Ephesians - Imitators of God
Notes
Transcript
We're in our series on the book of Ephesians, a letter the apostle Paul wrote to a group of early Christians in a city called Ephesus. Paul was in prison when he wrote this, but his words are full of hope and practical advice for how to live as followers of Jesus. Today, we're looking at Ephesians 4:25 through 5:5, and the big idea Paul drives home is this: Believers should be imitators of God through their attitudes, words, and actions.
Let me start with something close to home. It's natural for a child to imitate his parents. When our kids were younger, it was a little scary to see them pick up my habits and mannerisms. Bradley raised his eyebrow just like me when he's skeptical about something. April says it's bizarre how much he acts like I do! They also pick up our attitudes and beliefs—good and bad. One time, Emily came home from school and said something grumpy about a friend, and I thought, "Lord, that's my tone right there." Kids watch us like hawks, and before you know it, they're echoing us without even trying.
Paul says something similar in Chapter 5. We should imitate God like a child imitates her parents. We should be learning about the character and actions of God and trying to imitate them in our life. The greatest example we have to look to is Jesus because He is God in the flesh. The Bible tells us Jesus came to earth as a baby, grew up, lived a perfect life, taught about God's kingdom, did miracles, and then died on a cross to pay for our sins. He rose from the dead three days later, proving He has power over death. Jesus came to live among us and to model the way we should live. If we're going to imitate God, we start by watching Jesus (5:1-2):
1 Therefore, be imitators of God, as dearly loved children, 2 and walk in love, as Christ also loved us and gave himself for us, a sacrificial and fragrant offering to God.
Paul says we should walk in love just like Jesus did. He loved us so much that He gave himself as a sacrifice for our sins. He paid the price for our mistakes by dying on the cross. Think about that—Jesus didn't have to do it. He chose to, because God's love is that deep.
Paul says in Chapter 5, verse 2, that Christ's death for our sins was a fragrant offering. It glorified God through its selfless love. Like the smell of fresh bread baking or flowers in a field, Jesus' sacrifice was pleasing to God because it was pure, selfless love. We should be willing to live a life of sacrifice and glory to God if we've accepted His gift of salvation and become a follower of Jesus.
What does that look like? It means putting others first, forgiving when it's hard, serving without complaining. In a small town like ours, where we know each other's struggles, imitating that love could mean checking on the widow down the road or sharing a meal with a family going through tough times. It's not always easy, but it's what Jesus modeled.
Now, here's something important: The only reliable evidence of a person being saved is not a past experience of receiving Christ but a present life that reflects Christ. You might remember a moment years ago when you prayed to accept Jesus, but if your life today doesn't show His love, His truth, His kindness, you need to consider if that change really took root. Paul also wrote in Chapter 5 that those who continually live like the world are not true believers and will not inherit the kingdom of God and the eternal life that He promises.
Paul challenged us last week as believers in Christ to put off the ways of the world and live the new life in Christ. Remember? Like taking off dirty work clothes after a long day and putting on fresh ones. We're going to take a look this week at Paul's practical picture of what that new life looks like in comparison to the old life. He gives us contrasts—old habits versus new ones—in our attitudes, words, and actions. Let's dive in.
First, we should change from lying to speaking the truth in love (4:25).
25 Therefore, putting away lying, speak the truth, each one to his neighbor, because we are members of one another.
Our world is full of lies: direct falsehoods, exaggeration, mixing truth and lies, cheating, making foolish promises, flattery, making excuses, purposely withholding information to deceive. We've all done it, maybe to avoid trouble or get ahead. But Paul says that's the old life. Liars won’t inherit God’s kingdom. A believer might fall into temptation and lie just like any other sin, but a true Christian cannot have a life filled with habitual lies. The chronic liar is a child of Satan and not God. Satan lies about everything.
Let me read what Jesus said about some religious leaders who twisted His words and plotted against Him. He called them out:
43 Why don’t you understand what I say? Because you cannot listen to my word. 44 You are of your father the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he tells a lie, he speaks from his own nature, because he is a liar and the father of lies.
Their lies showed whose family they belonged to—not God's, but the devil's. Satan started lying in the Garden of Eden, tricking Adam and Eve into thinking God was holding out on them. Lies destroy trust, hurt people, and keep us from God's light.
But here's the good news—Paul tells us how to change.
25 Therefore, putting away lying, speak the truth, each one to his neighbor, because we are members of one another.
We should not lie because the truth is in Jesus, and we are members of one another. The Bible calls Christians the body of Christ—like parts of one big family working together. We should tell everyone the truth, but we have a special motive for telling the truth to other believers. Your body can’t function correctly if one part is giving false information to another part. What if your brain sent false signals to your arms or legs—you’d fall or drop what you’re carrying. If nerves in hands or feet stop recording pain or hot or cold, then they can be damaged.
The church can’t function properly if members don’t work together honestly or shade the truth. You can’t minister to someone who covers up their problems. You can’t accomplish your mission if someone won’t give all the facts about a situation. You can’t resolve conflict if offenses aren’t lovingly addressed. In our church, we need honesty to pray for each other, to share burdens, to grow together.
We should speak the truth in love. Being truthful doesn’t mean saying everything that is true without any regard to those receiving the truth. Sometimes, we hold back details to protect feelings, but never to deceive. It's like seasoning food—not dumping the whole salt shaker, but just enough to make it taste right.
Next, we should change from unrighteous anger to righteous anger (4:26-27).
26 Be angry and do not sin. Don’t let the sun go down on your anger, 27 and don’t give the devil an opportunity.
Did you know that you can be angry without sinning? We can be angry about evil done against God and His will and His people. We should hate evil. Jesus was angry because the Pharisees disapproved of his healing a man with a withered hand.
5 After looking around at them with anger, he was grieved at the hardness of their hearts and told the man, “Stretch out your hand.” So he stretched it out, and his hand was restored.
His anger motivated Him to drive out the moneychangers from the temple because they had made it a den of thieves.
12 Jesus went into the temple and threw out all those buying and selling. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the chairs of those selling doves.
Jesus' anger was righteous—it burned against injustice, against people taking advantage of the poor in God's house. It pushed Him to act for what's right.
Even proper anger can lead to bitterness, resentment, and self-righteousness if we hold on too long. Paul warns that we should put it down at the end of the day.
If anger continues too long in our heart, we give the Devil an opportunity. We are tempted to take vengeance on the one who has made us angry. We should give our anger to God who is responsible for punishing evil deeds. Pray it out, talk it through with a friend, forgive quick.
Moving on—we need to change from stealing to sharing (4:28).
Paul says:
28 Let the thief no longer steal. Instead, he is to do honest work with his own hands, so that he has something to share with anyone in need.
We’re all tempted to steal, but it might not be the way you think about it. Most of you aren’t tempted to shoplift in a store or steal someone’s car. But stealing is more than taking someone’s property. We steal when we illegally copy music or movies, when we steal someone’s ideas (plagiarism), or we steal time or supplies from our employer. It's easy to fudge a few hours on the clock or take home office supplies. But that's the old way.
We should work at what is good and productive. We should not do work that causes us to compromise God’s standards. Working with our own hands stresses the idea that each person is responsible for their own needs. Paul practiced this himself. Listen to what he wrote to another church:
7 For you yourselves know how you should imitate us: We were not idle among you; 8 we did not eat anyone’s food free of charge; instead, we labored and toiled, working night and day, so that we would not be a burden to any of you.
Paul made tents to support his ministry—no freeloading. Our work should result in a giving attitude. We shouldn’t work with only ourselves in mind, but we should work so that we can help others. Paul talked about working to help others in Acts 20:35:
35 In every way I’ve shown you that it is necessary to help the weak by laboring like this and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, because he said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ”
Jesus said it's more blessed to give than receive. In a community like ours, sharing what we have isn't just nice—it's biblical. Work hard, earn honestly, give generously. That's imitating God's open hand.
Now, we need to change from rotten talk to words of grace and thanksgiving (4:29-30).
29 No foul language should come from your mouth, but only what is good for building up someone in need, so that it gives grace to those who hear. 30 And don’t grieve God’s Holy Spirit. You were sealed by him for the day of redemption.
James said the tongue is like a fire and is destructive.
6 And the tongue is a fire. The tongue, a world of unrighteousness, is placed among our members. It stains the whole body, sets the course of life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.
Jesus said that our words reflect the state of our heart.
34 Brood of vipers! How can you speak good things when you are evil? For the mouth speaks from the overflow of the heart.
Our rotten talk not only affects our relationships and our witness, but Paul says in verse 30 that our unrighteous words grieve the Holy Spirit.
