“Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children.”
(Ephesians 5:1)
A good father is a treasure to his children. He protects, provides, instructs, and loves them, guiding them in truth and wisdom. And what child, blessed with such a father, does not desire to imitate him?
But no earthly father—no matter how loving or faithful—can compare to our heavenly Father. He is infinitely good, perfect in holiness, and overflowing in mercy toward His children. As Jesus reminds us, “If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?” (Matthew 7:11).
The immeasurable goodness of God should stir in us a deep desire to adore Him. But beyond mere worship, it should move us to be like Him. If an earthly father delights when his child desires to follow in his footsteps, how much more does our heavenly Father rejoice when His children seek to imitate Him in righteousness?
And He did not leave us without guidance to that end. He has given us His Word, which teaches us who He is and how we are to live. Louis Berkhof observed, “This Law demonstrates what rational creatures made in His image must do in order to be like Him.”[1]
Even more, He has given us Christ—not only as our Redeemer but as our example. Jesus came to reveal the Father (John 14:9) and to live in perfect obedience to His will. He declared, “For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you,” (John 13:15). If we follow Christ, we follow the Father, for Christ and the Father are one (John 10:30).
Thus, as God’s beloved children, we are called to walk as He walked (1 John 2:6). Not as those striving for acceptance, but as those who have been accepted, adopted into His family by grace. Because the more we seek to know Him, the more we will desire to be like Him. The more we adore Him, the more we will reflect His holiness.
Contemplations
- The Joy of Being God’s Child. Lord, You call me Your beloved. And yet do I cherish this truth? Do I live in the joy and assurance of being Your child, or do I forget the privilege of my adoption? Teach me to delight in Your love, knowing that I am forever Yours.
- Walking in Holiness. Father, You are holy, and You command me to be holy as You are holy. Help me desire holiness in my daily life that I never grow comfortable with sin. Help me imitate Your righteousness that I may reflect Your light to the world.
- Following Hard After God. Lord, when I truly grasp that I belong to You, my heart is stirred to seek You more. Do I hunger for Your presence? Do I run after You with all my heart? Let the assurance of my sonship make me eager to follow hard after You.
- Laboring for the Lord. Jesus, I know that my labor in You is never in vain. But do I work for Your kingdom with diligence and joy? Strengthen me, Lord, to labor in faith, knowing You will accomplish Your work through me.
- Seeing Christ as My Pattern. Father, You have given me Christ as my example. So may I be diligent to study His life, listen to His words, and seek to walk as He walked. Teach me to follow Christ fully, that in imitating Him, I may glorify You.
Prayer
[Supplication for Help]
O Father, You have called me Your child, and what an honor it is to bear Your name! Yet how often do I fail to live as Your child should? My heart is prone to wander, my affections are so easily diverted from You.
Lord, You are holy, righteous, and good—and You call me to imitate You. But I know my own weakness. I know my heart cannot produce holiness on its own. I need Your Spirit to shape me, to mold me into Your likeness, that I might walk as a true child of God.
Help me, Father, to set my eyes upon Christ, for in Him I see You perfectly. May I follow His steps, love as He loved, and obey as He obeyed. Teach me to walk in holiness, not by mere effort but by the power of Your grace.
Let the assurance of Your love and acceptance be my strength. When I stumble, remind me that I am Yours. When I grow weary, remind me that my labor in the Lord is not in vain. Keep my heart fixed upon You, that I may reflect Your goodness to the world.
Father, help me imitate You, not merely in words but in deeds. Make me more like You each day, that I may bring glory to Your name.
In the name of Christ my Lord,
Amen.
Further References for Ephesians 5:1
Matthew 5:48; Luke 6:36; John 1:12; Ephesians 4:32; Leviticus 11:45; 1 Peter 1:16.
[1] “His rational creatures should live according to the divine law implanted in their hearts and should praise their Maker.” L. Berkhof, Systematic Theology (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans publishing co., 1938), 124.
