Ephesians 5:1 (ESV) … “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children.”
The Apostle Paul gives us a command, not a suggestion that we as believers are expected to imitate God. Just as it is natural for an earthly child to imitate his earthly father, so should the spiritual child imitate his Heavenly Father. The word imitate comes from the word mimeomai, from which we get our word mimic. It means “to act like.”
As believers in Jesus, we have experienced a new birth. That new birth has placed us into a new family where we have become God’s beloved children. The family of God is God’s idea. The expectation for members of that family is of the highest thoughts.
The world knows nothing about this kind of bond or love that makes this family existences possible. The world has its groupings of people, but none can compare to the family of God, nor to the Father of this family. Furthermore, we must not forget that Satan hates this family. Satan hates the Heavenly Father and all whom the Father loves.
What does it mean to imitate God? Simply it means that He is our model. The Word of God teaches us how we are to imitate God. There are at least three admonitions: God is love (1 John 4:8); therefore, “walk in love” (Eph. 5:1–2). God is light (1 John 1:5); therefore, walk as children of light or purity (Eph. 5:3–14). God is truth (1 John 5:6); therefore, walk in the wisdom of God’s Word (Eph. 5:15–17).
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