The highest possible command
It is important to do a recap because the passage before us has rules and instructions, which need to be considered against the backdrop of the chapters before it that speak of the grace of God. This enables us to respond as beloved children:
- Chapter 1 tells us that we were predestined for adoption, for being made part of the family of God.
- Chapter 2 explains that it happened by regeneration.
- Chapter 2:19-3:13 tells us about the great unity that is ours through the gospel.
- Chapter 4 exhorts us, in the light of all this, to walk worthy of the calling given to us.
Our text opens with what could be the highest possible command—to be an imitator of God.
BE IMITATORS OF GOD
God is the highest standard to appeal to and live up to. Jesus said, "Be perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect. " The Greek for 'imitators' is μιμητές (mimités) from which we get the English word mimic. We are asked to mimic God. This is different from the temptation in Eden to eat the forbidden fruit to be 'like' God or the sin of Babel where they wanted to reach to the heavens. Those sinful intentions clearly from hearts that wanted to be rivals with God. We see that very sin in today's world, which tries to redefine what God has already defined. They want to assert a God-like control.
So we need to make a distinction between the communicable and non-communicable attributes of God. Being self sufficient, all powerful, all knowing, present everywhere, sovereign and majestic are all non-communicable attributes.
To try to be like God in these is sinful. But we are called to imitate Him in the attributes such as justice, wrath, mercy, love, steadfastness, faithfulness, and wisdom, which are among God's communicable attributes. Of course God does these infinitely better than we ever could, but we must imitate Him.
AS BELOVED CHILDREN
We do not do this out of a sense of rivalry, but out of a sense family kinship and love of our Father. Like a well trained child reflects the glory and honor of the parents, when we imitate Him we bring Him honour and joy. The Father had the satisfaction of seeing the Son honouring the Him during His life on earth. How wonderful it would.be if in the big things and in the trivial things, people saw our Father's attributes of steadfastness, wisdom, justice in standing up for the oppressed, and so on. If we could only represent Him like that!
WALK IN LOVE
The thing we need to imitate more than anything else is love. Love is central to who God is. God has many attributes which are not central to His nature. Wrath is circumstantial. It comes into play when He sees sin. But the love of God is central. God IS love.
So we must imitate love.
- Isa 28:21 describes wrath as strange work, and alien work.
- Lam 3:33 mentions that God does not afflict from the heart. He does it because His holiness and justice demand it.
- Hos 11:1-4 described the love that God has set on Israel. He is not Father to everyone but only to those He has adopted in Christ. He is the perfect father and deals with us graciously even in our sin, although He is grieved by it. His Father-heart is moved to save us and not to condemn you.
- Rom 5:8 teaches us that He does not love us because Jesus died for us, but that Jesus died because God loves us. We are saved because we are loved, and not the other way round.
- Eph 2:7 states the blessings we have in Christ, on account of the Father-heart of God.
And we are called to imitate the Father heart of God.
AS CHRIST LOVED US AND GAVE HIMSELF FOR US
In Jesus, we have another example that further defines the Father's love. Today's secular world presents many competing definitions of love. But love is here defined by the cross of Jesus. This cross-shaped love loves those undeserving of it, it loves strangers and the marginalised. This love goes with a degree of suffering, and it has an attached cost, which may be money, time, emotional energy, or something else. This love could require that we take some flak and criticism.
This love requires that we give away our very selves. He gave us many things when He saved us, but He gave us also His very self.
What it means for us: We are to imitate Christ who gave Himself away. We are to give ourselves away to our church, brothers and sisters, strangers—and give ourselves away maybe even to the point of death.