IMITATE GOD

IMITATE GOD

“Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.” (Ephesians 5:1-2)

The word Greek translated “imitators” in this verse is “mimetes”. It means to “imitate” or “mimic.” Most of what we learn as a child is learned by “imitating,” or “mimicking” those around us. Imitating God, of course, should be the goal of every child of God. As you know, we love Him because He first loved us (1 John 4:19). This word “mimetes” is used six times in the New Testament Scriptures. In addition to Ephesians 5:1, here are the other five instances:

• “Even if you had ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel. Therefore I urge you to imitate me. For this reason I have sent to youTimothy, my son whom I love, who is faithful in the Lord. He will remind you of my way of life in Christ Jesus, which agrees with what I teach everywhere in every church.” (1 Corinthians 4:15-16)
• “Be imitators of me as I am of Christ.” (1 Corinthians 11:1)
• “We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised. (Hebrews 6:12)
• “You became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you welcomed the message in the midst of severe suffering with the joy given by the Holy Spirit.” (1 Thessalonians 1:6)
• “For you, brothers and sisters, became imitators of God’s churches in Judea, which are in Christ Jesus: You suffered from your own people the same things those churches suffered from the Jews” (1 Thessalonians 2:14)

Paul warned that: “Bad company corrupts good character.” (1 Corinthians 15:33) We certainly don’t want our children to “imitate” bad people. Good parents are careful to protect their children from the influence of bad people. Jesus also warned that when the blind lead the blind both fall into the ditch (Matthew 15:14)

As we have said, the ultimate goal of every child of God is to imitate God!

JESUS IS GOD

As you know, “God is Spirit.” (John 4:24) Consequently, “No one has ever seen God.” (John 1:18) Since we cannot “imitate” someone we cannot see God became flesh in the person of Jesus Christ. The Scriptures are clear that Jesus is God manifest in the flesh (1 Timothy 3:16). His name is “Immanuel – which means God with us.” (Matthew 1:23) Since Jesus became a man He left us an example that we can follow in His steps (1 Peter 2:21).

Therefore to “imitate” God we must “fix our eyes on Jesus” (Hebrews 12:2). Just as the Hebrews were saved by focusing on the serpent in the wilderness (Numbers 21:9), we too can be saved by keeping our eyes on Jesus (John 3:13-18). As you know, as long as Peter focused on Jesus he could walk on water. But when Peter took his eyes off Jesus he began to sink (Matthew 14:29-31). The same is true of us. We too need to keep our eyes on Jesus to be successful!

Everyone can do this! Even though Jesus is now in heaven at the right hand of God, there is still a since that we can “see” Him by means of faith. “Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” (Hebrews 11:1) By faith Abraham saw the day of Jesus and rejoiced centuries before Jesus was born (John 8:56). By faith we can also see Jesus centuries after He went to heaven (Hebrews 2:9). By faith we can “fix our eyes on Jesus” and imitate Jesus just as Paul did!

When Paul wrote to the Ephesians one out of every four people in the Roman Empire was a slave. Under Roman law slaves had no personal rights and were regarded as the property of their masters. They could not own property and could be bought and sold like an animal. Even slaves, however, could imitate Jesus! God loves slaves as well as He does masters. Since Paul wants slaves to be in heaven he wrote: “Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ. Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart. Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people, because you know that the Lord will reward each one for whatever good they do, whether they are slave or free.” (Ephesian 6:5-8)

Peter also wanted slaves to be in heaven and wrote: “Slaves, in reverent fear of God submit yourselves to your masters, not only to those who are good and considerate, but also to those who are harsh. For it is commendable if someone bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because they are conscious of God. But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God. To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.” (1 Peter 2:18-21)

Imitating Jesus in every area of life is the responsibility of all believers. Paul wrote to the Colossians “Whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” (Colossians 3:17) If we cannot do it in the name of Jesus, we should not do it at all.

PAUL PRACTICED WHAT HE PREACHED

Yes! Paul imitated Jesus! He wrote to the Corinthians: “Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ.” (1 Corinthians 11;1) Paul wanted everyone to “imitate” him in the same way he “imitated” Christ. This means that our focus should be on Jesus more than on Paul!å

Jesus, as you know, always did what pleased His Father (John 8:29). This is precisely what Paul wanted to do. This is also precisely what all of us should do! Our ultimate goal is not to be like Paul, but rather to be like Jesus. Paul explained: “But whatever were gains to me I now consider

loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith.” (Philippians 3:7-9)

Paul realized that he could not serve two masters. He could not choose to please men and please God at the same time. He therefore chose to be like Jesus and seek to always do what pleased his Heavenly Father. Paul explained to the Galatians: “Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.” (Galatians 1:10)

