Ephesians 5:1 says "Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children."
Could there be a more convicting verse? Read it again and ask yourself, "Did I wake up with this as my goal?" Probably not, right. Some of you may not even be thinking about it right now, because it seems like a hopeless task that cannot be accomplished. But maybe it's because your focus is too much on the command and not the assurance.
There are a few things that I’ve always considered manly.
You may be thinking what does this have to do with the verse, but bear with me.
I don’t pick these because they are things that I have, use, or do. Though all these are part of my life, I am really imitating the manliest man I know: My Dad.
I grew up thinking that real men drink bitter iced tea and then eat the ice. Hair begins turning silver (not gray) the manlier you are and mustaches are grown, the way nature intended. Even if nature had not intended it mustaches would be grown with sheer will power, because that’s what men do. Men should smell like Aqua Velva. Tools are “man toys” and “repair” means “man play time.” Children are not only told, “I love you” everyday but they are hugged and kissed goodnight.
My Dad rocked and I too, through imitation, will Rock.
I hope this conjures fond feelings of your own families. I hope you give thanks to God for them, but more than that, I hope it draws you into the verse above. Do you imitate God with more zeal than all others? As great as my Dad was, he is not my savior. He put up with a lot from me and loved me very much, but Jesus loved me enough to go to the cross so that I might have eternal life in Him.
Perhaps our problem with following the command is that we stop our view of God at the transcendent, sovereign, and mysterious instead of reaching to the loving Father, saving Son, and helping Spirit. God LOVES us. Should not such a loving relationship cause us to walk and talk, like our eternal Father?
Notice the verse says, “as beloved children.” The “beloved” used here in the Greek has “Agape” as its root and has the understanding of being loved completely and unconditionally, even being a favorite. When we accept Jesus as Lord and Savior we are adopted into the family of God as His precious children. And as God’s beloved children we should strive to be like our eternal Dad, identified as His by the way we live.
We have a transcendent, all powerful God who is nothing like us and yet through Christ He bridged that gap and through the Spirit He is closer than the skin we wear. Our God is a Father that longs to have His Children wrapped in His arms, “Oh, How He Loves Us!”
My Dad was the definition of manliness because he was my Dad. I knew his love and that defined everything else. I know God’s love and that too defines everything. I can strive to keep the command because it holds the assurance of the greatest love of all, illustrated in verse 2 “And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”
When we focus on the Grace of God and live as members of His family, perhaps someone will pay us the ultimate compliment, “you act a lot like your father.”
Could there be a more convicting verse? Read it again and ask yourself, "Did I wake up with this as my goal?" Probably not, right. Some of you may not even be thinking about it right now, because it seems like a hopeless task that cannot be accomplished. But maybe it's because your focus is too much on the command and not the assurance.
There are a few things that I’ve always considered manly.
1. Drinking unsweet tea and eating the ice
2. Facial hair
3. Tools and home repair
4. Aqua Velva
5. Salt and Pepper hair
6. Kissing your kids goodnight
You may be thinking what does this have to do with the verse, but bear with me.
I don’t pick these because they are things that I have, use, or do. Though all these are part of my life, I am really imitating the manliest man I know: My Dad.
I grew up thinking that real men drink bitter iced tea and then eat the ice. Hair begins turning silver (not gray) the manlier you are and mustaches are grown, the way nature intended. Even if nature had not intended it mustaches would be grown with sheer will power, because that’s what men do. Men should smell like Aqua Velva. Tools are “man toys” and “repair” means “man play time.” Children are not only told, “I love you” everyday but they are hugged and kissed goodnight.
My Dad rocked and I too, through imitation, will Rock.
I hope this conjures fond feelings of your own families. I hope you give thanks to God for them, but more than that, I hope it draws you into the verse above. Do you imitate God with more zeal than all others? As great as my Dad was, he is not my savior. He put up with a lot from me and loved me very much, but Jesus loved me enough to go to the cross so that I might have eternal life in Him.
Perhaps our problem with following the command is that we stop our view of God at the transcendent, sovereign, and mysterious instead of reaching to the loving Father, saving Son, and helping Spirit. God LOVES us. Should not such a loving relationship cause us to walk and talk, like our eternal Father?
Notice the verse says, “as beloved children.” The “beloved” used here in the Greek has “Agape” as its root and has the understanding of being loved completely and unconditionally, even being a favorite. When we accept Jesus as Lord and Savior we are adopted into the family of God as His precious children. And as God’s beloved children we should strive to be like our eternal Dad, identified as His by the way we live.
We have a transcendent, all powerful God who is nothing like us and yet through Christ He bridged that gap and through the Spirit He is closer than the skin we wear. Our God is a Father that longs to have His Children wrapped in His arms, “Oh, How He Loves Us!”
My Dad was the definition of manliness because he was my Dad. I knew his love and that defined everything else. I know God’s love and that too defines everything. I can strive to keep the command because it holds the assurance of the greatest love of all, illustrated in verse 2 “And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”
When we focus on the Grace of God and live as members of His family, perhaps someone will pay us the ultimate compliment, “you act a lot like your father.”
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