Ephesians 5:1 – “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children.”
We see it all around us: From the young boy who loves to wear “Daddy shirts” to church to the small girls playing dress-up with Mom’s heels from the closet, small children imitate their parents. It’s one way in which they learn about their world and how things work, how humans function and relate to each other, how to make sense of the world around them. But they also do it out of love. Children don’t see the flaws in their parents; in their eyes, Mommy and Daddy are the best humans ever, and they want to be just. like. us. (If you’re anything like me, this is basically terrifying.) In much the same way, here in Ephesians 5, Paul specifically calls us to imitate God our Father.
A couple items to note here: Firstly, the word “therefore”. We need to always be aware of the immediate context of a verse, but even more so when the words “therefore” (or “wherefore” in the KJV), “but”, “because”, or any other kind of transition words are there. These are vital clues that we need to go back and read the preceding verses in order to get the full logical argument or thought. Here in Ephesians 5, it’s no different; we should look back into chapter 4 to fully understand why we should be imitators of God. I see three things to which Paul could be redirecting us. The first, from 4: 20-24, is that we’ve been taught to put off the old man, or the old way of living; to be renewed in our minds; and to put on the new man, “which is created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.” This might be most likely, considering that Paul specifically refers to the likeness of God. The second is 4:30, in which Paul reminds that the Holy Spirit sealed us as believers for the day of redemption. 4:32 states the final option I see, that God in Christ has forgiven us, a powerful motivator indeed. 4:32 has the benefit of immediate proximity; however, I think it most likely that 4:25-32 offer specific examples of how we as new men (persons, really; I don’t read Greek, but this doesn’t come across as gender-specific) can reflect the image of God, and the “therefore” here in 5:1 is pointing us back to 4:20-24.
Secondly, this call to imitate God, and others like it (Matt 5:48, for example), should not be used as an excuse for human attempts to subsume the Lord’s position as sovereign. This isn’t a call to make ourselves as self-sufficient, infinite, eternal, or immutable as possible – what many would call the metaphysical or non-communicable attributes of God. Not only are such attempts heretical and idolatrous at their root, they are also doomed to failure. It’s simply not possible for a human to be self-existent, for example. Paul’s specific directions, in 4:25-32, make it clear that this is rather a call to imitate, or follow after, the Lord in His communicable or moral attributes, just as small girls throw a pretend dinner party, and in so doing imitate the hospitality they see in their parents.
One last thing, as I wrap up here: It’s not specifically laid out here in this section, but Paul isn’t telling either his original readers, the first-century church in Ephesus, or us as modern-day believers, to do this in our own strength. Elsewhere (Romans 8:11), Paul will write that the same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead dwells in us and gives life to our mortal bodies. It’s not by our own efforts, but through the power of the Holy Spirit, who sealed us for the day of redemption, that we can reflect the likeness of God through our new man.
For further reading: None Like Him: 10 Ways God is Different From Us (And Why That’s a Good Thing) – Jen Wilkin.