Imitating Christ

BY ALAN B. CHRISTENSEN

Ephesians 5,6
There is an indictment in recent decades that Christianity has in many places become a man-centered religion. Increasingly popular in certain circles is preaching that has to do with man's problemshow to cope with man's needs and real-life situations. I am sure in the broad array of Christian teaching that has its place, but in balance never to the expense of our faith becoming man-centered. Our faith must be God-centered.

It's important that we think right thoughts about God, because in those right thoughts we hammer out our eternal destiny. To think of God lesser than He is is to commit idolatry. You see, a low or misinformed view of God brings a low view of sin. A low view of sin brings about a low view of the cross. And a low view of the cross brings a low view of Christ. And Christ, our tremendous and powerful Lord, is in the very center of our faith. That's why we bear His name.

Chapters 5 and 6 of Ephesians raise a powerful voice against a man-centered faith. It begins with the command, "Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children." The word "followers" there is the Greek mimetes, from which we derive the word mimic. A mimic is a person who copies another person's characteristics. And I can think of no better challenge in life, or more meaningful purpose and fulfillment, than for us to show forth in our humanity the likeness of the Living God.

A life of love. What would my life be if I mimic the God that I've come
to love? To begin with, my life would be one of love because God is love. Verse 2 reads, "And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savour."

What kind of love is this? It's unlimiting love, unending love, unexpected love, unsolicited love, unearned love, unbiased love, unprejudiced love, unselfish love, and by some, tragically, unwanted love. You see, in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ as He walked in this world, God exhibited a kind of love that was not self-centered, but with others-centered. It focused on the well-being of the other person, rather than on Himself.

Significantly, when Paul wrote this letter, the big word in Ephesus was eros. For the most part, the word eros is not to be understood in terms of eroticism, or that which is erotic. Rather, eros was that which turned the motivation in people's minds and hearts. It implies that I have a need, that I will see that that need is met, and that I will further see to it that it is met in the best way possible. In a sense, therefore, eros was responsible for those marble statuette buildings in Greece, the architecture, the literature, and the art of that day. And it was responsible for the commercialization that made Ephesus that trade-route center.

It was into that kind of society that the Holy Spirit moved the Apostle Paul to pick a word that was in their very dictionary, but was never used in common language. The word is agape. It made quite a stir. People were shocked and stunned and smitten because they had never been exposed to a kind of love that said, "You have a need. I will see that you meet this need, and I will help you meet your need in the best possible way." That's what agape is.

Well, if I am going to mimic God and imitate God, my life is going to be a life of agape love. You're my concern.

A life of holiness. In verses 3-7, Paul sets forth a list of behaviors fornication, covetousness, foolish talking and so onwhich, he says, are not proper for God's holy people. If I am to mimic God, my life would be one of holiness because God is holy. Please turn to I Peter 1:13-16:

Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.

 

 
 
 

The word holy, as it is used in the Old Testament, means that which is set apart. God is holy because in His transcendence, He's set apart over and above all that He has created. Furthermore, He is entirely separate from sin. Though omnipresentthere is nowhere where God is notHe is not involved in any sin.

And wonder of wonders, as a people of the holy God, we are called to be holy in our own right. We cannot be perfect as God is, of course; at
best we are imperfectly so. But guided by the Holy Spirit, we can experience what it is to be set quite apart from the effects of sin that is so powerfully operative in this world. God says in Galatians 5:16, "Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh." Indeed, we can produce the fruit of the Spirit.

So, if I am going to imitate God, there is going to be a setting apart of my life to the divine and from sin.

A life of light. If my life is going to mimic God, moreover, it will be one of light because God is light. Let's take it from verses 8-14:

For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light: (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;) Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret. But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light. Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.

 

 
 
 

The figure used to describe God as light implies that God is a God of truth, because when the light shines you see things as they really are. It also tells us that God is a God of guidance. If you have ever landed in a plane at night and seen those lights on both sides of the runway, you can understand how important the guiding light of God is to our lives. Being light, He is also a God of comfort and security. "The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?" (Psalm 27:1) Many fear the dark. That's why night lights are so popular today.

Even as God Himself is light, the Lord has made it very clear that we are to be the light of the world. We are not to put this light under a bushel, but on a candlestick so that it can be seen. So, if I'm to be a mimic of the Living God, my life would be one of shining light.

A life of wisdom. Moreover, my life would be one of wisdom because God is wise. Let's go to verses 15-18:

See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is. And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit.

