Be Like Jesus
Ephesians 5:1 – 20
Introduction:
A few weeks ago, my wife and I went on an overnight vacation in a secluded resort in Rizal province. As we were checking into the resort, displayed on the shelf at the check-in counter were some handbags that were being sold. A closer look will reveal that the bags displayed either had tags declaring that they're Hermes bags or they're Nine West bags . An even closer examination will reveal that all the bags were selling at a price of PHP 750.00. Naturally, we concluded that all the bags displayed were fakes, cheap imitation of the real thing because a genuine Hermes bag can easily cost around PHP 50,000 to a few hundreds of thousands. A genuine Nine West bag, although cheaper than the Hermes brand, would still cost way much more PHP 750.00. However, what was fascinating was that these bags were well sewn. From afar, you could never tell that they're fakes. It is no wonder the owners of these big, expensive brands are up in arms against these counterfeiters because they are destroying and cheapening their brand name.
What I have just related to you was a wrong kind of imitation. To copy someone's design and pass it off as the real thing when it really isn't is a crime. None of us should ever be doing such a thing. Imitating someone's product and selling it off as the real thing is stealing the intellectual property of the designer and of the rightful manufacturer. It can also be costly to human life, like when someone imitates life-saving medicine and sell it in the market but the medicine are nothing more than placebos that have no healing effect. We shouldn't be imitating what we see on TV. In 2008, a 10-year old boy died buried in a playground sandbox because he was trying to imitate a Japanese anime hero named Naruto who used his superpowers to escape while trapped in sand. We also shouldn't be imitating the bad example of certain people. According to a theory called the social learning theory, people learn to engage in crime , primarily through their association with others. By being associated with criminals, they learn beliefs that are favorable to crime, and they are exposed to criminal models. As a consequence, they come to view the committing of crime as something desirable and even justifiable in certain situations.
However, not all acts of imitation are bad. For example, if you want to be a good basketball player who can put the ball in the basket at least 50 to 55 percent of all your attempts, not only should you practice hard, but sometimes it helps to study the pattern of great shooters. If you want to be an honor student, studying hard is important, but sometimes it helps to learn the study habits of other successful students and see what you can copy and apply. If you want to be successful when investing in the stock market, it helps to study what successful investors are doing and what stocks they are buying, and then you imitate what they're doing. When they're buying a certain stock today, you also buy. If they sell, you also sell. Imitation is dependent on who or what your model is. If you are imitating a good model, you will do well.
Likewise, in the spiritual realm, we are also called to be imitators. In fact, today's passage tells us to imitate God himself. I personally believe that when Paul is talking about imitating God, he is in fact telling us to follow the pattern set forth by Jesus Christ [click]. Imitating Jesus Christ stands in contrast to imitating the ways of the world. Last week, we've learned about severing our past association with sin and the world. The command is very clear – we have to decisively put away those things that belong to our past life and choose to do the things that God wants us to do. Ephesians 5:1 to 20 continues the train of thought from Ephesians 4:17 to 32, our passage last week, and I believe the reason why Paul is telling us to imitate Christ is because he is the best model or example of someone living up to God's standards. Today, we'll learn the three areas where we can imitate the pattern or example set by Jesus Christ for us.
BE LIKE JESUS . . . BY LIVING A LIFE OF LOVE
First of all, we are to be like Jesus by living a life of love. Note how Paul phrased his words. By telling us to live a life of love, he's saying that our life should be characterized by love for other people. In other words, love is something that must be constantly done by each of us, something constantly shown to others; it isn't something that you can just switch off and on, depending on the kind of people you meet. Loving people constantly is rather difficult to do, isn't it? Yet, if we really want to imitate Jesus Christ, we have to do it. When Jesus loves people, he loves them whether they're lovable or not, whether they've been good or bad. Aren't you glad the Lord Jesus isn't Santa Claus? Santa gives gifts to those who are nice and withholds gifts from those who are naughty. Jesus loves us even if you've done things that hurt him.
Another thing we should note regarding this love is that it is sacrificial in nature. In verse 2 of Ephesians 5, Paul said that Christ gave himself up for us, to be a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. We all know the Gospel story – Jesus taking our place on the cross to die for our sins. What Jesus did was a huge sacrifice on his part – he gave himself up. When Paul tells us to imitate Christ's love, he is telling us to love sacrificially, meaning we must be willing to do everything to show God's love to others, even if it means giving up our lives or giving up everything we possess to show that love. Sacrificial love also means giving our time and attention to others which is a hard thing to do most of the time, in contrast to spending time on yourself, which is easier.
