For Ezra had set his heart to study the Law of the LORD, and to do it and to teach his statutes and rules in Israel. Ezr 7:10
God's Imitator's
The apostle Paul makes stunning appeal in Eph. 5:1(KJV):
“Be ye therefore followers of God as dear children.”
Followers is [Gk. mimētēs – pronounced mim-ay-tace] and it’s the same word that we get our English word mimic from. Not only is the translation most literal but the picture is most vivid as well.
According to one Greek authority, this word goes as far back as the sixth century BC in secular Greek. According to Aristotle, at the beginning of civilization, humans learned skills by mimicking the behavior of animals. Weaving and spinning, for example was learned from spiders, and building houses was learned from birds. Paintings, plays, sculptures, and poetry were simply “imitations of reality.” An actor was called a mimos (a “mimer”).
According to commentator William Barclay , Imitation was a main element in the training of an orator. The teachers of public speaking said that learning of oratory depended on three things—theory, imitation, and practice. The main part of their training was the study and the imitation of the long gone masters.
Paul, however, gave it deeper meaning when he brought this word to the NT.
Think about it a moment as it relates to the world today; people mimic sports figures, actors and musicians, leading world figures, military legends and others like them. But the Christian is called to mimic God; to literally copy God’s character, God’s attitudes, and God’s actions. One old saying says, “Imitation is the sincerest way to flatter.” One of the remarkable things to watch is how the impressionists can do such a perfect job when they mimic famous people. But the Christian who mimics God is much greater. Although it, without doubt, takes immense talent to be an impressionist, it literally takes a miracle to mimic God. Why? Because it’s really not talent that makes it possible for us to mimic God, instead, it’s the miracle performed by the Holy Spirit as He creates in us“the fruit of the Spirit” (Gal. 5:22-23) in us.
Charles Spurgeon once said: “While it thus humbles us, this precept ennobles us; for what a grand thing it is to be imitators of God! . . . Time has been when men gloried in studying Homer, and their lives were trained to heroism by his martial verse. Alexander carried the Iliad about with him in a casket studded with jewels, and his military life greatly sprung out of his imitation of the warriors of Greece and Troy. Ours is a nobler ambition by far than that which delights in battles; we desire to imitate the God of peace, whose name is love.”
It’s amazing how many times we read in Scripture that we are to mimic God.
Think about what Matt. 5:48 [NET] says: So then, be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect (Mature- Gk. teleios).
Whenever we hear the word perfect mentioned, we understand it to mean flawless, like a perfect diamond. On the other hand, it meant “mature,” in old English. The same thought is reflected in the Greek teleios, which comes from telos), which “originally meant [1] hinge or the [2] turning point, [3] the point of conclusion where one step ends and another begins; [4] later, [5] the goal, [6] the end.” A number of things were looked upon as being an end, or a goal. Marriage, physical and academic knowledge, and, of course, death. So, anything that has reached its telos, its goal or end, is teleios, which means, “complete.”
John. 15:12; Philp. 2:3-8; 1 Pet. 2:21-22.
In Eph. 5:1, Paul presents a vivid example of what it actually means to be a mimētēs a “mimic” of God. He says that we do it “as dear children.” Without a doubt, nothing is more imitative than a child. It’s actually one of the ways a child learns.
Some years ago a television commercial briefly, but clearly illustrated this. Even without conversation, the impact was still powerful.
A father and his little two year old son, were sitting under a tree together.
The father took out a pack of cigarettes from his shirt pocket, lit one, and placed the pack down on the ground between them. Seeing what his father had done, the boy picked up the pack and looked at it. The picture froze on that image, and the point was made.
Paul’s stunning appeal makes it easy for us to react with questions like:
• Is it actually a doable thing to mimic God?
• Wouldn’t that be kind of juvenile?
• How exaggerated would that be?
• Isn’t Paul going a little too far with this?
• How can we sinful people who live in such a sinful world be mimics of God?
To answer these questions we need to take a look at God’s attributes (characteristics).