 

 
 
 

The scriptures tell us that God is very, very wise. Join me in the reading from Romans 11:33-36:

O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor? Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again? For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.

 

 
 
 

When we speak of humans being wise, we speak of their being able to apply what knowledge they have to useful effect. Now, it's hard to take a quality like that in a human being and apply it to God because God is perfect in His wisdom. His knowledge is
absolute. He knows everything that can be known. And His ability to apply that knowledge is perfect. O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God!

So, if I am going to mimic God, then I am going to make the best use of the means that I have. And that's listed here. It says, "See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise," andcatch it now"Redeeming the time." That word "redeeming" is a commercial term. It has to do with assessing a given item and putting a value on it. So, Paul is telling the Ephesians to take a good hard look at time and value it dearly. Why? Because the days are evil. We are living in an age where wickedness abounds. We need to make use of every opportunity to live wisely unto the glory of God.

To live wisely, it says here, we also need to understand what the will of the Lord is. God has a will. He has a game plan for my life and yours. To be in that plan requires that we be filled with the Spirit. In other words, our lives are to be led by the Spirit.

A life of thanksgiving. We now come to verses 19 and 20:

Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

 

 
 
 

That's a picture of the praising Christian. A praising Christian is an awesome kind of person. People surrounding him will either think that he is crazy, or they are going to say, "You know, this person has something I don't have and I want it."

A man next to us years ago was slicing the turkey on Thanksgiving Day. Using an electric knife, he nearly severed three figures from his hand. He came running over and asked me to take him to the hospital. As we're driving down, he says, "You know, praise the Lord. Praise the Lord that it's not always as bad as this."

We got down to the emergency room and they did the work on him. Big smile on his face. The doctor asked him, "What on earth are you smiling about?" He answered, "I'm thanking the Lord that you folks are here to patch me up." For him, there is always something to praise the Lord for. A praising believer is an incredible creation of God.

A life of relations. Years ago, in the Sixties, a professor at Emery University came out with the thought that for all practical intents and purposes, God is dead. That which is alive, he explained, relates to what is around him. The eye is alive, it sees the surroundings. The ear is alive, it hears the sound. But when something is dead, it can no more relate to what's around it. God is dead because He doesn't relate at all.

How wrong he is! God is the most relational person in the universe. Look at what He has done. He's sent us a love letter. He's sent us a family, the family of faith. He's done His best when He gave His Son Jesus to die for our sins. And after our Lord had risen again and ascended back to heaven, He puts His Spirit in us. Doesn't get any closer than that! Yes, we have a relational God.

If I'm going to mimic the Living God, therefore, I am going to be a relational person. Let's look at some of the relationship verses here. Verse 21, "Submitting yourselves one to an
other in the fear of God." That's relational. Verse 22, "Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord." (A very important qualification thereas unto the Lord.) And verse 25, "Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it." That's relational. When I'm not loving my wife as Christ loves the church, I'm not imitating Christ.

Going into Chapter 6, we read in verse 1, "Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right." That again is relational. In verse 6, we read "Not with eye-service, as men-pleasers," and in verse 8, "Knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free." Relationship, relationship, relationship.

A life of strength. Let's move on. Verse 10 says, "Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might." If I am mimicking my God, then my life will be strong because God is strong.

Verses 11-18 tell us to put on the whole armour of God. Simply stated, the breastplate, the boots, the helmet, the shield and so on represent the various aspects of our being united with Christ. With God, all things are possible. The Lord is our rock of salvation. As Psalm 46:1 puts it so beautifully, "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble."

Significantly, there accrues in the wardrobe presented here the assurance of victory. Note that while the armour equips us well to face the enemy, it does not give us any protection from the rear. God wants us to fight the enemy head-on. And to  make sure that we have the means to achieve victory, He has also given us the sword, which is the word of God, and the privilege of praying to Him. So, we have all that we need to live a life of strength, and ìstand against the wiles of the devilî (v. 11).

To summarize, if I am to mimic Christ as God commands, then I am going to live a life of love, of holiness, of light, of wisdom, of thanksgiving, of relations and of strength. We cannot live such a life on our own. But with the Holy Spirit guiding and encouraging us, we can indeed take up the challenge and show forth in our humanity the likeness of the Living God. o

Rev. Alan B. Christensen is Resident Pastor of The Billy Graham Training Center at the Cove, PO Box 19223, Asheville, NC 28815.

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