Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children (Ephesians 5:1). The Greek word for "followers" as used in our theme scripture is "mimetis" and it means to imitate or follow; copying someone, following how he does what he does. Therefore, the verse can as well read, "Be ye therefore imitators of God." That means emulate or copy Him; act and talk like Him; follow His ways of doing things. The reason this is possible is that we have His life. Someone might say, "Isn't that going too far, to say we're like God?" Well, the Bible says in 1 John 4:17 "Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world." Notice it didn't say, "As He is, so shall we be when we get to heaven"; no, we're as He is, here in this world, because He imparted His life in our spirits through the Word. The Lord Jesus said in John 17:22 - 23, "And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one. And that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me." Jesus gave us the same glory that the Father gave Him. As God's children, we're the carriers, as well as the effulgence of God's glory. God's purpose wasn't just to have His glory reside in us, but for us to become the glory, just like Jesus. Now you can understand why He commissioned us to preach the Gospel, pray for the sick, and manifest His glory everywhere, just as He did. We don't merely talk love, we act it, and manifest love because that's the way He is. Likewise, just as the Lord Jesus loved the Father and expressed that love openly, we also love the Father and show it; we worship and talk about Him boldly.
Pastor Chris
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