Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are His dear children.
Ephesians 5:1 (NLT)
All children carry the DNA of their parents within them. Whether they like it or not, they will inherit certain traits from their father and/or mother. In this sense, they will resemble them in their attitude, their tendency and sometimes even in their way of thinking. My 18 year old son always asks me questions about my attitude and behavior in certain situations. He wants to imitate my attitude when he has to face these situations.
As Christians, the Bible commands us to be like our Heavenly Father, that is, to be His imitators. Imitating God means sacrificing ourselves for others out of love for them, forgiving them when they harm us, walking in sanctification as He is holy. It may seem challenging, but when God asks us to do something, He always has a plan to help us. Christ gave us an example of how to imitate God. He gave His life as a sacrifice out of love for you and me and He still intercedes for us before God.
You can't decide which aspect of God you want to imitate and reject those you don't like. This command leaves us no choice. We must imitate God in all His aspects, whether it is kindness, tenderness, sanctification, forgiveness, hatred of sin, unconditional love for others, etc. You cannot imitate God on your own, but with the help of the Holy Spirit, you can be a good imitator of your Heavenly Father.
May the grace and the peace of God be with you all.
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