30 And don’t grieve God’s Holy Spirit. You were sealed by him for the day of redemption.
The Holy Spirit is God's presence in us, like a seal on a letter showing it's real. Grieving Him is like punching a friend in the gut. Our words can have a powerful negative affect when the Holy Spirit is working. Have you ever been in a small group Bible study or group of friends and someone feels comfortable enough to share something going on in their life? The Holy Spirit is working and the whole group will benefit from that person sharing. Then out of the blue someone makes a negative comment that shuts them down and quenches the Spirit. No one else wants to talk because their afraid of getting criticized or made fun of.
It’s amazing how many Christians use this type of language. They are horrified by some sins they consider “out of bounds” but reveal their true nature with their words while destroying their witness and harming others. So let’s get rid of rotten talk. Don't tell crude or offensive jokes, especially about race, sex, or anything immoral. Stay away from swearing and vulgar words. Foolish talk is pointless and just copies worldly behavior. Don't complain or use negative words. Insults are like verbal fights, and slander comes from bitterness, hurting others with ongoing lies.
3 Lord, set up a guard for my mouth; keep watch at the door of my lips.
Instead of using our mouth for bad and tearing others down, we should build others up: Our words should be helpful, constructive, encouraging, uplifting. In order to give grace to those who hear we must tell the truth, but at the appropriate time and in the appropriate way. Paul wrote in Colossians 4:6:
6 Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you should answer each person.
Like salt on a meal makes it tasty, not overwhelming. Give thanks—expression of unselfishness. The selfish and hard-hearted person doesn’t give thanks because he thinks he deserves whatever good he receives. In our church fellowship or coffee chats, let's build up, not tear down. Words matter—they echo God's grace.
Paul says we should turn from hurting others to having grace with them (4:31-32). He sums up the old way of living and shows us the new way.
31 Let all bitterness, anger and wrath, shouting and slander be removed from you, along with all malice.
This verse is a strong call to clean house in our hearts. Paul lists five things we must remove—bitterness, anger, wrath, shouting, and slander—along with all malice, which is like a catch-all for any evil intent. Bitterness is that grudge we hold, like a root growing deep when we won’t let go of a hurt. Anger is the selfish flare-up when we feel wronged. Wrath is that explosive rage that burns everything in its path. Shouting is using our words to tear down, not build up. Slander spreads lies or half-truths to harm someone’s name. And malice is the heart that wants harm, even if we don’t act on it. In our small community, these sins can break trust and divide us, like a fence dispute that festers into years of silence. Paul says, “Get rid of it all.” Through prayer and God’s Spirit, we can replace these with peace and love.
32 And be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving one another, just as God also forgave you in Christ.
Paul tells us to become kind, compassionate, and forgiving. These aren't just nice words—they're the very heartbeat of imitating God. Kindness is showing goodness, like helping a neighbor fix their fence or bringing a meal to someone sick, even when you're tired. It's putting others first, like Jesus did when He washed His disciples' feet, serving them humbly even though He was their Lord. Kindness looks like knowing when someone’s struggling and stepping in without being asked—maybe mowing their lawn or just listening over coffee.
Compassion means having a tender heart, feeling deep empathy for someone. It’s not just feeling sorry for them but hurting with them, like God hurts when we suffer. Think of Jesus seeing a crowd of people lost and weary, like sheep without a shepherd. The Bible says He was moved with compassion (Matthew 9:36). He didn’t just see their pain—He felt it and acted, healing and teaching them. We can do that too—maybe by sitting with someone grieving a loss or praying with a family worried about bills. Compassion says, “I’m here, and I care.”
Forgiving is the hardest but most God-like of all. God forgave us through Jesus’ blood on the cross, wiping away every wrong we’ve done when we trust Him. That’s huge—our lies, anger, selfishness, all of it, gone because of His love. Forgiving others means letting go of grudges, even when they don’t deserve it. Maybe someone in this church hurt you with words, or a family member betrayed you. Holding onto that pain is like drinking poison and hoping they get sick. Forgiveness sets you free. It’s not saying what they did was okay—it’s saying, “I’m giving this to God, like He gave my sins to Jesus.”
Hurts can cut deep, especially those from friends and family. But kindness, compassion, and forgiveness build bridges. They show the world we’re God’s children. Imagine our church if we all lived this way—helping, caring, letting go of old wounds. That’s what Paul’s calling us to in this verse, to mirror God’s heart every day.
We come to the passage that got us started this morning in chapter 5 verses 1-2:
1 Therefore, be imitators of God, as dearly loved children, 2 and walk in love, as Christ also loved us and gave himself for us, a sacrificial and fragrant offering to God.
