Ephesians 5: 1 – 5
Ever watch a father and son having a day out together?
First off, they sort of look like Dr. Evil and Mini Me, I mean, they look alike, walk alike, and they talk alike. The son will inevitably imitate the father in everything he does.
The father teaches, the son learns.
This has been going on since time began. The father passes on skills and knowledge, then the son does the same with his children.
We are called to do the same thing with God.
1 Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children
2 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.
The easiest way for me to put it is; we are supposed to be God’s Mini Me!
Sounds simple enough, right? This is what Paul had in mind when he exhorted us to “be imitators of God”. So how come we all don’t follow Paul’s advice? Life has a way of making us anything but like God. We are often uncaring, short-tempered, grumpy, and unforgiving, flat-out too much like ourselves and not enough like Him!
3 But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people.
4 Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving.
5 For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person—such a man is an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.
The only possible explanation for this has to be free will. We have to make the choice to follow God.
I love what comedian Jeff Allen has to say; “God allows us to have children, so that we could know what it is like to create somebody in our own image who denies our existence.”
Like father, like “teenage” son.
I’ve always wanted to use that quote in a teaching, and whether it fits or not, I used it anyway.
Remember, we are saved to bear the Family resemblance, to become increasingly more like Jesus and less like ourselves.
Ever watch a father and son having a day out together?
First off, they sort of look like Dr. Evil and Mini Me, I mean, they look alike, walk alike, and they talk alike. The son will inevitably imitate the father in everything he does.
The father teaches, the son learns.
This has been going on since time began. The father passes on skills and knowledge, then the son does the same with his children.
We are called to do the same thing with God.
1 Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children
2 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.
The easiest way for me to put it is; we are supposed to be God’s Mini Me!
Sounds simple enough, right? This is what Paul had in mind when he exhorted us to “be imitators of God”. So how come we all don’t follow Paul’s advice? Life has a way of making us anything but like God. We are often uncaring, short-tempered, grumpy, and unforgiving, flat-out too much like ourselves and not enough like Him!
3 But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people.
4 Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving.
5 For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person—such a man is an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.
The only possible explanation for this has to be free will. We have to make the choice to follow God.
I love what comedian Jeff Allen has to say; “God allows us to have children, so that we could know what it is like to create somebody in our own image who denies our existence.”
Like father, like “teenage” son.
I’ve always wanted to use that quote in a teaching, and whether it fits or not, I used it anyway.
Remember, we are saved to bear the Family resemblance, to become increasingly more like Jesus and less like ourselves.
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