First, there are the “natural attributes” of God. Those characteristics that describe what God is or God’s Nature. These include His [1] omniscience, [2] omnipotence, [3] omnipresence, [4] eternality, [5] sovereignty, and [6] immutability. These attributes are described as “incommunicable,” because they are not able to be passed on to man.
Second, there are the “moral attributes” of God. Those characteristics that describe God’s character and what God does; they include His [1] holiness, [2] righteousness, [3] justice, [4] mercy, [5] grace, and [6] love. These attributes, are described as “communicable,” which means they are able to be passed on to man.
Yes, God can and does communicate holiness, righteousness, justice, mercy, grace, and love to Christians so we can make them evident in and through our daily lives and activities.
So, how can we mimic God? By making evident His moral attributes in us. We can without a doubt mimic God by possessing His “character attributes.”
Consider these passages of Scripture and notice one of God’s moral attributes in each along with an imitation action we can take :
1 Pet.1:16; for it is written, "You shall be holy, because I am holy."
1 Tim. 6:11; But you, as a person dedicated to God, keep away from all that. Instead pursue righteousness, godliness,
Philp.4:8-9; Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is worthy of respect, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if something is excellent or praiseworthy, think about these things.
Philp 4:9 And what you learned and received and heard and saw in me, do these things. And the God of peace will be with you.
James 2:13; For judgment is merciless for the one who has shown no mercy. But mercy triumphs over judgment.
Heb.12:28-29. Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear:
29 For our God is a consuming fire.
Do you remind others of God by your behavior?
Could Christians today be convicted in a court of law of being
God’s Imitators?
A father and his little two year old son, were sitting under a tree together.
The father took out a pack of cigarettes from his shirt pocket, lit one, and placed the pack down on the ground between them. Seeing what his father had done, the boy picked up the pack and looked at it. The picture froze on that image, and the point was made.
Paul’s stunning appeal makes it easy for us to react with questions like:
• Is it actually a doable thing to mimic God?
• Wouldn’t that be kind of juvenile?
• How exaggerated would that be?
• Isn’t Paul going a little too far with this?
• How can we sinful people who live in such a sinful world be mimics of God?
To answer these questions we need to take a look at God’s attributes (characteristics).
First, there are the “natural attributes” of God. Those characteristics that describe what God is or God’s Nature. These include His [1] omniscience, [2] omnipotence, [3] omnipresence, [4] eternality, [5] sovereignty, and [6] immutability. These attributes are described as “incommunicable,” because they are not able to be passed on to man.
Second, there are the “moral attributes” of God. Those characteristics that describe God’s character and what God does; they include His [1] holiness, [2] righteousness, [3] justice, [4] mercy, [5] grace, and [6] love. These attributes, are described as “communicable,” which means they are able to be passed on to man.
Yes, God can and does communicate holiness, righteousness, justice, mercy, grace, and love to Christians so we can make them evident in and through our daily lives and activities.
So, how can we mimic God? By making evident His moral attributes in us. We can without a doubt mimic God by possessing His “character attributes.”
Consider these passages of Scripture and notice one of God’s moral attributes in each along with an imitation action we can take :
1 Pet.1:16; for it is written, "You shall be holy, because I am holy."
1 Tim. 6:11; But you, as a person dedicated to God, keep away from all that. Instead pursue righteousness, godliness,
Philp.4:8-9; Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is worthy of respect, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if something is excellent or praiseworthy, think about these things.
Philp 4:9 And what you learned and received and heard and saw in me, do these things. And the God of peace will be with you.
James 2:13; For judgment is merciless for the one who has shown no mercy. But mercy triumphs over judgment.
Heb.12:28-29. Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear:
29 For our God is a consuming fire.
Do you remind others of God by your behavior?
Could Christians today be convicted in a court of law of being
God’s Imitators?
Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 2Ti 2:15
Glorifying the Triune God by creatively declaring the relevancy and practicality of His timeless Word..
Bible Studies
CBC- Truth For Living Class
Feb.28, 2010 Lesson
Feb.28, 2010 Lesson