sex, honesty, etc. - are really just more detailed explanations of how to imitate our Father.

We make a fatal mistake if we skip past the truth of this verse and jump right into trying to keep all of the rules in order to please God or earn His favor. Of course God is pleased when we obey Him, but this does not earn us any more of His love. Consider the example of my son and I mowing the grass together. Of course, I was delighted to have him out there with me. But this did not make me love him any more; he was already my beloved little boy!

Do you get that? Your efforts to imitate God cannot make Him love you more. Your failure to imitate God cannot make Him love you less. You are already His beloved son or daughter! You are His dearly loved child!

So now you know (or have been reminded of) the “secret” of the Christian life, now you are ready to start imitating your Father!

Abba Father, thank you for loving me. I want to be like You! - Amen.

Jeff Frazier