Living a life of love is not easy. I would know that because I also struggle through it everyday, even if I have already preached to you about love during our 40 Days of Love campaign last February and March. It is because there will always be people we encounter who are unlovable, people who will test your patience. There will be things that others do or say to you that will turn you off. However, love is not something I must show only when its convenient or when the people are lovable. It is something I must do constantly and sacrificially. It is a command that I must take note of constantly.
If I truly want to imitate the Lord Jesus, then I must follow his lead in loving others. Are you ready to follow in the footsteps of Christ in this area of your life?
BE LIKE JESUS . . . BY KEEPING ONE'S SELF PURE
A second area of Christ's life that we can imitate is his purity of life. As one reads through the Gospels, he will find that Jesus lived a perfect life. Although his critics and enemies leveled a lot of accusations against Him, he was totally blameless in the sight of God. Does this mean that Jesus was never tempted to sin and do wrong? Of course not! Jesus was tempted in every way possible, but he never succumbed to sin (Hebrews 4:15). He knew what it was like to be tempted, but he never sinned. Thus, he is our perfect model for keeping ourselves pure.
How exactly do we keep ourselves pure? Let's look at some areas in life mentioned by Paul which we must avoid if we want to be pure. First, there is the area of sexual purity. In verse 3, three words are used to describe sexual sins. These words are sexual immorality, impurity and covetousness. These three words describe how people succumb to sexual sins. Sexual immorality refers to the act of either committing adultery or premarital sex which are both violations of God's design for sex as being something to be done only within the context of marriage. The pagans in Paul's time were blatant when it came to committing sexual sins. Our society right now is no different from Paul's time. Singles are seeking for physical pleasures without having to make a commitment to marriage, while married people are seeking for physical happiness apart from their spouses. For non-believers, committing such sins do not mean anything, but for us as Christians, this is something we must avoid because to commit immorality is actually to desecrate our body which is the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:18 – 20). It is to make dirty that which is already clean.
The second word used to describe sexual sins is the word “impurity”. Personally, I view this word in the context of one's thought life. Do you allow your mind to dwell on impure thoughts? Do you feed your mind with images and stories that unnecessarily fuel your sex drive? If you want to keep yourself pure, you must not put filthy things into your mind. Don't watch or read anything pornographic in nature. Don't watch any movie or TV show that may suggest doing something immoral. Immorality starts with the mind. If you don't feed your mind with evil things that will fuel your thoughts, you're not going to think about such things readily.
The third word used to describe sexual sins is the word “covetousness”. In the Ten Commandments, we are commanded not to covet our neighbor's wife. In simple terms, don't desire for what is not and will not be rightfully yours. If you see someone handsome or beautiful but that person is already married, don't go around wishing that you can have that person. If you are married, be content with your spouse and don't go around wishing that you could have someone better.
A second area in life which we can keep pure is in the use of our mouths. In verse 4 we find 3 kinds of impure speech that we are to avoid. There is obscenity, foolish talk, and coarse joking. Obscenity is any expression that is of an explicitly sexual nature or an expression that is very demeaning; it is disgusting or repulsive to one's senses. I don't need to delve into what these words are since we often hear them in movies, TV and even when some people are talking to each other. Foolish talk means spoken words that are senseless or useless. When you gossip, you are speaking foolish words. When you slander others, you are speaking foolish words. When you talk of things that don't edify you or other people, you are speaking foolish words. Finally, there is coarse joking. This phrase refers to the kind of joking that is inappropriate, such as jokes that have double meanings, the hidden meaning usually referring to sex. It can also mean jokes that demean people, like the kind you would probably hear when you go to a comedy bar, where comedians make fun of your appearance at your expense. You want to be pure in your speech? Avoid speech that insult people, avoid speech that is disgusting to the ears, and stop using your mouths for useless chatters.
A third area in life that we can keep pure is in terms of our association. The people you are closely associated with will actually affect your thoughts and actions. When I was a freshman student in La Salle, I suffered what you would call as culture shock. I had spent 12 years, from kindergarten to high school, in a sheltered environment – a Christian school. Now, I was in a different environment where people smoked, drank heavily, and even brought pornographic materials to school with no fear of getting caught and expelled, unlike in high school. I had to make a choice early on as to whom I would closely associate myself with. I chose to associate with a couple of classmates who didn't go for the unhealthy lifestyle and who were serious about doing well in school. I also joined Christian fellowships in school. Why did I do this? It was because I was fearful that I would succumb to smoking and drinking if I didn't choose my friends wisely. In verse 6, Paul tells us that we should not allow ourselves to be deceived by other people. In fact, we must not partner with people who will cause us to sin. Now, this doesn't mean that you can't be friends with them. We still can be friends with them but we must not be closely attached to them as to allow them to influence us.
