Ephesians 5:1-20. I like the translation that states, "be imitators of God", because it reminds me of how children imitate their parents. And, wow, what a conviction! So we are to follow God's example as His dearly loved children and walk in the way of love. Period. This is a command, not a suggestion. Jesus gave the perfect example of loving us and giving Himself as our sacrifice. If we daily offer ourselves to God as a living sacrifice (Rom.12:1), then we have the power to allow the miracle of transformation to play out in our lives. We can have victory over those common sins we all face: sexual immorality, impurity, greed, foolish talk, etc. which is a form of idolatery. Instead, these things will slowly fade away as the Holy Spirit is allowed His place to change our lives, infusing thankfulness and words that build up and encourage, stimulating the courage to speak the truth in love, and inspiring a life that is strong in the Lord's character. Again, I repeat, again, there should be a remarkable change in how our lives look since we've been saved. Just like the before and after photos, people should start to see what Jesus really looks like, in us. Stay away from those things that bring you down. Pursue and represent those things that are of God. It's truly the best way to live.
We must be strong in imitating God. We must remember that we are truly loved. We must be strong in living a life of love. We need to be strong in believing in the Holy Spirit's ability to influence our lives. Don't ever count Him out. He is the "somehow" we can make it. We should be strong in representing His character.
