Daily Bread
Daily Bread
Ephesians 5
1Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children 2and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
3But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God's holy people. 4Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. 5For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person—such a man is an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.[a] 6Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God's wrath comes on those who are disobedient. 7Therefore do not be partners with them.
Observation:
All of us grow up trying to imitate someone in our lives. Then, there comes a time when those we emulate let us down. We make them larger than life, and sometimes they can’t live up to our expectations. While it is good to have positive role models in our lives and much needed today, Paul urges the believers in Ephesus to be “imitators of God”.
For the rest of the chapter he gives practical examples of what this might look like. For instance, an imitator of God should refrain from sexual immorality, which is rampant today as it was in the 1st century (I guess there is nothing new under the sun). An imitator of God should have strong morals, not be greedy, and avoid “locker room” talk.
In the third paragraph, Paul outlines how believers should act in marriage. Husbands and wives should love and respect each other, and put the other first. Paul likens it to the relationship Jesus has with the Church, which he laid down his life for.
Sounds like a pretty high calling huh? Yes it is. Paul tells the believers to make the most of every opportunity, as they live a life filled with the Spirit, imitating God, as we follow Jesus Christ each day, each moment of our lives.
Application:
Although we are saved by grace through faith, and this is a work of God, so that we have no reason to boast, Paul has also challenged us to become more like God in every area of our lives. In short Paul says, “Live a life of love just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us.”
Though we should rest in God’s grace and not try and earn our salvation, our goal is to become more like Christ, who gave us a clear example of what God is like. Importantly, as we surround ourselves with others who are trying to become more Christ-like, this will help us to grow in these applications.
One thing I am certain of, it will be an uphill battle to grow in Christ-likeness, if you are trying to do it on your own. We all need encouragement, prayer, continued teaching and inspiration from gifted people, and those to whom we can be accountable.
And why is this important? Because Paul tells us to make the most of our opportunities because our time here is short, and these days are evil. God has called us to be a light in the darkness. We all have opportunities every day to follow God or follow our darker instincts. As we focus on the love Christ has for us, we can focus on using our lives to spread His love to all we meet and in every situation we find ourselves in, good or bad!
Prayer:
God fill us with Your Spirit so we may imitate you and not the patterns of the world. Give us wisdom to make good choices and when situations come our way help us to discern how to be a light in the darkness. Protect us from the evil one and may we be a reflection of those have been brought from darkness into the light. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Ephesians 5
1Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children 2and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
3But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God's holy people. 4Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. 5For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person—such a man is an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.[a] 6Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God's wrath comes on those who are disobedient. 7Therefore do not be partners with them.
Observation:
All of us grow up trying to imitate someone in our lives. Then, there comes a time when those we emulate let us down. We make them larger than life, and sometimes they can’t live up to our expectations. While it is good to have positive role models in our lives and much needed today, Paul urges the believers in Ephesus to be “imitators of God”.
For the rest of the chapter he gives practical examples of what this might look like. For instance, an imitator of God should refrain from sexual immorality, which is rampant today as it was in the 1st century (I guess there is nothing new under the sun). An imitator of God should have strong morals, not be greedy, and avoid “locker room” talk.
In the third paragraph, Paul outlines how believers should act in marriage. Husbands and wives should love and respect each other, and put the other first. Paul likens it to the relationship Jesus has with the Church, which he laid down his life for.
Sounds like a pretty high calling huh? Yes it is. Paul tells the believers to make the most of every opportunity, as they live a life filled with the Spirit, imitating God, as we follow Jesus Christ each day, each moment of our lives.
Application:
Although we are saved by grace through faith, and this is a work of God, so that we have no reason to boast, Paul has also challenged us to become more like God in every area of our lives. In short Paul says, “Live a life of love just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us.”
Though we should rest in God’s grace and not try and earn our salvation, our goal is to become more like Christ, who gave us a clear example of what God is like. Importantly, as we surround ourselves with others who are trying to become more Christ-like, this will help us to grow in these applications.
One thing I am certain of, it will be an uphill battle to grow in Christ-likeness, if you are trying to do it on your own. We all need encouragement, prayer, continued teaching and inspiration from gifted people, and those to whom we can be accountable.
And why is this important? Because Paul tells us to make the most of our opportunities because our time here is short, and these days are evil. God has called us to be a light in the darkness. We all have opportunities every day to follow God or follow our darker instincts. As we focus on the love Christ has for us, we can focus on using our lives to spread His love to all we meet and in every situation we find ourselves in, good or bad!
Prayer:
God fill us with Your Spirit so we may imitate you and not the patterns of the world. Give us wisdom to make good choices and when situations come our way help us to discern how to be a light in the darkness. Protect us from the evil one and may we be a reflection of those have been brought from darkness into the light. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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