Through Ephesians -08- Imitating God

Reading: Ephesians 4:17 - 5:2

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. 

Ephesians 5:1-2 (NIV)

I.   Futile Thoughts; Sense-less Indulgence (vv.17-19)

     A.    You are not what you Used to be

         1.    Didn’t Paul just tell us it is OK to be a gentile? (3:11-13).

         2.    What is true of them because of culture and style isn’t true of them when it comes to values and life-style.

     B.    Hollow-core minds

         1.    Futile - deceptively empty; a veneer of wisdom over emptiness.

         2.    There are people who sound wise; who make sense (up to a point) who are really only making non-sense.

     C.    A Numb sensuality (v.19)

         1.    Because they lack sensitivity they pursue sensuality without limits.

         2.    The root meaning here is to loose a sensitivity to pain — these folks don’t know that they’re hurting themselves!

         3.    But because they’ve become numb, they can’t enjoy what they’re getting!

II.  Wrong and Right (vv.10-32)

     A.    Out with the old, In with the new.

         1.    Putting off — taking off the old self, like a worn-out piece of clothing.

             a.    The old-self is the numb self — the self that tries to meet it’s insatiable desires in self-destructive ways.

             b.    We are told to take this off and throw it out.

         2.    Put on the new self

             a.    In exchange for a hollow-core mind we get a mind with a new attitude.

             b.    We get a new self “created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness” (v.24)

     B.    Because of we are now new, we need to learn to do 2 things: Let go and Hang on.

     C.    We need a change of character, not just a change of activities:

III. Imitating God (5:1-2)

     A.    As dearly loved Children

         1.    Children imitate their parents

         2.    We who are so loved by our Father have every reason to imitate Him!

         3.    Agape love is a love rooted in the nature of the one loving, not in the thing being loved.

             a.    God loves because it’s His nature to love.

             b.    We are to imitate that.

     B.    A life of Sacrificial Love

         1.    Jesus loved us in such a way that we became loveable — a redemptive and sacrificial love.

         2.    34 A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another. John 13:34-35 (NIV)

The Bottom Line:

Let’s take our cues for Living from Jesus. Let’s Aspire to live and love as He did and still does!