In the days of Jeremiah the people of God were imitating human teachers and forgetting about God. The Lord rebuked them by saying: “My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns that cannot hold water.” (Jeremiah 2:13)

The purest water is found where it springs forth out of the rock. The further you are from the source of the water, the more polluted is the water. The same is true of teaching! That’s why it is better to imitate Jesus than to imitate Paul. Paul did his best, but was still the “chief of sinners” (1 Timothy 1:16). Even as a Jew he served God with a good conscience (Acts 23:1). After his conversion he still tried to imitate Jesus as best he could, but still needed to be saved by grace (Ephesians 2:8-9). That’s why Paul dedicated his life to “imitating” Jesus and not any human teacher. Paul began his letter to the Galatians by emphasizing this truth: “Paul, an apostle—sent not from men nor by a man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead” (Galatians 1:1)

After Paul’s conversion he did not consult any man or go up to Jerusalem to receive instructions. He went immediately to Arabia. “But when God, who set me apart from my mother’s womb and called me by his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son in me so that I might preach him among the Gentiles, my immediate response was not to consult any human being. I did not go up to Jerusalem to see those who were apostles before I was, but I went into Arabia. Later I returned to Damascus. Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem. (Galatians 1:15-18) It is interesting to note that Mount Sinai was in Arabia (Galatians 4:25). It is possible that just as Jesus spent three years training the original twelve, he also spent three years training Paul. At any rate, it was after three years that Paul went up to Jerusalem and stated clearly that “These men added nothing to my message.” (Galatians 2:6). No one in Jerusalem told Paul what to preach or how to act. Paul received his instructions directly from Jesus! Paul was imitating Jesus, not men! This should also be our goal.

So the Corinthians were not to focus on Paul, but Jesus. They were to imitate Paul just as Paul imitated Christ. In other words, Jesus was their ultimate example! Jesus is the source of living water and this water is most pure we receive it directly from Him (John 4:13-14).

Yes! Jesus is our ultimate example and source of truth. After washing the feet of His disciples He said: “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.” (John 13:13-17)

Those who believe in Jesus are not only being observed by our earthly friends, but also by angels and the spirits of just men made perfect. (Hebrews 12:22-24) So we told: “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and

the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” (Hebrews 12;1-3)

THE GOOD EXAMPLES OF MARTIN LUTHER

Martin Luther is famous for discovering justification by faith and for daring to oppose the corruption in the Catholic Church. He was a leader in the Reformation and has millions of followers all over the world. Like most all human leaders Luther did many things right which everyone should imitate. Here are a few examples.

• On October 31, 1517 he began the Reformation by nailing his famous 95 objections to Catholic corruption on the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg.
• Soon other reformers joined Luther in rejecting the errors of the Catholic Church.
• In 1521 Luther was formally excommunicated from the Catholic Church.
• Luther began translating the Bible into German in 1523 and completed the whole Bible in 1534.
• On June 13, 1524 Luther married a former nun named Katherine of Bora.
• At the risk of persecution and death Luther famously defied the Pope and said: “Here I stand, so help me God, I can do no other!”
• There are many good things that Luther did that everyone can safely imitate!

THE BAD EXAMPLES OF MARTIN LUTHER

While it may not seem fair to criticize Luther when he is not here to defend himself, he still provides an excellent example of why we should always imitate Jesus and not men. Here are just three examples of actions by Luther that are an embarrassment to Lutherans.

• During the Peasant’s war (1524-1525) Luther recommended that the peasants be “sliced, choked, stabbed, secretly and publicly, by those who can, like one must kill a rabid dog,” Obviously this is not a Christlike virtue that we should imitate. This war resulted in the deaths of 100,000 peasants.
• In 1530 Luther wrote the Augsburg Confession of Faith. This is a lengthy document containing 28 articles which all Lutheran churches in the world must accept. Sadly, this does not seem to be consistent with Luther’s slogan “Sola scriptura” which began the Reformation. Yes! It is good for godly men to write commentaries on the Bible. No! It is not good, however, to

demand that your followers believe everything you have written. The Bible is inspired by God, but commentaries about the Bible are not. This article, for example, is not inspired! You must believe everything in the Bible, but you are not required to believe man’s interpretation of the Bible.

