Ephesians 5: 1 “Be imitators of God… live a life of love.”
Immortal, invisible, God only wise,
In light inaccessible hid from our eyes,
Most blessèd, most glorious, the Ancient of Days,
Almighty, victorious, Thy great name we praise.
Walter Chalmers Smith (1824-1908)
Think about how you would describe God, then thank God for who he is.
I want us to look at 3 short passages from chapters 5 & 6 of Paul’s letter to the Ephesians. He starts the chapter with the command that we should be imitators of God and live a life of love (5:1-2), and the specific instructions we read today are ways in which this command can be lived-out.
Paul gives specific instructions about three different sets of relationships,
husbands and wives; parents and children; masters & slaves. I’m going to take them in reverse order because this 3rd passage is the one where we can see most clearly that the specific instructions don’t apply to us, and so will find it easier to see the principle from which Paul develops these specific instructions. We might say that certain people treat us like a slave but we know that we aren’t really slaves – and neither do any of us own slaves, but as you read the specific instructions Paul gives, try to see the bigger principle behind the instructions. Read Ephesians 6: 5-9
So because none of us are slaves – or slave owners I hope we were able to pick out from that passage a general principle. Paul is saying - if you are a slave – be the best slave there is – serve your master as if you were serving your ultimate master Jesus Christ. And if you are the owner of slaves – remember, you too have a master Jesus Christ, so be the best slave owner there is - treat your slaves in the same way you would want Jesus to treat you.
Paul is saying whatever your circumstances – and remember Paul is a prisoner as he writes this– think about how Jesus would behave in those circumstances. This will involve us doing what it said in verse 1: “Be imitators of God – live a life of love”
While none of us have been slaves or masters, we will all be able to relate to the next set of instructions. They involve the parent / child relationship, and though not all of us are parents we were all once children (Perhaps many, many years ago), so read Paul’s instructions while remembering your childhood relationship to your parents. Read: Ephesians 6: 1-4
Can you see how he is basing what he saying on the general principle of v.1 be imitators of God. He is saying that as children we should behave towards our parents in the same way we show our love to God – the same way we love our father in heaven. And then there is an instruction for Fathers – fathers made all the decisions in families 2,000 years ago, but today we can substitute the word parent. The instruction is that the parent should be the best parent possible – treating their children as they would want Father God to treat them.
So, do you begin to see that Paul is saying? Whether you are under authority - or have authority “Be imitators of God – live a life of love.” We now get to the first piece of advice Paul gives to believers living 2,000 years ago in Ephesus. Read: Ephesians 5: 22-28
We see yet again that Paul is giving advice to both parties in the relationship and hopefully we also see a continuation of the pattern we saw developing in the other 2 sets of instructions. Wives behave towards your husband in the same way you behave towards Jesus Christ. Husbands should love their wives with the same passion that Jesus loves us (n.b. Jesus laid down his life for us!).
So, Paul’s advice is basically the same whatever relationship we look at, “Be imitators of God – live a life of love.” Use these familiar lyrics to lead you into praying that God will help you to imitate him in every aspect of your life and so live a life of love.
As we gaze on Your kingly brightness so our faces display Your likeness,
ever changing from glory to glory: mirrored here,
may our lives tell Your story - shine on me, shine on me.
Shine, Jesus, shine, fill this land with the Father's glory;
Blaze, Spirit, blaze, set our hearts on fire.
Flow, river, flow, flood the nations with grace and mercy;
Send forth Your word, Lord, and let there be light!
Graham Kendrick © 1987 ThankYou Music