Imitating Dad

Initial Insights

We imitate God, as His beloved children by walking like Jesus! The Greek word for imitate is “mimic!” We imitate God by mimicking Jesus!

Ephesians 5:1–33 NASB95

1 Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; 2 and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma. 3 But immorality or any impurity or greed must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints; 4 and there must be no filthiness and silly talk, or coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. 5 For this you know with certainty, that no immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. 6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. 7 Therefore do not be partakers with them; 8 for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light 9 (for the fruit of the Light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth), 10 trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord. 11 Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them; 12 for it is disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret. 13 But all things become visible when they are exposed by the light, for everything that becomes visible is light. 14 For this reason it says, “Awake, sleeper, And arise from the dead, And Christ will shine on you.” 15 Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, 16 making the most of your time, because the days are evil. 17 So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 18 And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; 20 always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father; 21 and be subject to one another in the fear of Christ. 22 Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself being the Savior of the body. 24 But as the church is subject to Christ, so also the wives ought to be to their husbands in everything. 25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, 26 so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27 that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless. 28 So husbands ought also to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself; 29 for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the church, 30 because we are members of His body. 31 For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and shall be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. 32 This mystery is great; but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church. 33 Nevertheless, each individual among you also is to love his own wife even as himself, and the wife must see to it that she respects her husband.

Walk In...

1. Walk In Love (vss. 1-2, 25-33)

Agape love! Not phileo love - you meet my needs and I’ll meet yours. But rather self-sacrificing love that is willing to lay down one’s life for another!

Ephesians 5:2 (NASB95)

“Walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us...”

Jesus delivered Himself up for us!

Philippians 2:3–4 (NASB95)

“Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; 4 do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.”

2. Walk In Light (vss. 3-14)

Ephesians 5:8 (NASB95)

“…Walk as children of Light.”

What does this mean?

a. To sever all associations with immorality and impurity

Immorality comes from the Greek word porneia (evil) from which we get our English words porn & pornography (vs. 3)

Impurity - the opposite of catharsis (a + katharsia) (vs. 3)

Filthiness = obscenity, anything disgraceful or dishonoring (vs. 4)

Silly talk = moros (foolish) + logos (word) (vs. 4)

Coarse jesting = Jesting is a translation of a word that means “able to turn easily.” This suggests a certain kind of conversationalist who can turn any statement into something inappropriate! (vs. 4)

Sons of disobedience = “Sons of unbelief.” (vs. 6)

b. Behavior that’s fitting with thankfulness

Thankfulness is the key to diffusing the enemy’s power. Satan’s original tactic was to key-into Adam & Eve’s sense of lack/deprivation! Thankfulness affirms that God’s provision and power are always more than enough for our challenges!

c. Practice what pleases God

The text says “trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord.” But, not in the sense of a mystery. Rather we approve what pleases God as we faithfully follow what He has commanded in His Word!

d. Not just passive non-participation, but active exposure & denunciation

The word for expose here is translated as rebuke 5 other times in the New Testament. It carries the idea of calling-out sin - exposing it for the lie and deception that it is! Exposing it as an empty, unfulfilling solution to our needs!

e. Allowing Christ to shine upon us!

This is what Zacharias (John the Baptist’s dad) prophesied about in Luke 1:78-79

Luke 1:78–79 (NLT)

“Because of God’s tender mercy, the morning light from heaven is about to break upon us, 79 to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, and to guide us to the path of peace.”

when he quoted from Isaiah chapter 9 in the Old Testament. Jesus is the Messiah who shines God’s corrective/guiding/healing/saving light upon us!

The Apostle Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 4:6

2 Corinthians 4:6 (NASB95)

“For God, who said, “Light shall shine out of darkness,” is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.”

3. Walk In Wisdom (vss. 15-20)

Ephesians 5:15 (NASB95)

“Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise.”

Jesus is Truth - God’s Wisdom & Word made flesh! To be wise (and walk wise) means to follow His commands.

1 Corinthians 1:30 (NASB95)

“By God’s doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption.”

Paul writes in...

Colossians 2:2–3 (NLT)

“I want them (the people of God) to be encouraged and knit together by strong ties of love. I want them to have complete confidence that they understand God’s mysterious plan, which is Christ himself. 3 In Him lie hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.”

How do we walk wise?

a. Making the most of our time (vs. 16)

“Making the most of” comes from the Greek word for redeem (agorazo - literally “the marketplace”) - to buy back!

DeGarmo & Key - “The Rest Of My Life” Star Spangled Banner

There was a time when my life was empty, there was a time when my heart grew cold. You came to me with a heart of mercy, You came to me with a heart of gold. I loved the world and it left me lonely, I loved myself and it left me blind. But you came to me with a love enduring. You came to me with a love divine. I can’t get back the years that have passed, but this one small thing I do… I will live the rest of my life, I will live the rest of my life, the rest of my life for You!

b. Understanding God’s will (vs. 17)

Ephesians 5:17 (NASB95)

“So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.”

Again, this involves approving what’s pleasing to God (vs. 10)!

Romans 12:2 (NLT)

“Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.”

1 Peter 4:2 (NLT)

“Don’t spend the rest of your lives chasing your own desires, but ...be anxious to do the will of God.”

c. Seeking fulfillment in God (vs. 18)

Jeremiah 2:13 (NIV)

“My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water.”

Filled = fulfill (51x) & fill (19x)

Psalm 145:16 (NASB95)

“You open Your hand And satisfy the desire of every living thing.”

Psalm 37:4(NASB95)

“Delight yourself in the Lord; And He will give you the desires of your heart.”

Christ is the fulfiller and fulfilment of all the promises of God because he is the sum and substance of them. N.G. Wilson

d. Living a life of thankfulness

1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NLT)

“Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.”

Colossians 3:17 (NIV)

“Whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”

Philippians 1:6 (NLT)

“And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.”

Thankfulness results from the assurance that God always finishes what He starts! And, that He is working EVERYTHING in our lives together for GOOD!

Romans 8:28 (NLT)

“And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.”

4. Walk In Submission (vss. 21-33)

I often hear men balk at the notion of mutual submission, claiming that it’s women who are admonished to submit. Men are commanded to love! But, if we start in verse 21 we discover that we’re ALL called into mutual submission:

Ephesians 5:21 (NASB95)

Be subject to one another in the fear of Christ.

Submission

Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon (5293 ὑποτάσσω)

Submission: To arrange under, to subordinate. A Greek military term meaning “to arrange troop divisions under the command of a leader”. In non-military use, it was “a voluntary attitude of giving in and cooperating.”

The NLT translation of this verse softens “fear” to reverence; but, the Greek translates phobos as fear 41x and as terror 3x.

Submission is not subjugation. Submission is recognizing God’s order in the home and the church, and joyfully obeying it. Warren W. Wiersbe

The word submission has become very inflammatory and misunderstood in our modern day. But, perhaps the best way to understand its original meaning is by contextualizing it.

Husbands (as head over their wives) are charged with submitting to Christ who is head over the church.

So, Christ is not only WHO we submit to, but also the ONE whose example we follow - take our cue from!

John 14:10 (NASB95)

“...The words that I say to you I do not speak on My own initiative, but the Father abiding in Me does His works.”

John 4:34 (NASB95)

“Jesus said to them, ‘My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to accomplish His work.”

John 5:30 (NASB95)

“I can do nothing on My own initiative… because I do not seek My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.”

John 6:38 (NASB95)

“For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.”

Luke 22:42 (NASB95)

“Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done.”

Why is submission important? Because one day we will present our wives before the Lord just as Jesus presents the Church - holy and blameless, without spot or wrinkle!

It’s not about us! It’s about allowing God through His Holy Spirit to use us to help fit each other for eternity.

The love that husbands are called to live-out with their wives is a sanctifying love in verses 25-26

Ephesians 5:25–26 (NASB95)

“Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, 26 so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word.”

Closing Comments