BE IMITATORS of God
Sub Topic
I cannot afford to lose my Inheritance
Main Text
Ephesians 5:1–5 NASB95
1 Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children;
2 and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.
3 But immorality or any impurity or greed must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints;
4 and there must be no filthiness and silly talk, or coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks.
5 For this you know with certainty, that no immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.
Intro
The Lord states that there’s a drought of people worshipping / imitating Me.
They come to so-called Church Services that seem lively from their perspective ... But from my [God’s] eye’s I don’t recognize that worship
It’s not centers on Me . But it’s centered on Pride .
• They may say my name. But I’m not the center of their heart
• The Tell Tell Sign <==> is how they respond after church is over.
• Most of them ... don’t even think about me until there next service
• The next communication from them is pray over their Food and nothing else .
If I’m [GOD] am the center then there must be more them /us spending time with Him aka ME
Be Imitators of God
Ephesians 5:1 NASB95
1 Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children;
imitator n.
• a person who copies the words or behavior of another.
• This a command from Paul for us to be like God.
• What does he mean by this ? Certainly, Paul is not calling us to be a little [g] God.
Let’s look at what the text says on this subject
Leviticus 11:44–45 NASB95
44 ‘For I am the Lord your God. Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am holy. And you shall not make yourselves unclean with any of the swarming things that swarm on the earth.
45 ‘For I am the Lord who brought you up from the land of Egypt to be your God; thus you shall be holy, for I am holy.’ ”
🔑 words [ consecrate and holy]
Leviticus 19:2 NASB95
2 “Speak to all the congregation of the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy.
🔑 word again is Holy
Leviticus 20:7 NASB95
7 ‘You shall consecrate yourselves therefore and be holy, for I am the Lord your God.
Again, 🔑 words [ consecrate and holy]
Leviticus 20:26 NASB95
26 ‘Thus you are to be holy to Me, for I the Lord am holy; and I have set you apart from the peoples to be Mine.
🔑 we see [Holy] . Also, we see what God has done for his people . He has separated [set apart] his people .
1 Peter 1:14–16 NASB95
14 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance,
15 but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior;
16 because it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”
Peter picks up this same word [Holy]
📢 So Paul is calling the church to be Holy.
holy (pure) adj.
• having the characteristics of moral or ritual purity; context often emphasizes one over the other.
📢He is also stating that we should consecrate our-self's
consecrate
• to be set apart
What we see is that Paul is calling on the church to be not like the World nor do the World ways . But live by the ways of God.
Remember in Ch 4.17-19 . He told us not be like the Gentiles . Also remember he stated that they were dead in their mind.
</Key Text>
1 Peter 2:9 NASB95
9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;
</Imitate God in Paul’s Writing>
Romans 1:18 NASB95
18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,
1 Corinthians 5:9–11 NASB95
9 I wrote you in my letter not to associate with immoral people;
10 I did not at all mean with the immoral people of this world, or with the covetous and swindlers, or with idolaters, for then you would have to go out of the world.
11 But actually, I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he is an immoral person, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler—not even to eat with such a one.
2 Corinthians 2:14–16 NASB95
14 But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place.
15 For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing;
16 to the one an aroma from death to death, to the other an aroma from life to life. And who is adequate for these things?
</🔑Point in 2 cor 2.14-16>
• In VS 14 The Lord is using us as a sweet aroma to spread Christ knowledge [the content of what is known]
• Paul Points out that our live are a Fragrance rising up the God
• He points out that this sweet fragrance can be discerned by both groups
• To the group that is perishing it’s a fatal order. reminding them that Doom is around the corner for them if they don’t change
• To those who are saved. It’s a reminder of life with God . Its reminding those what is to come when we leave this wicked earth !!!!
What is Christ Calling Us to Be </Perfect>
Matthew 5:48 NASB95
48 “Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Jesus is calling us to be </Perfect>.
</Perfect> not in the sense of making no mistakes
</Perfect> [From God’s eye] .— being complete of its kind and without defect or blemish.
</Perfect In the[NT] > Has the undertone of being Mature
</Perfect In the [OT]> complete, unscathed, intact; blameless, without fault, free of blemish; impeccable; honest, devout; honesty, integrity, blamelessness, completeness
Key to </Perfect> is being [Mature]
Matthew 19:21 NASB95
21 Jesus said to him, “If you wish to be complete, go and sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”
Romans 12:2 NASB95
2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.
James 1:4 NASB95
4 And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
God is expecting for his creation ... his people to grow in him … aka from [faith to faith]
📢 We have a </tendency>to stay in the same place in God
</Our tendency>.With the result of us asking God to do things for us with us not evening giving us our Best
</Our tendency> Must be to give God our very best .
</Our tendency> Must include us rendering our-self as a living sacrifice unto God
How Does one become Holy [pure] in the eyes of God
In the OT the way for one to become clean was to burn an offering unto God
There were various offerings that were giving unto God for one to become pure
[Key Point]
Ever since the fall of Mankind and offering has been required of Man
We see this being played out in Gen4 with Cain and Abel
We must that giving an offering unto God is worship to him. It giving him aka showing him Thanks for what has done in our lives
This is why He wants us not to Worship any other god.
Q? How does one become Pure?
Romans 12:1 NASB95
1 Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.
Paul urges us by God’s grace [mercies] to </present >our bodies unto God
</present > = to offer v. — to make available or accessible; provide or furnish.
Romans 6:13 NASB95
13 and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.
Romans 6:19 NASB95
19 I am speaking in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness, resulting in further lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness, resulting in sanctification.
</present > We have to make our self [bodies] available to God
</Living> = to be alive v. — to have life, be alive.
</Holy> =
• to being dedicated or consecrated to the service of God
• shading over into the sense holy = pure, perfect, worthy of God
What is Paul getting at : We must present our self-unto Him. We have to Give God our Best of the Best
Hebrews 13:15 NASB95
15 Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name.
He is the only one that Can Make us Clean.
Closing </He deserves our Best>
What does it take to be Imitators?
1. To be Holy
2. To Consecrate our self
holy (pure) adj.
• having the characteristics of moral or ritual purity; context often emphasizes one over the other.
consecrate
• to be set apart
1 Peter 2:9 NASB95
9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;
When God Called you out of darkness he called you to be his Holy Nation
What Type of dedication our you giving the Lord
When you’re around God’s people what aroma do you smell
2 Corinthians 2:14–16 AMP
14 But thanks be to God, Who in Christ always leads us in triumph [as trophies of Christ’s victory] and through us spreads and makes evident the fragrance of the knowledge of God everywhere,
15 For we are the sweet fragrance of Christ [which exhales] unto God, [discernible alike] among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing:
16 To the latter it is an aroma [wafted] from death to death [a fatal odor, the smell of doom]; to the former it is an aroma from life to life [a vital fragrance, living and fresh]. And who is qualified (fit and sufficient) for these things? [Who is able for such a ministry? We?]
</🔑Point in 2 cor 2.14-16>
• In VS 14 The Lord is using us as a sweet aroma to spread Christ knowledge [the content of what is known]
• Paul Points out that our live are a Fragrance rising up the God
• He points out that this sweet fragrance can be discerned by both groups
• To the group that is perishing it’s a fatal order. reminding them that Doom is around the corner for them if they don’t change
• To those who are saved. It’s a reminder of life with God . Its reminding those what is to come when we leave this wicked earth !!!!