• In 1543 Martin Luther published a book titled The Jews and Their Lives. This is perhaps Luther’s error that is most embarrassing. As incredible as it sounds, Luther advised that in order to honor God we must:
• Set fire to Jewish synagogues and schools.
• Also burn and destroy Jewish houses.
• Jewish prayer books and Talmudic writings are to be confiscated.
• Jewish rabbis are to be forbidden to teach.
• Jewish cash and treasures should be confiscated.
• In order to be safe from Jews they need to be expelled from Germany after the example of France, Spain, Bohemia, etc.
• Sadly, Luther’s writings about Jews were circulated by Hitler to help create the holocaust.
• NO ONE CAN BE SAVED WITHOUT GRACE! THIS IS TRUE OF MARTIN LUTHER, AND IT IS ALSO TRUE OF US.
• THE PURPOSE OF MENTIONING LUTHER HERE IS TO ILLUSTRATE THE IMPORTANCE OF IMITATING JESUS AND NOT MEN.

LUTHER’S EXAMPLE IS AN EMBARRASSMENT

• Obviously, Luther’s writings about the Jews are embarrassing and since the 1980s many Lutheran churches have formally denounced them.
• In 1982 the Lutheran World Federation stated: “We Christians must purge ourselves of any hatred of the Jews and any sort of teaching of contempt for Judaism”.
• In 1983 the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod denounced Luther’s hostile attitude toward Jews.
• The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America published an essay regretting that over the years Luther’s anti Jewish writings have been reproduced by neo-Nazis and other anti-Semetic groups such as the Ku Klux Klan.
• In 1987 Dr. Johannes Wallmann, writing in the Lutheran Quarterly, joined with other Lutherans in denouncing Luther’s writings about Jews.
• In 1994 the Church Council or the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America also apologized.
• Then in 1995 the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Canada apologized.
• Then in 2003 the European Lutheran Commission apologized.
• Then in 2004 the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America apologized. Etc. Etc. Etc.
• THE POINT IS! NOBODY EVER HAS TO BE ASHAMED OF JESUS!

JESUS AND THE JEWS

There is no doubt that Jesus loved the Jews and wanted them to be in heaven. When He came to Jerusalem a few days before His death the Scriptures state: “As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it and said, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes.” (Luke 19:41-42) The Greek word translated as “wept” is “klaio”. It is used 39 times in the New Testament Scriptures and always refers to a loud expression of grief. When someone died it was common for the Jewish people to “cry out loud” and to “wail” for the dead. This was what Jesus did over Jerusalem. He knew that the Romans would soon destroy Jerusalem and dash the Jews and their children to the ground. Matthew quotes Jesus as saying: “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing.” (Matthew 23:37)

Yes! Jesus loves all the people in the world and this certainly includes the Jews.

PAUL AND THE JEWS

Even though Paul had been beaten and tortured by the Jews, he still loved them (2 Corinthians 11:24-28. In fact, “imitating” Jesus Paul; was even willing to be cursed and cut off from Christ if only they would be saved. Please consider: “I speak the truth in Christ—I am not lying, my conscience confirms it through the Holy Spirit—I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my people, those of my own race, the people of Israel. Theirs is the adoption to sonship; theirs the divine glory, the

covenants, the receiving of the law, the temple worship and the promises. Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of the Messiah, who is God over all, forever praised! Amen.” (Romans 9:1-5)

Truly Paul was seeking to imitate Jesus!

FORTUNATELY, GOD JUDGES US AS INDIVIDUALS

Ezekiel explained that God judges each of us as individuals: “The one who sins is the one who will die. The child will not share the guilt of the parent, nor will the parent share the guilt of the child. The righteousness of the righteous will be credited to them, and the wickedness of the wicked will be charged against them.” (Ezekiel 18:20)

This principle also applies to churches. God will judge you based upon what you believe, not what your church believes! In Revelation 18:4 a voice from heaven commanded the people of God to come out of Babylon that they not be partakers of her sins. Such a command, however, was not given to those who were part of the corrupt church in Thyatira.

Please consider what God wrote to the angel of the church in Thyatira (See Revelation 2:18-29)

• Jesus knew exactly what was going on in their church: “I know your deeds, your love and faith, your service and perseverance, and that you are now doing more than you did at first.” (Revelation 2:19)
• Jesus also knew about their problems: “Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophet. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols.” (Revelation 2:20)
• This woman and her followers were going to be punished: “I have given her time to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling. So I will cast her on a bed of suffering, and I will make those who commit adultery with her suffer intensely, unless they repent of her ways. I will strike her children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am he who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds.” (Revelation 2:21- 23)
• Those who did not agree with her false teaching were going to be innocent: “Now I say to the rest of you in Thyatira, to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan’s so-called deep secrets, ‘I will not impose any other burden on you, except to hold on to what you have until I come.’” (Revelation 2:24-25)

BE LIKE THE NOBLE BEREANS

No one can be too careful in following the teachings and example of Jesus. The noble Bereans set a good example for everyone. They wanted to imitate God and not men. Note! “As soon as it was night, the believers sent Paul and Silas away to Berea. On arriving there, they went to the Jewish synagogue. Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.” (Acts 17:10-11)

