Who are you imitating

Ephesians 5:1-2

Is being an imitator of another something a person should do?  To imitate: “to use somebody or something as a model, attempting to copy an existing method, style, or approach.”  It happens everyday a young boy models his dad or an athlete, and that may be a good thing.  It happens in all phases of society, singers imitating other known singers, preachers doing the same thing, and even writers trying to copy the style of someone who has been very successful in that endeavor.  It is often said that imitation is the highest form of flattery, but does that make it the best way to live life?

Ephesians 5:1,2, “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”  I’ve had many models over my life; men who I looked up to and some who I copied some of their actions, but the very best of these models were men with clay feet.  What if I had made my goal to be an imitator of God?  Is that possible, and if it is not then God is not good, in fact, God is very cruel. 

My hearts desire and my goal is that someday my two grandsons, John Mark and Zachary David will read my thoughts and will understand that Jesus tells the truth, that as the Scripture states, all men are at best liars, (Psalm 116:11) so model the only man who was not a liar; Jesus Christ.  If only I would believe what the Scriptures so clearly state, and not be deceived, knowledge is not belief, belief is acting on that knowledge.  So I turned to Paul’s letter to the church at Philippi and in chapter 2:4-7, “Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.  Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.”

Jesus was an imitator of God His Father, and not one time did he perform any act that was not dependent on His Father.  Jesus seemed to always get on the wrong side of the religious guys, a great example is found in John 5:16-30.  It came about in this way, Jesus healed a man on the Sabbath, and that upset the religious guys because he broke one of their rules.  Jesus reply to them was; “My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too, am working.” (John 5:17)  Now they want to kill him because he was calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.  Jesus was the perfect imitator of God, look at what He said; “I tell you the truth, 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.”  You boys will wonder at times is anyone praying for me, and the answer is always, John 17:20-26, is clear that Jesus is sitting at the right hand of His Father, and His prayer for you is; “I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you have loved me.” (John 17:23)  If you are an imitator of God you will be a light to the world.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice