Since we are looking deeply into how to walk with the Lord, and since we are His disciples living under the new covenant, let’s now turn to the Scriptures of the new covenant, the New Testament. We’ll first look to the words the Holy Spirit handed down to Paul for our edification and encouragement.
Let’s turn together to chapter 5 of his letter to the Ephesians. Due to the density of its content, it will require a couple posts to unpack what’s there. In fact, let’s just set our hearts on verses 1 and 2 today.
Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children
and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and
gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God
(Eph 5:1-2).
As a kid, I loved to play with Silly Putty. Not for the same reasons I liked Play-Doh, however. With Play-Doh, I was a sculptor. But with Silly Putty, I was an imprinter.
I would work and stretch that putty so I could press it down on the Sunday comics, copying the image from the printed page. There was just something about the process that fascinated me. But then I would stretch and distort that image until it no longer resembled the original design.
Oh, the dreadful ways I have twisted and corrupted the image of God imprinted upon my soul! How deeply grateful I am for the sacrifice of Jesus to come and model God’s intended image and redeem it for all mankind. And now, for the hard work of the Spirit in renewing and restoring that image!
In urging the Ephesians “to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which [they had] been called,” Paul wrote in chapter 4 at length on how they were to walk that out. And he landed here at 5:1, in exhorting them to “follow God’s example.” The ESV translates it this way, “Be imitators of God,” harkening back to the image-bearers of Genesis 1.
We are to walk as His Son did, in the identity He bought for us—as dearly loved children.
And we are to “walk in the way of love, just as He loved us.”
The letter further expounds how this is done in providing practical application. We’ll look at that next week.
But, for now, child of God Most High, think on what it means to imitate Him . . . and what it would look like for us to “walk in the way of love.”