Angolwa Cecilia

“Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way 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

The word mentions that we ought to be imitators of God as His children and walk in love. 

But how should we be imitators of GOD? 

The definition of being an imitator is this, found in the Webster’s dictionary:

• It is to follow as a pattern, model, or example, 
• To resemble by biological mimicry, 
• To be or appear like, 
• To use (someone or something) as the model for one’s speech, mannerisms, or behavior, 

So this is telling us, and I would like to specifically highlight the first two definitions: to follow as a pattern, model, example, and the other is to resemble by biological mimicry. In the book of Genesis, 1:26, the word says, Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” By reading this, this is telling us that we were made in GOD’s likeness. So there is a biological mimicry, because of the word likeness, which means representation. GOD did not say exactness, so we’re not GOD, but we are a representation, a likeness of GOD. 

So GOD is calling us to be imitators, walking in His likeness. 

But the question remains, how should we be imitators of GOD? The WORD shows us several ways to be. 

The first one is in Ephesians 5:1-2, reading the second verse, walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

Another is found in Colossians 3:12-13, the word says, Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.

Because we are GOD’s chosen people,  His likeness, following His pattern, His example, His biological mimicry, we ought to clothe ourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. 

We also ought to walk in forgiveness, as GOD in Christ Jesus forgives us. We ought to also bear, suffer, endure, hold up, and sustain each other.  These are the patterns, the likeness of GOD that we ought to follow to be imitators of GOD. 

So the WORD shows us how we ought to walk as imitators of GOD. But in order for us to be imitators of GOD, it is only in Christ that we can be imitators of GOD. In Ephesians 4:32, the word says, “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” 

It is only in Christ that GOD forgave us. Through the sacrifice, Jesus Christ bore our sins so that we no longer would carry our sins. But the keyword here is “In Christ”. It is only through Christ that we can live, breathe, and have our being. It is only through Christ that we are a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come. He’s the priest that intercede for us because He understands us as humans. In the book of Hebrews 7:25, the word says, “Therefore [H]e can save completely those who come to God through him, because [H]e always lives to intercede for them.” So the verse shows that it is only those who come to GOD through Jesus Christ that Jesus can save. So it is only through Christ that we can be imitators of GOD. 

In John 5:19, the WORD says, Jesus gave them this answer: “Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.” 

We cannot do anything by ourselves if we do not have Christ, just as Jesus could not do anything by himself, but only by God. So to be an imitator of GOD means to rely on Jesus Christ, the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father, except through Christ. Christ was the purpose for which the veil was torn so that we have reconciliation with the Father, and are now His children. Jesus Christ is the reason, and He is who we need to abide in. 

He is the vine, and we are the branches. Without him, we cannot do anything, nor alone bear fruit. The father and the son are one, so when we abide in the Son, we abide in GOD the Father as well. To know the Father, to be an imitator of the Father, we need to know Christ. We need to have Christ living in us, who only does what the Father does. The Father is already conforming us to be like Christ, because we can’t have GOD if we don’t have Christ Jesus. 

The word says to set our minds not on the things above and not on the things below. The wisdom of GOD is from above, not below. The love of GOD is from above and not below. Romans 12:2, the word says, Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. The world is below, while GOD is above. 

So, because we are a new creation in God through Christ Jesus, our speech, mannerisms, and behavior should imitate that of GOD the Father and the Son. Therefore, the love of GOD should be down, as well as compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. We ought to be developing the fruits of the Spirit as we walk in the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. 

The way you operate on earth should reflect the position you are in with Jesus Christ. Remember what the LORD said, in this world you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world. He overcame the world so we would overcome the world. It is only through Him, the author and perfector of our faith, that we can overcome this world. So the way you walk on this earth is a direct reflection of your composure as a child of GOD who is in Christ Jesus. To imitate GOD is to be in Christ Jesus. 

Walk in power, love, and sound mind, in Jesus’ name.