Be like Jesus by keeping yourself pure sexually, in your speech, and in your association.
BE LIKE JESUS . . . BY HOW YOU LIVE YOUR LIFE
Finally, we can imitate Christ's life by how we live our life here on earth. Look at verse 15. Here it says that we must be careful how we live – and this means we must be wise when it comes to living our life here on earth. How can we be wise in living our life? There are three areas that Paul emphasizes. The first is in the use of our time. How do you use the limited time God has given you? Jesus lived on earth for a span of 33 ½ years. Of that 33 ½ years, he spent 30 years preparing himself for ministry, then he spent 3 ½ years to proclaim the gospel, which included his dying on the cross and his resurrection. Yet, none of us can ever accuse Jesus of poor time management. The time he spent prior to his years of ministry were spent for personal equipping that made him effective in reaching out to the people. I believe most of us, if not all, will go way past the Lord's 33 ½ years of life here on earth. The question we need to ask ourselves is, am I doing something productive, something useful for the Lord and helpful to people with the time that I have? Very often, we are poor stewards of time, using what we have for things that aren't that productive. Studying and working are things we should be doing with diligence, however, consider what you do with the remaining time you have. Many young people are spending too much time on the internet and on playing video games rather than spending a few more minutes praying or a few more minutes to read the Bible. The same is true with adults. We spend too much time tinkering with our adult toys (cars, gadgets, hobbies) rather than using our time to improve our relationship with God and to serve God in the church or in your community. We also don't spend enough time being with other people, building our relationships with them, choosing instead to sit in front of a computer or a TV set rather than interacting. How many people would we have been able to help, to share the gospel to, if we spend our time wisely by relating with them?
A second area of wise living is in seeking God's will for your life. Look at verse 17. It tells us to not be foolish but to understand the Lord's will for your life. What is God's will for you? There is first of all God's general will for your life. These are the commands and principles recorded in Scripture that we are to obey and follow. Then there is God's specific will for us. These are the issues that we often ask of ourselves – Where will I study? What course will I take? Can I suggest something? If you spend enough time knowing God and his Word, you will be more aware of his leading as well as his plans for your life. You see, many of the issues about God's will actually fall under the category of God's general will. Some of us wonder if it is OK to marry a non-believer. Well, why keep asking God for an answer when its already recorded in 2 Corinthians 6, which tells us it isn't OK? We ask God if its OK to engage in a business where we cheat on the government, when the answer is clear from the Bible that we should give to the government what is rightfully theirs, and that we should not steal. Many of the questions we have about God's will can be answered if we know God's Word and if we are growing in intimacy with God. With regards to the specific will of God, I will just say this: if you take the time to listen to God and to obey God, it becomes easier for you to discern what is his specific will.
The third area of wise living is by being filled with the Holy Spirit. In verse 18 we are commanded not to get drunk with wine which can lead one to debauchery. The word debauchery means excessive indulgence. It implies losing control over one's self. A person who is drunk is usually unable to think soundly. He is also unable to control his physical senses. Furthermore, his judgment is impaired such that he can no longer tell if what he is doing is right or wrong. You can substitute wine with any substance that can cause people to lose control of themselves – illegal drugs, excessive viewing of TV and movies, excessive video games. Instead of these addictive things that will lead to indulgence and destruction, Paul tells us to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Now, what is the meaning of being filled with the Spirit? It means that we allow God to be in control of every aspect, every area of our life. It also means we are to find our joy in our relationship with God rather than in the stimulants of this world that gives only temporary pleasure but cannot fill the emptiness of our hearts. How can we be filled with the Holy Spirit? There is nothing mysterious about this. To be filled with the Spirit is simply to say to the Lord that you want to surrender every area of your life to God's control and you really do it by submitting every thought, every decision and every action to God's leading. It is to always ask the Lord the question, “Will what I do, say or think please you?”. Its easier said than done since we have always acted independently, but you experience great joy when you think about the Lord, you think about his Word, when you think about what you want to do for Him, and when you fellowship with like-minded believers. In fact, it will often lead to our worshipping and praising of the Lord (vv. 19 – 20). The Lord Jesus was described quite often as being filled with the Spirit of God throughout the gospels. If we want to be like Jesus, we should strive to be constantly filled with the Holy Spirit.
Be like Jesus by using your time wisely, by seeking for God's will for your life, and by being filled with the Holy Spirit.
Conclusion:
In closing, I would like to simply challenge all of us here, let us be like Jesus. If we are truly serious about our relationship with the Lord, then let us strive to follow his pattern. Every true believer of Jesus Christ should make it his goal, his ambition to be like Jesus. Anything less is an insult to the one who died for you and me in order to save us and give us new life. Will you be like Jesus?