We’re called to walk in love. Remember that the word “walk” is used to describe how we live. We should live worthy of the calling we having in Christ We should love God and love others.
27 He answered, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,” and “your neighbor as yourself.”
We can only do that with the help of the Holy Spirit at work in our life. Only then can we live with the same kind of love that God has for us that was willing to lay down His life for our sin and rebellion against Him. When Paul says “therefore” at the beginning of verse 1, he’s referring back to verse 32 that tells us to be kind, compassionate, and forgiving. Finally, Paul finishes with a challenge to change from wickedness to godliness (5:3-5).
3 But sexual immorality and any impurity or greed should not even be heard of among you, as is proper for saints. 4 Obscene and foolish talking or crude joking are not suitable, but rather giving thanks. 5 For know and recognize this: Every sexually immoral or impure or greedy person, who is an idolater, does not have an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.
Let’s break this down. Sexual immorality means any sexual sin—any lack of control that goes against God’s design for sex, which is between a husband and wife in marriage. This includes lust, adultery, sex outside of marriage, pornography (whether it’s explicit videos, suggestive shows, soap operas, romance novels, tabloids, or celebrity magazines), sexual fantasies, or even sexual talk that stirs up wrong desires. In our small town, we might think we’re safe from big-city temptations, but these things sneak in—through TV, phones, or even conversations at the store. Paul says these shouldn’t even be heard of among us, because we’re called to be saints—people set apart for God’s purposes.
Impurity is a broader term—anything unclean or filthy in God’s eyes. It’s not just sexual sin but any attitude or action that’s not pure. This could be holding onto dirty thoughts, envying what others have, or even laughing at things that mock God’s standards. Impurity is like mud on a clean shirt—it stands out and ruins the whole look. As Christians, we’re called to keep our hearts clean, reflecting God’s holiness.
Greed, in this context, is tied to sexual sin. It’s a selfish craving for someone else’s body, wanting to take what’s not yours. It’s not just about money—it’s about feeding your own desires over God’s will. Think about it: When we lust or chase impure things, we’re saying, “I want this for me, no matter what God says.” That’s greed, and it’s the opposite of the self-giving love Jesus showed on the cross.
Paul ties all this to idolatry—putting anything in God’s place. When we chase sexual sin, impurity, or greed, we’re worshiping our own desires instead of God. It’s like building a little altar to ourselves in our hearts. In our rural life, we might not bow to statues, but we can idolize pleasure, comfort, or even the approval of others. Paul’s warning is stark: People who live this way, without turning back to God, don’t have a place in His kingdom. That’s not because God’s mean—it’s because these sins show a heart that’s not surrendered to Him.
Sexual sin is especially dangerous today because it comes right into our homes and it’s available on our phone 24/7. We have to be careful of websites that lure men, women, and children into pornography. The numbers are staggering: 40 million Americans visit porn sites daily. There are 4.2 million websites dedicated to pornography. 47% of Christians say it’s a major problem in their homes. The porn industry makes $57 billion a year worldwide, with $12 billion of that in the United States alone—more than all professional football, baseball, and basketball combined. These stats aren’t just numbers—they’re lives, families, and hearts being pulled away from God’s design.
He tells to avoid obscene and foolish talking, and crude jokes. Our words have power and what we talk about affects not only ourselves, but others in our life. Obscene talk is anything that is degrading or disgraceful. The word for foolish talk means dull or stupid and comes from the word we get “moron.” It doesn’t have any point except to sound like you’re in the world. It’s the kind of things we say to let people know we’re hip with the crowd. Crude jokes turn something that’s innocent into a reference to sex. It makes light of the sin of sexual immorality.
This isn’t about shaming anyone. We’ve all faced temptation, and God’s grace is bigger than our failures. But Paul’s calling us to live differently, to say no to these traps and yes to a life that honors God. It starts with practical steps: Put filters on your devices, find an accountability partner, fill your mind with God’s Word. In our community, we can help each other—maybe by checking in, praying together, or being honest about our struggles. Imitating God means choosing purity, even when it’s hard.
Church, if you are a follower of Jesus, does your life imitate the characteristics and actions of God? Is there an area that Paul addressed today that you need to submit to God and repent of your sin? Repent means turning away from wrong and back to Him. What safeguards are in your life to help you overcome the temptation to sin in the ways mentioned today? Accountability with a friend? Filters on devices? Do you claim to be a Christian, but continually live like the world? You must evaluate your relationship with God. Talk to Him today—He's listening.