IT IS IMPORTANT THAT WE CHECK ALL TEACHING BY THE SCRIPTURES! EVEN THE TEACHING OF THE APOSTLE PAUL NEEDED TO BE CHECKED! WE ALL NEED TO UNDERSTAND THE SCRIPTURES CORRECTLY (2 TIMOTHY 1:12). WE ALL NEED TO AVOID TWISTING THE SCRIPTURES TO OUR OWN DESTRUCTION (2 PETER 3:16). CORRECTLY UNDERSTANDING THE SCRIPTURES IS THE PRINCIPLE WAY WE KNOW WHAT JESUS DID SO THAT WE CAN FOLLOW HIS EXAMPLE!

It is obvious that Jesus knew the Scriptures and used them to defeat the devil. After Jesus was baptized, as you know, He was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. This period

of temptation is recorded in Matthew 4:1-11; Mark 1:9-13; and Luke 4:1-13. Remember! Each time Jesus was tempted He overcame the devil by quoting the Scriptures. Just as Jesus told the devil “It is written” we also need to quote Scriptures to the devil. In other words, we need to imitate Jesus! The Bible is the “sword of the Spirit” and is especially designed by God to defeat the devil (Ephesians 6:17). Remember! “The word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12) “For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as

the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” (2 Corinthians 10:3-5)

It is ridiculous to believe that we can improve the Bible. After listing the Ten Commandments the book of Exodus warns us about using human wisdom to build altars: “If you make an altar of stones for me, do not build it with dressed stones, for you will defile it if you use a tool on it.” (Exodus 20:25) Man’s efforts to be clever and creative apparently detract from from our focus on worshiping God. This, of course, also applies to the Bible. Moses specifically said: “Do not add to what I command you and do not subtract from it, but keep the commands of the Lord you God that I give you.” (Deuteronomy 4:2) The last few verses of the Bible contain a similar warning: “I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this scroll: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to that person the plagues described in this scroll. And if anyone takes words away from this scroll of prophecy, God will take away from that person any share in the tree of life and in the Holy City, which are described in this scroll.” (Revelation 22:18-19)

Please note that it is the devil who adds to and takes away from the Word of God. God told Adam, for example: “But you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.” (Genesis 2:17) The devil quoted this to Eve but added one word which completely changed what God had said. The devil’s version was “You will not surely die.” (Genesis 3:4) Remember! The devil is a liar and the father of lies (John 8:44).

When the devil tempted Jesus to throw Himself down from the highest point of the temple he quoted from Psalms 91:11-12. The devil said: “‘He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’” (Matthew 4:6) In quoting this passage the devil conveniently left out the following underlined words: “For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.” (Psalms 91:11-12)

So the Bible commends the noble Bereans for receiving the message of God with great eagerness and also for examining the Scriptures “every day” to see if what Paul said was true! This was not easy for them to do! The printing press was not invented for over a thousand years and the Bereans did not have copies of the Bible in their homes. We assume that the Scriptures were in the synagogue. This means they had to leave home, and perhaps to stand in line, in order to study the

Scriptures. Further, there were no chapters and verses in the Bible for many centuries. Yet, these noble believers eagerly examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.

TRANSFORMATION NOT CONFORMATION

“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” (Romans 12:1-2)

The word “transformed,” as you know is the Greek word “metamorphoo” from which we get our word “metamorphosis.” Metamorphosis is what “transforms” a caterpillar into a butterfly. You cannot make a caterpillar into a butterfly by squeezing it into a mold. You cannot teach a caterpillar to fly or keep it from eating plants in your garden by threats of punishment. But when the caterpillar is transformed, it is natural to fly and harmlessly sip nectar from flowers. Before becoming Christians we were like caterpillars who had to be locked up by law to keep us from sinning (Galatians 2:23).

Being born again, however, gives us a new heart an a new mind and changes our desires! When you are born again you become a “new creation” (2 Corinthians 5:17). God promised through Ezekiel: “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.” (Ezekiel 36:26-27) God does not “conform” you by pressure from without, He “transforms” you by pressure from within.

When a baby is born it does not look or act much like its father. As the baby grows, however, it will progressively look and act like its father. This is what happens when we are born again. Then “We, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” (2 Corinthians 3:18) Every day you live and grow you will be a little more like Jesus!

Our “transformation” does not come from outward pressure and human effort, but from the power of God operating within us: “And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. We love because he first loved us.” (I John 4:16-19)

YOU CANNOT GO WRONG IMITATING JESUS!